ARIEL COLD WASH POWDER

[frigilux]

Hi Glenn-- Foca struck me as not being very concentrated, either. A rather large bag seemed to weigh almost nothing. Do you do the whole 'soak first' thing (as per instructions on the bag) with Foca or do you just wash normally? How well does it clean?

If Fresh Start lives up to its low-sudsing reputation in my FLer, I'll use it on my suds-prone bath towel loads. All my bath items are white, so bleeding isn't an issue.

 

[frigilux]

Interesting laundry smell: Tide CW Fresh Scent + the new Clorox Premium Bleach + Snuggle fabric softener= flowery incense scented wet laundry. I actually kinda like it.

I've always been a die-hard Downy man, but bought an uber-jug of Snuggle at Sam's Club. Tonight's load of kitchen whites/tablecloths was my first using the above combo of products.

 

[DADoES]

Fetched detergent (among other things) for granny this evening. *Almost* went for Tide with Bleach per the discussion above, but chose Ariel (green bag) again. The other choice would have been Ariel with Downy. Small bags of Ariel are $2.46 or $2.48 or thereabouts, large is $6.4-something. Small bag of Ace is a bargain at less than $2 -- $1.96 or $1.87 or something like that.

Also got Suavitel, blue bottle. Considered Ensuavo ($1.77 small bottle).

As for Foca, I usually use it on whites (with 140°F EcoActive) and include the 2-hr soak option, which comes *after* EcoActive and most of the (luke-warm/cold) deep-wash time. IWL12 does a few more mins of agitation after the soak period (whereas GWL08 does not). IIRC, the ingredient list indicates enzymes. Sometimes add oxy-booster, sometimes not (does oxy kill enzmyes? maybe shouldn't be doing that?). Seems to clean well-enough by me.

Slight change of procedure on a load of sheets Sunday. Used the Allergy cycle (but warm, instead of the default hot EcoActive and warm/hot deep wash). Allergy has two deep rinses with spin between (1st spin is brief, no sprays). I added 1/2 cup LCB to the 1st deep rinse, then softener/vinegar to the 2nd deep rinse.

 

[lederstiefel1]

Hi all of you!
Woooofff! That is really a storm of answers and intersting new aspects! We don't get any other powders or detergents here in Germany - only Germans... So I can't compare anything at all, except when we drive over to the UK (visiting friends) or when we are again on holidays in Spain or elsewhere. Also it is nearly impossible to get foreign brands/machines - as long as you do not take in consideration that ALL German machines are made in foreign countries except MIELE! lol
American toploaders with agitator or pulsator action are completely unknown to most Germans ("Ohh Gosh, what is that kind of machine for?? And that is said to be able to clean clothes?? Without a boil-setting?? Never seen such a monster before!!" stupid folks!)
Well concerning the ARIEL Cold Wash Action it could be that they just adopted the american formula for the TIDE cold wash and offer this as Ariel!?
I got in contact with P&G and got some information as well as as two t-shirts from them. I was told that they enhanced the protein-formula as well as the bleach. To me it can only mean that they switched to sodium-percarbonate instead of sodium-perborate plus activator (TAED = tetra-adenyl-ethylen-diamin) which acts already in cold water as it only needs the contact with water to shed oxygene.
We are washing with cold water for two years now with the ARIEL compact powder and get all our items clean!
So maybe the new one is even better?
I will tell you all as soon as I get a package of it to test!
Ralf

 

[frigilux]

It's a done deal; I ordered both the Ariel (Mexican version) and the 15-lb. box of Persil (German version). I'm excited to try them. This is my first foray into the hitherto uncharted waters of foreign detergents.

Thanks for all your input, Glenn.

 

[launderess]

Borates, Borax, Sodium Perborate

Anything along those lines are in the process of being banned in Europe, if not banned already for laundry/cleaning products, IIRC. Apparently borates are highly toxic to plant and marine life in the excessive amounts and much of both European and American wash products and dw detergent are loaded with perborate bleaches.

While percarbonate bleach activates at lower water temps than perborate, the later is more stable in product mixes and cheaper. Also since perborate requires high wash water temps to really work, it was a perfect "colour safe" bleach, as long as those colours were washed in cool or cold water. TAED ( a bleaching activator) began to be added as households began to use less boil washing and more temps in the range of 180F to 100F, well within the range of perborate bleach. TAED when combined with oxygen bleaches in water makes a powerful laundry disenfectant, which not only helps santitise laundry, but keeps mould growth/foul odours in washers in check.

IIRC Persil long has moved over to percarbonate bleaches, but still uses an activator. Tide with Bleach still uses perborate bleaches (as do most American detergents with oxygen bleach), and a bleaching activator. Snowy, Clorox II, Biz are all perborate bleaches, while the "Oxi" crowd then to be sodium percarbonate.

 

[lederstiefel1]

Yes, yes, yes, thanx Launderesse! That's also my stand of knowledge!
Here in Germany we have a popular journalist, well known from TV: Jean Pütz with his TV-serial "Hobbythek" who introduced the invironment-friendlier washing by bringing new (old) detergents onto the German market 15-20 years ago, well known under the brands "Spinnrad" (spinning-wheel) and others. These "alternativ products" forced the big companies to change the ingredients in their powders and liquids. He also re-introduced our grannies bleach-soda (sodium-percarbonate) and made it fashionable to wash at lower temperatures (max. 60°C, mostly 30°-40°C) postulating that with the use of percabonate even in COLD water all germs will be killed because of the strong disinfection-power of the oxygene although it is colour-fast in oposition to chlorine-bleach and also avoiding the toxicity of bor in perborates!
So, slowly but constantly the ingredients have changed all over Europe - especially since the European Community forces the producers to declare the ingedients in their products. Nearly everywhere most products are phosphate-free and also the tensides in them are much more efficient and environment-friendlier; I just want to mention the compact-powders with no fillings in it anymore!
Cheers Ralf

 

[hoovermatic]

Nickuk

I have only ever used the regular powder Ariel. Where I live the water is absurdly hard and I have a mains water softener installed so my water is very soft. Tablets and capsules are not suitable as even one tablet is overdosed. I avoid liquids as the sound of the dispenser ball rattling around in my machine is enough to make me throw the machine through the window and liquids don't dispense well in my machines drawer.

I have found that in my case, the only time I need a hotter wash is when I launder a load of tea towels, white linen napkins and tablecloths after a dinner party or somesuch. I have washed muddy jeans, kitchen handtowels (where the dirt is wiped on the towel rather than washed down the sink), white formal shirts with grimy collars and cuffs, even red wine and Ariel at 30 degrees gets it all out. I can't rate it highly enough. During the summer when the weather was very warm and the cold water was lukewarm, I even turned the temp dial to zero on some washes and the results were perfect. I don't think it is designed to clean a really dirty load of whites that most of us would give a hotter wash but apart from that, it does what it says on the box!!

 

[lavamat_jon]

Hoovermatic - how much Ariel do you use? I've found not even a whole scoop gets whites white at 40, have to use a scoop and a half, or one scoop in the mainwash and a half scoop in the pre-wash.

Plus, while things may get clean at 30/40*C there's still the fact that teatowels, towels, bedding etc have to be done at 60*C to kill off nasties and bedbugs otherwise it is a bit gross to wash stuff like that at low temperatures. My nana does everything on 40*C and I can't bear to put my hands on her towels, and I don't sleep round there cos even the sheets are washed at 40*C.

Jon

 

[retromom]

Wanna trade?

Hey Eugene!

If you ever want to swap some Fresh Start for a big ol' bag of Ariel (you choice of flavour, of course), drop me an e-mail!!

We can't get Fresh Start in this immediate area, although Bryan (Westtexman)can buy it in Lubbock! OY! So close, and yet so far!!

Venus

 

[seamusuk]

Jon

Id have to disagree on that soz

My towels/sheets etc are all washed @ 40 BUT they go in a dryer all year- any bugs and germs that can survive that heat(much higher than 60) must be something lol!!!

Seamus

 

[seamusuk]

In fact...

The only time my Zanussi goes above 40 is every couple of months when I put a descaler/cleaner through on 95!

Seamus

 

[lavamat_jon]

Seamus...

...as long as you never invite me to your house to stay ;-). LOL

 

[nickuk]

Thanks for your reponse Hoovermatic

Yes, the Ariel range is very sudsy and I'm not surpised that's the format you prefer. Thanks very much for your response. I will buy a box and have a go at some low temp washing!

 

[lavamat_jon]

Persil Alert! Persil Alert!

Nick - while your at it buying biological powders, Asda are selling 3kg boxes of Persil for £4 instead of £6 or whatever at the moment. I bought two 3kg boxes yesterday as it was more cost effective than buying the 5kg box. Anyway that aside, Persil biological at least now has blue and green specs in it. Nothing else has changed - same great cleaning & rinsability, but the specs certainly make it look pretty!

Jon

 

[frigilux]

Hi Venus--- check for an e-mail from me at the address listed in your profile.

 

[seamusuk]

Netto...

Are normally pretty good for big box bargains

 

[launderess]

Cold Water Washing

For laundry will become more common as more technology/chemicals make their way down from TOL commercial and residential laundry detergents.

Even before Tide "Cold water", regular Tide was highly rated for cleaning in cold water. With the advent of bleaching activators such as TAED being accepted by the EPA and other bodies as an approved disenfectant, the need for hot water (temps above say 120F)will decrease. This also fits into the push for energy conservation, as no matter how the water is heated, it still requires energy.

Never thought I'd so much washing in cool,war, or cold water, but the European commercial detergent was given, does a wonderful job. Bonous is that my ironing day is considerably easier with less wrinkles to deal with.

Our local hand laundry tells me that I'd be surprised how much laundry commercial laundries do in cold water. Table linens especially as again, it makes for less ironing. One advantage have noticed when doing dress shirts, as long as the detergent has good system for keeping dyes from transfering during the wash/locking colours, can wash all sorts of colours together. Items that are likely to bleed or known to are laundered in a different load obviously, but so far everything comes out well.

 

[frigilux]

I'm completely into the cold water washing scene. My laundry has never been cleaner and I'm saving energy. What's not to like? Viva powdered Tide Coldwater!

I'm finding less wear and tear on clothes, too, especially the ones that used to get washed in hot water.

 

[lederstiefel1]

Yessss - like me too! And the oxygene-bleach in the powder KILLS all germs and bugs! That is laboritory prooved!!!

Ralf