Aldi's Almat `Which?' no 1 detergent.

[nickuk]

In the latest Which? detergent test (June 2012) Aldi's Almat bio powder was rated best laundry product. It beat Ariel and Persil which followed closely behind.

This follows their dishwasher tabs and manual washing up liquid scooping the same title. Aldi has also just been voted best supermarket.

I have used the dishwasher tabs and the washing up liquid against the major brands and I agree with Which - the Aldi products are better. When I first saw the detergent result I was surprised, but could it be that this powder is now superior? I have not tried it. Ariel `don't impress me that much', so perhaps it is possible?

Has anyone used this product, if so I would really appreciate their thoughts on it.

Thanks

Nick

 

[seamusuk]

Wouldnt touch it...

Hey Nick

I brought a box of the Colour version, used it on some dark T shirts and it left unremovable white marks on them . That was on the Denim and dark garments programme on the Miele which has higher than normal water levels as well.

Got a refund on the powder and could have put a claim in for the T shirts but as they were only cheap work ones didnt bother.....

Seamus

 

[nickuk]

Hey Seamus

I guess that highlights one issue with Which? testing - they don't test all aspects of a powder and obviously didn't pick up on that. Having said that, the formula is said to have changed recently to include some sort of `actilift' equiv. Maybe the colour formulation is somehow different to the green bio one they tested.

Tha Magnum dishsoap, as another example, is indeed a more concentrated product than Fairy therefore is `better', lasts longer etc. However, the thickness of the product can actually be a pain in use, and the bottle is far more flimsy than Fairy. Minor points, but I just think the Which testing sometimes needs to have more of a `real life' context.

I might get a box of the bio powder just out of interest, and to feed back to the group. I want to go to Aldi anyway to get some other stuff. If it's hopeless I'll donate it to my school for tea towel washing. They are regular recipients of my detergent rejects!!

 

[hoovermatic]

Am on my second box of dishwasher tabs and have absolutely no complaints whatsoever - as far as my experience goes, it is as good as any of the premium brands and much better VFM. I have used the washing up liquid and was equally impressed with it. I rarely use premium brand washing up liquids nearly always choosing supermarket ones.

 

[spoodles]

It's on a par with Surf, or other supermarket brands but definitely not better than Ariel or Persil. I couldn't get through a whole box of it due to the lumps of powder left in the drawer every time. Which? tests seem harder to take seriously with each new set of results they publish, I mean Aldi - "best supermarket", really?!

 

[liberatordeluxe]

I don't like any washing powders as they are full of insoluble ingredients hence why they sometimes leave white marks. Fill a glass jar of water and take a teaspoon of powder detergent and just see how well it dissolves! All the insoluables fall to the bottom of the jar. I don't rate Which reports anymore as i don't believe they test products in real life situations.

 

[paulc]

Almat Bio with stain lifter has been around for a few months now. I got some but wasn't overly keen. It washed ok, didn't remove all stains and I felt it was a bit harsh on fabrics. Maybe it's just me and the fact that in the back of my mind cheap washing powder = poor product. I do wonder how Which? came to the conclusion that this powder is a best buy, I presume it's based on value for money as well as cleaning ability.

Having said that I have been using Magnum washing up liquid for ages and really like it, certainly better than other supermarkets own brand.

I do think Aldi is a great supermarket, I do the bulk of my shopping there. They have great deals on fresh fruit and veg but it does take a bit of time to suss what are the good products and which ones are rubbish.

Almat detergent

has been on the shelves in Aldi for a while now, I needed detergent so thought I'd give it a go.

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[dirtybuck]

I wish Aldi's here in the US was a bit more advanced as what you guys have over there. Although I buy mainly food items, I have been down their soap aisle before and I think there's only one or two liquid detergents to "choose" from. They got rid of the powders ages ago.

I'm interested in trying the Reva (I think that's what the name is) dishwashing liquid and see if it's comparable or better than Dawn or Palmolive.

 

[optima]

Which?

Good on Aldi they deserve yet again another Which best product. Magnum dishwasher tabs & original washing up liquid are great especially the thickness of the liquid it reminds me of just like what Fairy liquid was like in the 80s & it last forever. The Almat colour & bio powders i find clean just fine on the correct temperatures, but just one annoying thing is that they don't flush that well out of the soap dispenser on cold fill only machines but on my hot & cold washer that is not a problem.

 

[hotpoint9506]

Who actually makes Aldi's washing powder? I know Mcbride make some and Mcbride make good products generally don't they?

 

[northernmary]

aldi detergent info

Aldi washing powder is made by Thurn-Produkte GmbH & Co.KG (Germany) they also produce a list of products they manufacture, http://www.thurn-info.de/products/index.html

Almat Washing Powder 2,85 kg

Anco soft Fabric Conditioner 1L

Magnum Allin1 Dishwasher Tablets 40x20g

Magnum Classic Dishwasher Tablets 50x18g

Magnum Dishwasher Tablets 7in1 40x20g

Magnum Rinse Aid 1L

Magnum Washing Up Liquid 1L

Powerforce Bathroom Cleaner 750 ml

Powerforce BBQ and UPVC Cleaner 750 ml

Powerforce Mould and Mildew Remover 1L

The aldi bio tablets are manufactured by dalli – Group (Germany)
http://www.dalli-group.com/dalligroupe/index.php

Northernmary

 

[zanussi_lover]

Aldis Products

Ive been very Impressed with their products, I love Aldis Original Washing Up liquid, and Magnum dishwasher tablets are excellent, everything comes out lovely and shiny, and £3.99 for 40 tablets is good, I shall have to buy some Almat Powder to try when I need to buy detergent again, as im currently using up the last of my Ariel and Daz tablets, I hope the scent of almat has changed, as I wasnt keen on the scent of the powder the last time I tried it.

 

[launderess]

Cannot Speak To Aldi's Products Per Se

But Consumer Reports here and other sources have been touting supermarket brands as excellent in both quality and value for money for a few years now.

Time was when some store brands were most always bottom shelf in terms of performance and quality. That seems to have changed as major store chains have stepped up their game. Many have taken a page from Walmart and use their buying power to create products from the same makers as TOL brands but at less cost.

In these tough economic times this has not gone un-noticed by consumers and many are switching, much to the dismay of the market leaders such as P&G. That company has seen sales of it's TOL detergent, Tide fall as consumers seeking to stretch their budgets go for lower priced brands. Much to their surprise they are finding out the store/lower priced brands perform just as well as the TOL versions (yes, that includes Tide) and never switch back even when good times arrive. For the past year or more Tide liquid has been on sale at one shop or another in my area. Indeed if one shops carefully one need never pay full price.

 

[nickuk]

Thank you NorthernMary.

I had a nose at the website. Interestingly, the bio powder has three enzymes (amylase, lipase and another I forgot) but no protease, which is unusual. Protease is the one enzyme all of them usually have - deals with blood and other nasties.

Perhaps there is an error in the ingredients list, but I would rather like to have protease in a bio product!

Nick

 

[mrboilwash]

Subtilisin equals Protease so the Bio version has 4 enzymes.

 

[launderess]

Quite Right.

On many detergents MSDS listings you'll see "Subtilisin" listed even when the packet just says "enzymes".

Protease in basic lay terms is merely any enzyme that digests/breaks down protein.

My packets of vintage Biz laundry bleach/pre-soak contain subtilisin.

 

[lavamat_jon]

Hi Nick, hope all is well.

 

I bought some Almat, both bio and colour as they are on offer for £2.99 for 30 washes at the moment, and I have to say that results are excellent.  I was pleasantly surprised, especially as I had a bad experience with Formil a few years ago which put me off discounter's detergents.  I have to say I've noticed that unlike Formil, Almat does have more of an old fashioned powdery texture as well as a lighter, soapier fragrance - not as heavy as Ariel or even Persil.  Only complaint I do have is that during the wash instead of foaming it seems to leave a powdery residue on the door seal, but this is all rinsed away by the rinse cycles so not too much of an issue.

 

I don't like their dishwasher tablets, and have never tried their washing up liquid, but their toiletries are very good I have to say as well as their kitchen cleaner and other non-food items.  It's one of those cases where you have to try it for yourself, and at the prices they sell it isn't too much of a gamble.

 

Your mileage may vary, but so far it seems to have come up to my (admittedly high) standards!

 

Jon

 

[nickuk]

Subtilisin is Protease

I did not know that! Thank you very much for clarifying, Launderess and Mr Boilwash (though obviously on a boilwash all these enzymes are `dead in the water' anyway lol).

Well, if it has 4 enzymes this instantly places it above most `mid market' powders (Surf, Bold etc) in the UK. Of course I understand this is not the only factor on which to judge a detergent.

Hi Jon - yeah I'm fine thanks. Hope you are keeping well. So the Almat has won you over! I know what a discerning client you are......TBH if you say this is better than Formil I'll take your word for it. If Formil is good enough for me, I guess this will be. .......(Changes topic)....Oi, Jon, what's wrong with the dishwasher tablets - bloody marvellous! Low sudsing, good bleaching of tea stains, dissolve well, great value, shifts the sh** from the shovel, what more does one get with a higher priced product?

I have never bought Aldi personal products but can imagine they would be good. We have a lot of `Cien' stuff from LIDL. Fooled my mother that it was the latest thing, like Molton Brown, when she said she liked our handwash ;-)

Ref the laundry powder - it certainly still seems true that in terms of detergent one person's trash is another person's gold - different situations, water conditions etc.......

Nick

 

[lavamat_jon]

Hi Nick (and others),

 

In terms of bleaching of tea stains - this is the issue I had with the box of Magnum tablets I bought.  Asides from that, it's not a bad product - certainly better than how I find Fairy dishwasher pouches, but I just prefer Finish - everything is always clean (tea stains included), and seems to "sparkle" a lot more - perhaps I've succumbed to their advertising.  However I do bulk buy Finish tablets to the extent where they end up costing not even 5p a wash (from what I gather), and pound shops sell boxes of 15 Finish tabs for £1, so often Finish to me seems to end up better value.

 

Then again I remember us discussing having foaming issues with Finish tablets.  I have to say I haven't noticed this problem lately, but then my dishwasher is pretty much silent, and I tend to put it on before I go to bed - so often not around to be able to monitor it through the cycle to make a reliable judgment.

 

I haven't used the W5 tablets in donkeys years, so wouldn't possibly be able to comment on them.

 

On a different subject, Abbots & Blossom I believe is the Aldi's name for personal products, I swear by their handwash, better than most of the brand names!  They also do their own version of Original Source shower gels for around 70p (which to me is actually kinder to skin, and smells better) as well as their own version of Dove soap/shower gels, their mouthwash is superb, their kitchen roll is also the only one I've used that can live up to Plenty's strongness - haven't tried any discounter's washing up liquid for years though as I tend to buy Fairy by default, although I do remember using the blue W5 (I believe it was anti bacterial) when I lived in London and it certainly wasn't a bad product.

 

Just to throw a spanner into the works, I've just got to the end of a 150 wash supply of Surf (I stocked up while Tesco and Sainsbury's were selling 50 wash boxes for a fiver), and have to say I haven't had one thing it hasn't been able to clean yet!  The disclaimer being that I do not wash for a household containing children or pets, but definitely has proved itself to me and taught me to never judge a book by it's cover!  Of course I am looking forward to changing to a different daily driver, but only out of sheer boredom with using the same product as most of us would understand lol!

 

Sorry if I've gone off on a tangent, but it is safe to say I'm having a longstanding love affair with discounters lol - whatever would Hyacinth say!!!

 

Take care,

 

Jon

 

P.S. Nick - tried sending you an email but it bounced; email me with your new address, I still have the same one