Bio versus non-bio what’s the difference?

[adam-aussie-vac]

Hey guys, I was just at an IGA, and they’re selling the pink stuff, does anybody know what the difference is in between bio and non-bio detergent? Does that mean it’s used for biological basis stains like grass blood meat etc and non-bio used for things like Greece and sludge?

 

[adam-aussie-vac]

Forgot to add a photo

 

[launderess]

Bio ='s enzyme(s)

Non-Bio ='s no enzyme(s)

This particular circumstance is largely confined to UK along with Commonwealth nations.

Many years ago now when detergent makers were coming out with enzyme pre-soaks and detergents there was some noise about allergic reactions to enzymes. In UK wives/mothers and others waged a war as if Unilever (then Lever Bros.) were letting lose spawn of the devil. A compromise was reached in that there were products with enzymes and those without. Ever since for much of UK and Commonwealth there has been this dual market; laundry products with enzymes and those without.

Elsewhere in Europe and world you can find "non-bio" products, but often not to extent of UK market.

All Tide detergents sold in North America have enzymes. Meanwhile in UK P&G's top brand is Ariel which comes as bio or non-bio.

 

[lavamat_jon]

Bio has enzymes, non bio doesn’t.

There’s a wide misconception here in the UK that enzymes are bad for skin, so non bio is marketed as sensitive skin detergent.

In reality - it is just a load of clever marketing, especially as a lot of non bio is heavily scented. Ironically the only detergent I am allergic to here is a big brand non bio, yet the biological products from their sister brands are absolutely fine for me. In real terms, you are sacrificing cleaning performance for the misbelief that it is better for your skin. A lot of people will then buy stain removers such as Vanish etc to compensate for the poorer cleaning, not realising that with most stain removers they are adding back in the enzymes that they don’t want in the first place.

These “non bio” products are often sold alongside matching scent boosters and fragrance softeners, which are a big no if you do have sensitive skin. In most circumstances those with sensitive skin (such as myself) are better off using a bio detergent, using extra rinse if needed and using either no softener at all, or a fragrance free alternative. You often see people in the supermarkets here buying non bio detergent, and then putting heavily fragranced softeners and scent boosters in their trolley alongside, not realising that the detergent isn’t the problem in most cases.

The only practical non bio detergents are delicate ones for silk & wool, where enzymes can damage these fibres.

Hope this helps

Jon

 

[lavamat_jon]

P&G non bio brands

Ariel has always been mainly biological here (and advertised as such), whereas Fairy is P&G’s non bio brand aimed at those with sensitive skin and/or children. Ariel did have a non bio version for a few years in the early-mid 2000s, which was discontinued by the end of the decade. Seeming as P&G have the majority of the non bio market here with Fairy, I guess it was pretty pointless having an Ariel version too and would perhaps have also diluted Ariel’s reputation for being a performance brand.

Jon

 

[mrboilwash]

It's the dose that makes the poison

While a lot of non UK detergents marketed for sensitive skin contain enzymes it should also be taken into account that some TOL detergents like some variants of Henkel Persil or even those Spanish Formil Pods from the other thread must have an allergy warning printed on the package if protease (subtilisin) exceeds a certain amount in the product.
This is EU regulation, not sure about the exact amount but I think to remember the warning is obligatory if those enzymes equal or exceed 1% in the product.
"Contiente SUBTILISIN. Puede provocar una reáccion alérgica."

 

[launderess]

Introduction of enzymes to wash day (either as presoak or main wash) was next step in transforming wash day. Instead of brute force along with high temperatures and strong pH things could be done with less bother.

Suffice to say housewives, laundress or anyone in past charged with doing the wash would have killed to get modern detergents like Ariel or Persil.

Indeed whole "turn down the dial" movement begun in 1970's to get households to save energy by ditching boil washes relied heavily upon new biological laundry detergents.

As in US bio products were not unknown in much of Europe before they hit detergents. They were offered as presoak or prewash products such as BioTex.

Ability to skip pre-soaking and or even pre-washing by using an enzyme based product right in the was was a godsend. This and good to excellent results could be obtained washing at temps from about 90 degrees F up to 140F.

Fact most washing machines in Europe were front loaders with long cycle times was even better.

Bio detergents were also good for laundering colours that couldn't or shouldn't be subjected to bleaches and or high temperatures. Same goes for modern man made fabrics that increasingly made up good part of laundry day.







post was last edited: 9/24/2023-20:26]

 

[launderess]

Meanwhile across pond in North America

P&G launched first enzyme containing detergent in 1960's, Tide XK. But there were problems.

First and foremost North America washing machine market was dominated by top loading washers that lacked onboard heaters and had comparatively short wash cycles. This and by nature detergents for top loading or tub washers by necessity are "high dilution". This means product is diluted by comparatively large volume of water.

Since enzymes work best in lukewarm to warm water starting a wash with "hot" water defeats purpose.

Then there is fact Americans love liberal use of chlorine bleach on wash day. Chlorine bleach covers a multitude of wash day sins but it also kills enzymes. Those of us old enough to recall will remember detergents or pre-soak products sold in USA at one time had directions on packet to "add chlorine bleach five minutes after wash cycle starts....". This was to supposedly give enzymes time to work in theory. In practice time allotted wasn't enough.



P&G has always been cautious about messing about with their TOL product, Tide. Thus often new technology is tried out first in other products before being incorporated into Tide.

Oxydol (first a soap then a detergent) was P&G's detergent with oxygen bleach. It later got activated oxygen bleaching system then enzymes. Both eventually made their way into Tide with first Tide XK then Tide with Bleach.

In the end success of Tide with Bleach killed off demand for Oxydol with P&G selling off the brand.



Point of all this palaver is this; major portion of soils on clothing and perhaps bed and bath linen are caused by bodily secretions. Blood, goo, spew, urine and much more all have a protein base. To remove such soils from fabric there are several options.

Alkaline substances are great for breaking down protein which is why from days of soap (which is always alkaline in water) to "built" laundry detergents which contain various base substances (ammonium hydroxide, washing soda, borax, sodium metasilicate, phosphates, sodium hydroxide...) are pretty effective at cleaning textiles. This especially coupled with hot to near boiling water and aggressive wash action.

Commercial/industrial laundries then nor now still do not routinely use bio based products for washing, though some are coming around. Their wash cycles are just too short for a start. Instead they rely upon tried and true methods of chemicals and hot to very water along with aggressive wash action. This is one reason why things routinely sent to commercial/industrial laundries do not have very long lifespans.

There is a movement afoot past decade or so in some parts of professional/industrial laundries to bring down pH levels, water temps and use enzymes. There are now commercial washers with programmed overnight or whatever soak cycles that take advantage of bio products for stain removal.

 

[adam-aussie-vac]

Oh okay, that’s pretty cool

“Laundress: alkaline substances“

That’s probably the reason why is to why my sheets are always coming out so wide, because considering that I wash them first with a powdered, I think potentially bio detergent at 40°, then after the pre-wash drain, the main wash, it runs at 90 with Vietnamese surf in, and when it’s all done when they’re on the line, it’s actually hard to look at them because of how brilliantly white they are