Pre-treat them with one of the pre-wash sprays, then wash.

There isn't anything that can handle collar rings very well.

I disagree with there's nothing that can handle collar rings verry well.

There's plenty of products that can deal with this, but you need to be willing to use hot or at least very very warm water.

What color are the shirts? Fabric type? What wash cycle do you use and what water temp?

Collar rings are oily/sebum soil. Needs some heat to respond. A more aggressive cycle is needed than the designated Normal. Normal cycles nowadays are the most restricted for water temperature. Cold is Cold. Warm is Cold. Hot is tepid.

Are you able to return the machine. Sometimes you can.

Try rubbing Wisk on the collars. After all, Wisk has been the " ring around the collar" detergent for years.

True Sparky.

And to prevent this from happening so you don't need to scrub or pretreat.. wash in hot water (are these men's dress shirts) and use a good detergent. Ring around the collar can be prevented.

Hi enduring, .if I had just an extra 5 inches more space in my laundry room , I would have gone for a front load. This top load seemed to be the the ONE for the space and I am learning to love it .

Thanks Sparky, I will definitely be trying Wisk.. I just recently relocated from the UK so I'm still getting to know the brands that are available in the US market.

Hi Mammapinky. They are mainly cotton and polyester shirts , whites and coloured. I wash them on the white cycle using hot water setting too but they still come out like they were just soaked in water and spun...

I use Shout and let it sit for awhile, maybe even for a night or two on a white or light colored shirt. On the white loads I also use oxy as I dislike bleach.

You need to use a top of the line detergent to tackle tough body oil stains such as ring around the collar. Use either Tide Ultra Stain Release HE Turbo or Persil Proclean 2in1. As others have already said, don't use cold, cool, or warm settings; use the hot setting instead. You might also want to try a heavy duty or similar cycle.

Someone mentioned Biz in a different discussion, maybe Pink, but it would probably help boost your detergent. It has been a great additive for years. Think it even comes in a liquid version ( I have always bought the powder) but sure Walmart has both. That might be something to try that you can add to different loads when needing a cleaning boost. All the detergent named above are also top products.

Dollar Tree Stores sell LA's Awesome spray cleaner. It works pretty well on grease and oil stains, so I think it should work quite well on body oil. It costs a dollar, and you just spray it on full strength.

Maywebb, there are compact front load washers that are not as deep. The brands include Miele and Electrolux for 2 that people have really liked. The have heaters, multiple cycles. They both have condensing dryers now, as that is all that Europe has now. But GW'ers have been very happy with these condensing dryers, as indicated from the posts they make.

I think from my own experience, we don't need these large monsters that are being promoted. I have a household of 2, and struggle to get loads together for the regular wash. The only limitation I see in these compact machines is for bulky queen sized and king sized comforters. I can fit a modest medium sized queen comforter in my Miele, but not a bulky one. The Miele Little Giant is a larger machine and can do king sized quilts. Very expensive, but I don't know you budget. You'd have one of the best washers on the planet ;)

People have been very unhappy with the top loaders without an agitator, because they don't turn the laundry over into the water and they get unbalanced easily.

I just threw out a front loader because I hated it. Didn't clean clothes which were never immersed in water. They just sprinkle a little water on them and spin them. On top of the noise, the way too fast spinning and vibration, the set in wrinkles and the mold issues around the doors - I switched to a Speed Queen top loader with agitator.

I read plenty of articles and reviews before purchasing that indicated that the HE top loaders are not much better than the front loader. Sure Consumer Reports recommends all the front loaders, but they do that because they supposedly use less water and energy, not because they come anywhere near cleaning as well as the good old fashioned top loading agitator washing machines.

prairie, thanks for resurrecting a year old thread and contributing nothing to the discussion. And your opinion of front load washers is in the minority here. If used correctly, a front load washer will get laundry much cleaner than any top load washer (regular or he) on the market.

And Speed Queen just redesigned their 2018 top load washers. Watch some YouTube videos, wash action is pathetic now.

I consider your comment fairly hostile, for what reason I don't know. I read my comment over again, to see if I said anything to deserve a hostile response - and I see nothing to warrant it. It seems to simply be an opinion that you disagree with.

First, what is wrong with resurrecting a year old thread?

Better than starting a new one that repeats what has already been said in an old one.

Second - I took the time this morning to read the index of threads on detergents and to read down most of a very lengthy thread and two others and I'd have to agree that the majority of people here favor front loaders. That's their opinion and they're free to have it. I have an opposite opinion that is based on sixty years of doing laundry, five of which were done with a front loading washing machine. In comparison to the top loading, agitator washing machines that I used for 40+ years, there is no comparison in my experience. The washing machine I used before the front loading nightmare, lasted me close to 30 years without a repair and made me happy every time I did a load of laundry.

So, in my opinion, I have added to the conversation, because the question was which detergent works - and in my experience - the washing machine itself makes a bigger difference than the detergent. Of course, right detergent and right washing machine is the perfect combo.

I am doing research now on detergents and will be happy to come back and post whatever my results are on which detergent is something I find works.

Let me add my experiences. I had a Maytag top loader for nearly 30 years. It worked great for what it was. Made well and lasted with only a belt repair. I don't think they make them this way any more. The Newton plant that made Maytags since the beginning has long since closed down, and Maytag is no longer Maytag.

Anyway, I wash really dirty farm clothes for my husband. Grease, farm animal waste, barn yard dirt, sweat, etc. The Maytag got them fairly clean with one long soak then the wash cycle, (thanks Mamapinky). I used the hottest water my heater would put out, 140 or 130, depending on my mood. Then I would have to run it through a second rinse to get the clothes clean and rinsed well.

18 months ago, I replaced it with a used front loading Miele w1918 series. I now have 2 used machines for the basement laundry area. They are never moldy, get the clothes cleaner, have an on board heater, so I can manage the water temp better, and multiple functional cycles. I love Miele front loaders. I have never heard of a moldy front loader when people use simple practices of keeping the door proped open between laundry days, wiping the boot out when done with the weeks laundry, taking the detergent drawer out to wash and wiping the receptacle out. I have a newer set upstairs in my bathroom. I love them all, they wash silk, wool, jeans, hot hot hot whites. Nothing stops my machines. I will never have a top loader.

Enduring - I agree, they don't make them like the old Maytag you had that lasted 30 years. Which seems a shame. When you consider the raw materials that it takes to make one washing machine in comparison to 3 washing machines that last an estimated 10 years each instead, it seems a waste of natural resources. When you think of 3 washing machines being added to the junk pile over 30 years vs 1 - again, I can't see how that is beneficial to the environment.

And sure, as far as the moldy door and seal being less of a problem if you keep the door open between uses and keep wiping the seal, sure that's possible, but not entirely assured. We always kept the door open between uses, but still found the design of the seal, provided a fold where mold developed even when keeping up with drying it out after washes, mostly because you couldn't get a cloth inside the fold entirely to dry it completely.

I'm happy to hear that you can recommend a Miele. I've had a much different experience with a Frigidaire. And in my area, Miele is not carried by many dealers and the dealer that is 40 mins drive from me, would not service a Miele dishwasher if we purchased it there, so we passed over the Miele when we were looking for a dishwasher. The company where we've bought all our appliances for the past 30 years, which is a family owned and operated business who provides excellent service, has chosen not to offer Miele because in their words, it is not easy getting parts to repair them.

And after reading about your experiences with your Miele front loader, it made me curious to see how common complaints are about front loaders. Here is one report on the mold issue and the law suits filed against various manufacturers because of it. It was back in 2013 --

Complaints of Front Loader Washers

And here is a 2016 report from Consumer Reports reporting that Whirlpool and Sears made settlements in several class action lawsuits.

Settlement in Front Loader Mold Case

We have a front loader that we had when we moved, and a top loader that came with the house. We basically only use the top loader for craft projects like dyes (where it’s handy to be able to fill the tub and set it to soak) and for really dirty stuff for a pre-wash so we don’t get the nice front loader all gunked up. After a pre-wash in the top loader, stuff moves to the front loader for proper washing.