Overall I have been happy with the cleaning performance of FAB (my clothes aren't really all that dirty anyway). I just wish the scents were better. I keep emailing them and asking them to produce a lemon-scented version or at least something that doesn't smell like a Tahitian Waterfall laced...
M&S
I wish they'd venture 'cross the pond. We're stuck with terrible department stores here in the US. No imagination or merchandising skills at all anymore. Here is a Macy's Christmas commercial from a couple of years ago.
Try Harris Teeter - you should be close enough to NC/SC to shop at one. If not, wait till your next trip to Nashville and pick some up from them then. Still a good detergent with a fresh clean scent. Works well too.
The washer cleans well but I think I have a bad coupler as it makes extreme banging noises at the end of spin cycles and at one point I had a nice oil stain on the floor beneath it. I'm going to run it till it runs no more. I like this model because it has a warm rinse cycle and they're so hard...
Kmart's store brand: smells (to me) of vintage Downy. Smells nice and softens nicely. Bottle is stamped "Liquitane" I suppose this is the manufacturer.
ha ha ha
During my lunch hour today I popped into Target and as usual I passed by the detergent section... to my surprise there was a P&G rep there doing some sort of inventory (maybe ordering). I had to bite my tongue in order not to tell him what I thought of his 15 versions of Tide & Downy...
Well I was at Wal-Mart and these caught my eye... nice packaging, nice coloring and nice fragrance but it ends there. These Gel Packs are great for washing water glasses or lightly-soiled dishes. I believe they'd even make a great paperweight!
I have lots of Unox. I believe it is manufactured in El Salvador but I bought it in Costa Rica. It has a faint bubble gum smell to me. I guess it is ok - I don't use it often though.
I already don't have much faith in this product and there in the simplest of terms lies Henkel's biggest hurdle in the US Market: faith in product.
If they could produce Purex Megapearls for the emerging high efficiency washer market here in the US then I'd probably make the switch (as long as...
miele detergent
I purchased a box of Miele Dish Tabs over the weekend. So far they don't appear to be a miracle worker for me. I'll keep using them (since they came in a box of 60) so maybe the performance will improve. Hope so.
Ok so I went to a local dealer yesterday to price a Miele 4840 wahser and 9800 dryer. To my shock... the machines, plus delivery/setup and electrical cord is gonna run me about $4,500.00! Isn't that insane?
365 Detergent
Whole Food's in-house brand, 365, has a lemon scent. They have powdered and liquid. I prefer powdered but the liquid product's scent lasts longer. It's about $10/$11 per package.
I remember my Grandmother on my mother's side had the first stacked/upright pair I'd ever seen - aside from some TV prize on "The Price is Right." She had her back porch converted into a utility room and it always smelled of either all tempurature Cheer or FAB (I believe the lemon incarnation)...
This is a newer brand at Wal-Mart. I have seen only the dishwasher tablets and fabric softener here at my local store. I have tried the dishwasher tablets and I like them very much. The only bad thing is their size. They're too puffy to place in most newer detergent cups/dispensers.
I have a TL machine and dose as instructed. Now, I am no fan of liquid detergents so in order for me to that "slippery water feeling" I add a scoop of borax to the brew when I start the washer. It's a nice product overall. My mother requests it sometimes as no stores in her area carry the line...
Full Circle
I have used these products (I can purchase them locally at Schnucks). The lavender detergent and softener smell quite fresh. I prefer the non-scented softener though. It does not require very much product at all - if you use the dosage instructions (at least here) your clothes will...
Thanks for the help. The oil on the floors beneath the washer was really dirty and looked as if it came from a small explosion. I figure this happened back a few months ago when the machine decided to stop spinning one day. I left it unplugged for a few days and then turned it back on and it...