Americans Purchasing European Detergents - Henkel Has Sniffed Us Out

[chestermikeuk]

Scents..

Hi Liamy1, the product I was asking about was the original pre HE, so I`m sure you wont be setting off any metal detectors at the airports - do you import your stash?

I think many scents have changed over the years and we have seen the introduction of more "Bubblegum" scents which certain fab cons are just sickening!!

One a visit to a technical centre a few years ago we had left the washing powder spray tower area and where crossing to the museum and scents area, the manicured green lawns where being cut and the "Aroma of Freshly Cut Grass" abounded - I started laughing and said to a tech manager "Thats the Smell I Would Love In The Powder"...

It was amazing to see the "Aroma Factory", walls full of miniture essences, tinctures and parfum of just about any scent and aroma available worlwide, AND I loved the fact that dry mixing for test batches is done in the original vintage Kenwood Major mixers which are still working from the 60`s...

 

[mrboilwash]

Scents

It`s not only phosphates we are missing in modern detergents the scents we remember from the past have smelled way better, too.

Here`s my best guess. It could be because of reduction or maybe even abstinence of synthetic musk compounds in detergents, softeners and so on. On the bright side we have a lot more scents to choose from than we ever had in the past.

From Wikipedia
"The detection of the nitro- and polycyclic chemical groups in human and environmental samples as well as their carcinogenic properties initiated a public debate on the use of these compounds and a ban or reduction of their use in many regions of the world. Research indicates that these musks don’t break down in the environment, can accumulate in human bodies, are potential hormone disruptors and may break down the body’s defenses against other toxic chemical exposures. Macrocyclic musk compounds are expected to replace them since these compounds appear to be safer"

 

[launderess]

An American's Funny Take On French Laundry Products

With scents:

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2007/11/the-notsosweet/

 

[launderess]

Maybe It is A Cultural Thing

For some reason it seems certain Latino/Hispanic groups love highly scented laundry. The number of tradesmen that have arrived at our home reeking of Tide and Downy that sent one gasping for air is now in the double digits.

The aforementioned stinky Tide "Simple Pleasures" Rose/Lavender scent detergent was gifted to the Mexican woman who was the local Laundromat attendant at the time. She reported back later both she and her family *loved* how laundry smelled after being laundered in the stuff.

Thing for me is when washing clothing/linens worn that were washed in these heavily scented laundry detergents, you get fragrance in the wash water as it drains. This means whatever scent was fixed into the clothing must also rub off one one/become absorbed. Considering some versions of Persil contain Coumarin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coumarin

 

[chestermikeuk]

"Maybe It is A Cultural Thing"

And as the worlds best Perfumiers are from - oh where, Paris, I think that solves that little ditty - Persil in the basket it is!!

 

[chestermikeuk]

" Considering some versions of Persil contain Coumarin.&

Laundress, can you confirm which versions of Persil contain the smell of the "Sweet Mown Hay" phytochemical Coumarin please?

 

[launderess]

Don't Know Them All

But IIRC the "Lavender Fresh" gel from Henkel contains coumarin.

 

[kenmoreguy89]

The article abou the Paris girl really it's an exageration and is pathetic...I never seen someone having tears and all those "symptoms" for smelling some detergent, it's not ammonia! Camon! Don't act like this! Really Pathetic!

I keep saying I don't find all this difference about the scented ones both for American and european ones... I'm so surprised..
But one thing I can tell is the one regarding unscented detergents.
Maybe it's a cultural fact as you say, over here nobody or anyway a very small portion of people would be interested in a detergent that does not smell at all like free&clear.... even because often IMO they actually stink rather than being just unscented.
The same way they would not be interested in a scented detergent that don't leave scent after drying,obviously, rather they seek for a long lasting scent, that would possibly last days even after items are worn for short times or stored for pretty long....
Coccolino (Snuggle in USA, Cajoline in france, Comfort in UK etc) recently advertised they made "improvements" on their softeners claiming the scent will last for more time after you wear items thanks to phantomatic new improved "parfum capsules" in the softener (still have to get how is a parfume capsule inside a lquid softener) anyway..., and you and your clothes will release scent at every movement you'll do for days long after you wear them....
Detergents also as of course softeners must meet the scent criteria of leaving nice scent after wash and drying and it should last, the more it last and the better is....so for people over here, the more is parfumed the better is.
Nobody or very few would even think of buying a detergent and or softener that does not meet the characteristic of providing lasting scent after washing, drying and so wearing for at least 6 hours after being worn....
It's unthinkable...
Personally I would never do so also.....
I will never understand the way some people prefer unscented laundry.....

[this post was last edited: 9/30/2013-09:53]

 

[passatdoc]

Another crucial difference Persil vs Ariel in the UK...

Only Persil has the royal warrant. I think it's safe to say that if we were given a tour of the laundry on the Sandringham Estate, we wouldn't encounter Ariel.    When one thinks back on all the 1950s/60s' ads, warning that "someone's mum still doesn't know that Persil washes whiter...and it shows", it's comforting to know that they were <span style="text-decoration: underline;">not </span>referring to HM The Queen.

 

[passatdoc]

@launderess re: products aimed at Latino market

Agree. In particular, Gain and Gain HE, which are P&G mid-market products, are heavily targeted to Hispanics, with lots of tropical fruit fragrances. The emphasis seems to be on fragrance rather than cleaning power. Given that immigrant Hispanics didn't grow up in multi-generational Tide families (as I did---mom would never save money by buying a discount brand, it <span style="text-decoration: underline;">had </span>to be Tide), it probably makes sense to meld a non-Tide brand to fit Hispanic preferences.

Btw I have some unscented Gain HE powder which I bought on sale from Amazon (had to buy four boxes, but the price was cheap, plus free delivery) and it works rather well, as long as I don't exceed 2 tablespoons/30 ml per load. I use a coffee scoop (30 ml) to dose it, often using only 1/2-2/3-3/4 of a scoop rather than a full scoop. I use it on linens and towels. For 100% cotton/wrinkle free trousers and collared shirts, which are my office casual work clothing, I use either UK Ariel or German Persil, which I either bring home on trips or which I ask visiting European friends to bring me. Gain HE powder, when you can find it, is usually unscented and lacks the tripped-out tropical fragrances of the non-HE Gain liquids.

 

[mark_wpduet]

Hmm

Isn't there a way a website can block certain countries from accessing it?

Sounds like something they need to do..

 

[foraloysius]

"I will never understand the way some people prefer unscented laundry....."

Well, I can tell you that if you have a bad case of asthma like I have you sure can do without scented or at least heavy scented laundry. I'm glad that there are softeners without a scent.

 

[kenmoreguy89]

I have asthma too, allergic asthma....I know it's different...
You folk need to do not take everything too much as personal...and learn to read between lines...
Of course there're exception Louis, I'm glad such products exist for people like you...but I can tell you of people (most of all in the USA) that buy them because they simply like an unscented laundry...and that's the people I'm talking about..no people that have to do that for medical conditions...people that simply like plain laundry, no scent, not even a minimal scent...
Even plain ancient old school "home made" marseille soap used to smell more and better than certain modern laundry done with such free&clear or whatever stuff...
Maybe it's because you really have severe pack of asthma...but I gotta say that anyway laundry detergent and most of all smelling laundry more than detergent itself (unless you have strange habits like sniff them like cocaine) isn't at the top of the list of trigger between asthmatics, or it is? Not here, at least among the ones I know...
I heard that about personal parfume, deodorants, hairsprays, even kitchen odors and "kitchen smoke" but rarely (actually never) of detergents and or washed laundry...
Different situation is for people with skin allergies, or other kind of allergies, accordingly, that we're always talking about people with particular medical conditions, there're anyway out there several products with hipoallergenic scents, and one I loved so much was the last version of Arm & Hammer with hipoallergenic scent...
Talking of asthmatics:
The second laundromat in my town use to have autodosing detergent, and they have a nice persistent smell that last pretty long...I cannot imagine an asmatic like you laundering in there....
It must not be nice for you...
Anyway...
It's detergents we're talking about, not the last frangrance by Moschino that would give asthma and nausea even to a french w***e of the '700....
Your is quite a strange situation, most of all particular and not that common...
But as said, it was not meant for people like you, but almost everyone (and over here about everyone) would love fresh smelling laundry...
If it wasn't so...they would make most detergents unscented....
I hope I clarified....

[this post was last edited: 9/30/2013-14:48]

 

[rolls_rapide]

"I will never understand the way some people prefer unsc

Extraordinarily simple answers:

1: Some people are allergic to detergent scents; e.g Limonene.

2: Some people want to wear their own expensive fragrances e.g. Chanel No 5, Hugo Boss, etc. The cheap and nasty perfumes in detergents can counteract this.

 

[kenmoreguy89]

1) At least here exist since quite long time detergents (that smells and pretty good also) made purposedly for allergic people.
2)Camon! No laundry will ever have scent strong enough to cover a personal parfume or "counteract" with it!

 

[dj-gabriele]

2)Camon! No laundry will ever have scent strong enough to co

I can't believe you don't know the smell of Italian Dash... when my grandma uses it it covers any other smell.
I second that, if I buy a 100€ perfume I don't want it to be ruined by laundry fragrance.

 

[rolls_rapide]

Some folk - those of discerning taste - do not wish to smell like a whore's boudoir.

Remember, subtlety is the key when it comes to fragrances. Less is more.

 

[foraloysius]

Yes Freddy you made things clear. But you must realise there are a lot of people with asthma. Fortunately not all of them are so sensitive to scents as I am. But I guess it says something that the Asthma foundation here asks people not to use fragrances etc. when they come to a meeting.

 

[kenmoreguy89]

What????

I know very well the smell of italian Dash, like I know very well the ones of the most common ones sold in USA, Mexico and all over Europe and I can tell you that when I have my laundry washed with any laundry detergent I absolutely don't get the level of strongness to cover or ruin a fragrance... that's for sure!
They will never reach that level of strongness to cover or "ruin" it..
Different speech may be made about softeners lke Coccolino or Fabuloso Blu, talking about italian stuff...but I don't even like the italian version of Coccolino and how it changed lately...
There're countless, softeners out there, with different scent and different scent levels that would remain on clothes...
You living in Italy and being about my same age, surely remember those cheap fragrances that were on trend in the 90s and early 2000ish, "Bon Bon di Malizia" about every teenager girl would use those fruity fragrances in those years...well Coccolino especially exilarations kind do have the same nasty fruty sweety rotten fruit scents.. and I hate them! And I can clearly recognize the scent of coccolino when I smell someone that used it, as it is really noticeable when you sit near someone...almost like a fragrance but not still at those levels...
I used to have my classroom smelling like a candy factory at the "scuole medie" because of them... and I get nausea every time I'm near something smelling that way..
Coccolino or Fabuloso would surely ruin a fragrance especially if used, as often happens, in larger amounts, but not certainly a detergent! Never!
But as long as we talk about detergents and not of softeners, no, not for me, they don't.... nor they do for my aunt that is a fragrance freak and keep using dash.....

Anyway since you menton dash as an overpowering scent, well that's not for the most at least in the "bel paese" where is it at the top of the sales, actually is well known also for it's aroma...
If it would be so strong to ruin a fragrance then we would have a problem...
Then the speech is anyway meant to a general attitude of some people to prefer on a GENERAL REGULAR BASIS only and all unscented laundry...always...
It is not really necessary to take as example the most strong scented detergents around...unless people here don't have sort of pleasures keeping getting wrong at me for some reasons...thing that always more I think...

[this post was last edited: 9/30/2013-16:26]

 

[kenmoreguy89]

Yes Louis, I know and I fully realize it as I told you!
And I can understand the fact that people are asked to don't wear fragrances...even because as for everything there is people that alwyas tend to exagerate with it...

 

[launderess]

Detergent Scents

We hear this often from gentlemen who complain that the stench from whatever detergent their laundry uses for shirts drowns out their cologne.

 

[launderess]

You folk need to do not take everything too much as personal

If you would insert some paragraphs into your posts we could possibly "read between the lines", but some of our eyes cannot handle things otherwise.

*LOL*

 

[kenmoreguy89]

I actually never heard about that from anyone...except..here..

 

[kenmoreguy89]

Okay Launderess....
You know....I give certain things for granted...I will try to be more specific next time...

 

[launderess]

Was Not Trying To Be Rude

But often you have excellent posts that one simply does not bother to read. Besides proper English style and usage it is a proven fact that the human eye to brain interaction suffers from both run on sentences and lack of paragraph breaks.

We here of course learn or learned this at school (hopefully), but it does seem the current Internet/texting age has created something of an abyss for that sort of thing. Have actually seen posters put up comments like "paragraphs, my eyes need paragraphs) in other forums in response to large blocks of printing.

As one who is a trained typist and did a fair amount of time in various office/secretary positions in particular my eyes probably are more sensitive to lack of paragraphs. I keep looking for breaks and they don't appear.

 

[kenmoreguy89]

No, rude? and why?
Rude people are else believe me! Rather kind for letting me know!
So Thank you, if what I mean is not clear as I miss the proper use of paragraphs I'm happy someone tells me, as said I will try to be more careful next time.
I know sometimes in certan posts I jump from a "speech" to another one so suddenly,and realize it after already posted, but I always think the sense is understandable...

In this case I was speaking of how the fact of scent may be correlated to a certain culture..and fact that very few people over here would buy unscented stuff.. and that personally I would not either..and could not understand how people can like an unscented laundty..
I gave for granted the fact I was speaking of people that have not partcular medical conditions, but average people like me and perhaps you that luckily don't have to deal with these problems and that would still prefer the lack of any scent in laundry...so I referred to them and gave it for granted I was speaking of them..
But you made me realize now that sometimes my posts can be misinterpreted...
I should have mentioned that...inserted a paragraph more...
I'll try to pay more attention...
Thanks again..

 

[launderess]

It is not just those with health conditions

But more and more study has been given to the various chemicals contained in laundry products and in particular how they affect humans when released into the environment.

A recent study here in the United States found many of the leading scented laundry products release VOCs and other nasty chemicals into the air. We're speaking of things like benzene which is a known carcinogen.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723134438.htm

 

[launderess]

How The EU Handled Things

Recently enacted laws in the EU regarding laundry product scent:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...rance%20leaflet.pdf+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

 

[logixx]

Scents

I used to love my scented laundry. I would have different softeners for different clothes and moods. But since every brand had to introduce 4x, 7x, 12x extended freshness, I don't like it anymore. Before, laundry would just give off a light smell when sniffed on. Now, you have to masturb... uhm, "rub" fabrics for the scent to be released and then it's very intense and even rubs off onto your fingers.

Fortunately, there is at least one company over here that has almost completely removed these scent-pearls from their product line. It's Softlan, owned by fit.

Besides, I, like mich, have serious difficulties getting any scent to last. The only time I got scented laundry was when I turned the spin speed way down to 400 and set the dryer to extra low and, as always, filled the softener dispenser to the max. However, I can't wait hours for the dryer to finish - not to mention the energy such a long cycle consumes.

Today, I washed my first load with Gain HE Thai Dragon Fruit with Febreze (or something like this). Was only a small load of roughly eight lbs. I filled the cap to line three and got zero suds - as expected in our hard water (23 gpg). Emerging from the dryer, the load had a light scent that got a little stronger as clothes cooled down. Success! *lol*

Have not tried my Downy Unstoppable yet.

Also treated myself to washing the floors with some Fabuloso with the scent of cinnamon - in extra hot water, of course.

Alex - or, as I'm now officially a scent addict: Alejandro ;-p

 

[launderess]

P&G And Laundry Product Scents

"One exciting development in P&G perfume science is pro-perfumes. The pro-perfume technology works like an anchor that retains the perfume that is otherwise washed off the fabrics. The freshness releases slowly over time and magically materialises on your clothes when it is needed. Researchers are currently extending the range of freshness characters delivered by pro-perfumes. In just 10 years P&G has filed more than 100 perfume patents, many of them relating to the delivery of longer lasting freshness on dry laundry."

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...rovide-fresh-scents+&cd=7&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us