GE Profile™ UltraFast Combo Washer/Dryer - Laundry Product Recommendations
By choosing and properly using laundry detergents and additives, you can maximize your Combo's performance. Below are some recommendations to help you determine the type of laundry products that can be safely used to get the most out of your GE Profile™ UltraFast Combo Washer/Dryer.
Detergents
- Use only HE (High-Efficiency) detergent.
- Liquid ONLY when using the SmartDispense feature
- Powder (granular) or liquid detergent can be used in the Manual compartment
- Like with all our frontload washers, detergent packs, pods, and sheets need to be placed directly into the basket before the clothes are added, and following the manufacturer's label instructions. These products should not be placed in the dispenser drawer compartments.
- Placing detergent pods in the dispenser drawer instead of the wash basket can cause clogging of the compartments and leaks from the dispenser area, possibly running down the front of the Combo.
Fabric Softeners (for Wash Cycles)
Whether you are using the SmartDispense - Softener drawer or manual dosing using the Top Dispenser drawer, only liquid fabric softener should be used. Remember not to pour fabric softener directly on the wash load.
Bleach
Your Combo washer/dryer offers a liquid bleach compartment for dispensing your bleach. This bleach compartment has to be manually loaded each cycle, since there is not a SmartDispense system for bleach. It is recommended to only use High-Efficiency (HE) bleach.
Other Laundry Products and Additives
There are a number of laundry products and additives available on the market. Some are safe to use in your Combo and some are not. Here is a general guideline to help you when considering using these products in your Combo. Please remember that these products should not be placed in any of the dispenser compartments unless specifically instructed in the product's instructions.
Safe to Use
- Affresh
- OxiClean (or other brand oxygen cleaners)
- Fragrance beads - These types of products (ex. Downy Unstoppables) need to be placed directly into the basket before the clothes are added for a Wash cycle.
- Laundry Sanitizers
- We recommend following the instructions on the laundry sanitizer label, which normally instruct you to add the sanitizer to the manual fabric softener compartment so that it can be dispensed with cold water in the final rinse. It cannot be dispensed from either of the bulk tanks of the Combo.
- All claims to the product’s effectiveness are based on using these products as the manufacturer recommends.
- Dryer Sheets and/or Balls
- The Combo produces little lint and virtually no static in clothing, so dryer balls are generally not needed. If you use dryer sheets or balls, make sure you are putting them in the basket after the wash cycle ends. The Combo can even notify you when the wash is nearly at the end so you can remove any line-dry items or add something like dryer sheets or dryer balls. It's also very important to remove the dryer sheets/balls after the dry cycle, especially if you're using wool ones. They can retain moisture and start to smell if left in the appliance.
Do Not Use
- Straight vinegar or vinegar-based cleansers that are not produced for expressed use in a washer or dryer should not be used in the Combo. It is not compatible with the drying system materials.
- Citric-acid based products, such as Cerama Bryte Washer Cleaner and Dr. Bronner's Sals Suds, are not recommended for use in the Combo.
- Borax (not fully tested yet)
- Baking soda (not fully tested yet)
- Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (not fully tested yet)
- Ammonia should not be used in the Combo. Mixing ammonia with other chemicals or additives can be extremely dangerous. Never use ammonia in any washer or dryer, since mixing cannot be avoided.
- Straight hydrogen peroxide as detergent.
- Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizing agent which means that it will promote oxidation (metal corrosion). It can lead to corrosion of the metals inside the Combo. If there is any residual of the hydrogen peroxide after wash cycle, it will generate oxygen during dry cycle. There is also a concern with oxygen interacting with heat in close environment.
- In some laundry sanitizers, you may find that hydrogen peroxide is sometimes used as an additive. These are safe to use since the concentration of hydrogen peroxide is typically diluted to an amount that is safe.
- Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizing agent which means that it will promote oxidation (metal corrosion). It can lead to corrosion of the metals inside the Combo. If there is any residual of the hydrogen peroxide after wash cycle, it will generate oxygen during dry cycle. There is also a concern with oxygen interacting with heat in close environment.
- Dry cleaning products (such as Woolite Dry Cleaning and Dryel) have not been tested and cannot be recommended at this time.
Additional Support
For more information about the use of laundry products in your UltraFast Combo, download a copy of the Owner's Manual and check out the following "GE Profile™ Combo Washer/Dryer Dispenser Drawers" video:
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