Hi Christine - you can absolutely use Tide Total Care on your machine washable clothes that recommend a 'gentle' cycle. I use this on all of what I call my 'delicate' clothes and even my jeans too, it smells lovely!

I took a look at the official website product info and pasted it below for you:

Tide Total Care goes beyond outstanding cleaning to help keep your clothes LIKE NEW--even after 30 washes.

1. Cleans Thoroughly
Tide Total Care's cleaning technology provides an outstanding clean by lifting dirt and soil from clothing, breaking it down to help keep it from re-depositing onto clothing.

2. Helps Protect Color
Tide Total Care's proprietary Protective Fiber Complex conditions your wash water to help prevent damage from chlorine and mineral deposits, minimizing fading and helping to keep colors bright.

3. Helps Preserve Shape
Tide Total Care's Protective Fiber Complex also conditions fabrics down to the fiber level, reducing harsh abrasion that can cause fabrics to become stretched, rough, and broken.

4. Helps Maintain Finish
Tide Total Care's Protective Fiber Complex helps maintain the smoothness and overall texture of your clothes by reducing the friction between fibers that occurs during washing and daily wear.

5. Enhances Softness
Tide Total Care's Protective Fiber Complex conditions your clothes to leave them touchably soft and comfortable.

6. Helps Prevent Pills
Tide Total Care gently "exfoliates" your clothes to help prevent the build-up of pills and fuzz. In addition, its Protective Fiber Complex conditions fabrics at the fiber level to help keep them from breaking and fraying.

7. Fights Stains
Tide Total Care contains powerful enzyme technology that provides outstanding stain fighting power.

Hope this helps!
Mandy