response 3 of 10:

Jul 15 14:52 UTC 2011

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.