Consumer Reports Addresses Complaints of Staining: Tide Pods

[frigilux]

Always a bit slow out of the gate with such issues, CR has finally addressed complaints registered at Tide's website (and their own) concerning laundry stained blue/purple by pods. You should be able to access the linked story at CR Online without a membership.

If not, here's the short version. CR contacted Tide, whose representative suggested the following:

1) Always add the pod first, then laundry. Do not put pod in dispenser, or atop or in the middle of the load. Do not overload washer.

2) Should staining occur: Rinse item to remove as much of the stain as possible. Treat stain with rubbing alcohol. Allow to sit at least 10 minutes. Rinse item, then rewash.

As mentioned in other threads, I have not experienced staining with any of the pods I've used, even on
Bobloads. I always add the pod to the empty drum before adding laundry. My Frigidaire front-loader has a recirculation system during fill and the first few minutes of the wash, which I speculate helps dissolve the pod more efficiently. The jet spray soaks the entire load almost immediately, so the pod isn't dissolving onto dry fabric.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/02/users-of-tide-pods-speak-out-about-stained-laundry/index.htm

 

[washman]

See frig, I told you so!

Those pods are not good. I was always suspicious of any kind of pod. Plant. Animal. Food.

Especially after watching Kevin McCarthy deal with them in Santa Mira!

Return to powder or liquid!

Save the day and quite possibly yourself!

 

[danemodsandy]

Laughing My Butt Off!

So!

The people who don't want to deal with the tiny effort needed to measure detergent have now created much more work for themselves dealing with stains from the very product that was supposed to save them work.

Ain't karma wonderful?

FULL DISCLOSURE: Powder user here. I have a measuring cup, and I know how to use it.

 

[appnut]

Touche Sandy

FULL DISCLOSURE: Powder user here. I have a measuring scoop that came in the box, and I know how to use it!!!! And I do, every load!!!

 

[stchuck]

Pod users vs. powdered and liquids

Another line in the sand is drawn.. LOL.

I say as long as your happy with whatever you are using...

No one is lazier or less intelligent than another and I think its safe to say we can all use a measuring cup or a cap. IN my cabinet are pods, powder, and liquid and I have used some of each today while doing laundry.

I am so confused, where do I fit in?

Have a great day.

 

[launderess]

Just Used A Few Last Night

Well the Tide "Boost" pods anyway, and am happy to say they can go into the dispenser of our Miele. One just pops the thing in and waits for the spray of water to soften and then if required presses down on the thing to burst it open. Everything does down where detergent should.

As stated previously have always been leery of putting pods directly on top of laundry or even in the tub before. One just fears all sorts of damage or whatever may happen if the pod does not dissolve and contents aren't dispersed quickly. I mean weren't we for years warned not to allow laundry detergents or whatever direct contact with fabrics?

With today's water stingy washers and cooler temps those pods may very well take a minute or a bit of time to sort themselves out. In the meantime you've got concentrated detergent in contact with textiles.

 

[dustin92]

I have used pods a couple times, and always threw the pod on top of the clothes, before starting the washer. Never had a problem with staining, I suspect the issues with staining were those who stuff the machine to within an inch of it's life, use cold water, and a short wash cycle. I could see how it could happen, but have never had an issue with it myself.

 

[DirectDriveDave]

Powder user here!

I have been using it for years and it works every time, why change it? 

 

[danemodsandy]

My Reasoning on Liquids:

I hope this does not offend anyone, but my position on liquid detergents is: They're an ecological nightmare.

They are largely water - specifically, potable water. Water that people could be drinking. In our current weather patterns, where it is becoming increasingly difficult to supply major metropolitan areas with sufficient water, it seems a little more than foolish to tie up so much water in a non-essential use. Look down the detergent aisle of any grocery store and see the jugs lined up, row on row on row. Now multiply this times God knows how many grocery stores (and discount stores, and bargain stores, etc.) all over the world. Add in the warehouses full of yet-unshipped product. Add in the tractor-trailers full of the stuff. That is a lot of water.

The problems with the water don't end there. As any Boy Scout or Brownie who had to carry a bucketful of the stuff in camp can tell you, the stuff is gee-holy heavy. Which means that a jug full of a product that is mostly water takes a lot of energy to ship. Which takes oil, and oil is a finite resource. Oh, I know there's a lot of current chest-beating that we have discovered new sources of oil, and that we're better about extracting it, and that the U.S. is now a net exporter of the stuff, but the fact is, there's only so much oil out there.

Which leads me to my other objection: The packaging for liquid detergents is petrochemical-based plastic. Which means more oil. The packaging is supposedly recyclable, but the dirty little secret of recycling is that not nearly as much gets recycled as most people think. Much of the purpose behind all those "Recyclable" symbols is to assuage consumer guilt, a purpose they serve quite well. Few people think about what happens to that jug once it's tossed, because after all, it's recyclable, right? Someone else down the line will take care of it. Except that much of the time, no one does.

Contrast all of this with powder detergents in a biodegradable cardboard box, which is made from a renewable resource, wood. There are problems with that, too, but you'll come up with more trees from scratch long before you'll come up with more oil from scratch. Powders don't contain much water, lightening shipping weight for a given number of loads per container, and releasing potable water for its intended use - drinking.

So, for these reasons, I hardly use liquids at all, except for a couple of dollar-store small bottles of liquid Oxydol for cold-water darks per year. Detergent is not particularly eco-friendly in any of its iterations, but some detergent is needed to have clean and sanitary clothes and linen. My choice of powder is to keep the ecological impact of the detergent I use as low as possible.

And if anyone influenced by today's marketing thinks that powders are "old hat" and somehow inferior to today's highly touted liquids, all I can say is: You should see my whites.

I'm off my soapbox - whether literal or figurative, you choose - now, and you may begin ripping into me whenever you're ready.

[this post was last edited: 2/23/2014-19:30]

 

[mrb627]

Staining by machine

I wonder if the majority of complaints of laundry staining are related to the type of washing machine.  Like a TL HE machine where the clothing does move all that much during the cycle.  I really don't see how they can be staining laundry that gets a sufficient washing before the machine is done.  I have some of the pods and can see the benefits to using them.  I have a parent that lives in a condominium community and has to cart laundry to the laundry facility on the property.  It she is easier for her to put a few pods in the sandwich bag instead of carting a heavy jug of detergent down and back.  Doesn't really have anything to do with laziness and/or stupidity.

 

Malcolm

 

[danemodsandy]

Malcolm:

At those times when I've had to use laundromats, I've often measured out powders into Baggies (the same ones serve for many trips), which also saves schlepping a large box or jug. One Baggie per load - dump and wash.

Hmm. Maybe I should claim credit for this pod thing....

 

[launderess]

Thsi May Seem Like Blasphemy

But does see the usefulness of liquid detergents and or pods. In fact have some of each in my stash and use when situation warrants and or one simply wishes a change.

The old rules of detergents pretty much have not changed; powders are better for particulate/clay soils whilst liquids for oil based soils/stains. What has changed is how many persons in the Western world live.

Compared to even as late as the 1980's most Americans and one assumes other markets like EU do not engage in early as much "hard" labour. Thus leaving aside certain professions, occupations and or sports much laundry is not that heavily soiled with "clay" type matter. What it does have are oils (body) and perhaps stains of various sorts. Developments in enzyme, solvent and other chemical technology have meant a good liquid detergent can handle about 90% of today's washing. Where the main problem lies and one liquids and gels keep getting slagged off about is stain removal. Quite simply some soils are not going to shift without a type of bleaching agent. Since liquid detergents do not contain such chemicals it should come as no surprise certain stains do not shift.

If one was doing laundry for a rugby team I'd probably reach for a TOL powder. OTOH men's dress shirts that are worn once then chucked into the hamper do fine with liquid or gel detergents IMHO.

Also as one that line dries then irons linens, shirts, blouses and other items am that fed up with the "dust" residue that comes from certain powders. Powdered detergents that are Zeolite built are worse offenders in that area. But there are fillers like sodium sulfate and other builders such as borax and washing soda that can leave "dust" as well.

When you think about it pods are probably slightly more economical for dispensing liquid or gel detergents since the entire contents go into the wash. Though one does many do not turn an empty liquid detergent container upside down or rise it out with a bit of water to remove the last amount of product. Gel detergents are worse because much product clings to the inside of the bottle. Turning it upside down won't work. That leave either filling with water or cutting the thing open to get at what remains.

Extreme? Maybe but if you add up all the ounces of liquid or gel detergent chucked into the rubbish still in containers, am willing to bet it has a dear cost when sums are added up.

One also feels liquid or gel detergents are slightly more gentle on colours and textiles than powders. Things laundered in such products often feel softer even without the use of fabric softener.

 

[petek]

If Tide works as well as they claim it does in all of their advertisements then why the hell would you need to use Tide Boost pods ? Isn't that like admitting your product doesn't do what you claim it to do.

 

[launderess]

Tide Boost Pods

Again those "Vivid Boost" pods put back what is missing from liquid detergents, mainly oxygen bleach, bleach activator. Enzymes are also thrown into the mix which one supposes is useful if using other brands such as All or Purex that do not have the complicated enzyme cocktails of Tide liquids. Oh and the things contains polymers and such to remove dulling film from wash so it is "brighter".

Again this solve the problem of stain removal that liquid or gel detergents have in that they cannot shift bleachable soils because they don't have the stuff.

IIRC the "VB" pods contain the enzyme Cellulase which is also found in Tide Vivid White liquid. Again one assumes this is where the "vivid" part comes in as cellulase by nibbling away at fine bobbles on cotton fabrics makes them smoother. That in turn increases how bright they appear.

 

[mrb627]

One Baggie per load - dump and wash.

So how is this any better or worse than using a pod?

Malcolm

 

[gansky1]

We've been using pods of one brand or another, boosters and the like for a while now and have never seen any staining.  Most of this problem sounds like a "user error".   Granted, we have a Speed Queen and a Maytag Neptune for front-loading choices that use a bit more water than others, but a massive overloading of even these machines could cause problems with additives in those machines too.  The cold water problem probably goes without saying for additive and cleaning problems, we've hashed that out quite thoroughly before and the same logic applies with the pods.   I've not tried putting the pod (Kirkland brand at the moment) in the SQ dispenser but the Neptune stack doesn't have a dispenser so we toss the pod in before putting in the clothes load.

 

My son likes the ease and convenience of the pods and my mother, while having not tried them yet, likes the idea of the pods as well.  Less mess than with powders or liquids is a huge benefit for those with arthritis, tremors, etc.  There is most certainly a market for the pods and their convenience with the elderly, disabled, etc. so I will leave the judgement of these people and their individual needs to them and those who help care for them.

 

[danemodsandy]

Malcolm:

I'm talking strictly about what I'm personally comfortable with in this post, okay?

My reasoning on the Baggie trick is: Powders are lighter to ship per load, and don't use very much potable water (though the water content of the detergent in pods is fairly low, around 10%). Baggies can be re-used for this purpose, many times over, which means I get a much higher degree of utility from the plastic involved. Pods are made from a water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol film (which depends on the petrochemical-based vinyl acetate for its manufacture), and they are, of course, single-use.

Again, this is my own reasoning, and my individual comfort level.

 

[circlew]

When I go to the washateria, I take my detergent (Sears Ultra Plus powder) in a Hefty zipper bag. I usually fill it with enough for 5 or 6 trips there.

 

[terryT]

What are these things you speak of?

I grind lye soap on a cheese grater for use in my nearly new 1920 Easy vacuum electric ringer washer. Laundry takes all day. But it sure is better than beating it on rocks at the river like in the old days.

Is it true that these pods will revolutionize my laundry experience in labor savings? Or was there some other development in laundry technology over the last 75 years or so that I'm missing?

I've been led to believe that there's been some sort of nearly robotic automation thing going on whereby you throw your clothes into a drum and push a button. My understanding is that a powder-- a "detergent" I think they call it-- takes about 5 seconds to scoop and put into this contraption and a viscous liquid variant that takes nearly 10 seconds to pour and put in. So this pod that everyone speaks of saves an enormous amount of time since, by all accounts, it should only take about 2 seconds to toss in.

Between 3 and 8 seconds of hard work saved would be a godsend!



I guess it's all a matter of perspective!