I had to have a nice man from the office come help me out because ours kept flooding the floor with soap suds!!! Turns out you need "bubble-less" detergent! (something?-33 is what we now have)
As for the slots, slot 1 = powder detergent, slot 2 = liquid detergent and slot 3 = fabric softener... or at least that's what the man told me when he came to help.
He also said to wash on setting #5, but did not explain why. It seems to take FOREVER! Does anyone know the fastest setting? I don't have time to experiment anymore...
And I agree with the shopping or some sort of food nearby! The Metropolis Mall & Whampoa aren't going to cut it long-term...