1 new of 10 responses total.
I put in about 1/20 the recommended amount of detergent (if liquid, one tablespoon is more than adequate, not a half cup). If you run a longer wash cycle and/or let it soak before rinsing, the smaller amount of detergent works just as well as a short wash cycle without soak, and lots of detergent. THe detergent companies want to recommend enough to cover the worst scenario, or maybe they just want to sell lots of detergent.
You have several choices: