Detergent thread 2011

[gmmcnair]

Sears Ultra Plus Powder

I use the Sears Ultra Plus for the majority of my stuff. I keep a bottle of the Seventh Generation Blue Eucalyptus and Lavender liquid for some cold water darks that I run on Gentle. I add some Sun Oxygen cleaner to the whites, and some STPP to really dirty stinky stuff.

I've been using the Angel Fresh Ultra Fabric Softener from Save a Lot, and it's pretty wonderful stuff....smells really nice and works well. 32 load bottle sets me back 2 bucks and some change.

 

[jt1985]

For everyday washing, I use Wisk Coldwater.

For whites, I use Ariel Bio tablets.

My softener is Downy Simple Pleasures Almond Cream Bliss. A gentle fragrance compared to the other SP fragrances.

 

[logixx]

Ariel Compact powder for whites and Ariel Color & Style with Actilift for colors. Lenor softener. Also Dash "Deep Sea Swirl" for whites (not too impressive, but smells like Ariel with Febreze from the UK) and some cheap powder for colors at my GF's house.

Disappointments have been Sunil Small & Mighty (smelled great but didn't clean) and Ariel Excel Gel, which didn't clean in cold water.

 

[passatdoc]

1. Work clothes (for me, dress shirts and khaki trousers, 100% cotton with no-wrinkle finish from LL Bean): Unilevel Persil/Via or, when I can get it, Henkel Persil. I will be in London in May and will be able to recharge the UK Persil supply (Via in Sweden is identical, but then it doesn't carry a Royal Warrant from HM the Queen---there ARE royal warrants from the Swedish Royal Family, but Via lacks one). When Persil ads used to snicker that "someone's mum still doesn't know that Persil washes whiter---and it SHOWS", we now know that they were not referring to HM as one of those clueless "mums".  Persil has saved a number of dress shirts from ink stains that most likely would not have come out with Tide or Gain.  It is superior to US makes for "special jobs",  whereas in routine use the US brands are "satisfactory" in my medium-hard water.

 

 

 

2. Sturdy cottons, towels, linens: either Tide HE powder or Gain HE powder. Gain HE powder at one time (before they stopped rating it on CR) used to be a CR "Best Buy", as its cleaning and rinsing out abilities were virtually the same as Tide's, for a lower price. It isn't easy to find in powder form, compared to the relatively ubiquitous Tide HE powder, but I was able to find some deals on Amazon that cost less (thanks to free shipping) than the supermarket:

http://www.amazon.com/Efficiency-Po...13HE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1297352398&sr=8-3

 

$46 for THREE boxes of 134 ounces each = 4 kilos = 8.8 lbs EACH, or 12 kilos/26.5 lbs of Gain HE. Given that I only need to use 2- tbsp/30-45 ml per load, the boxes last a LOT longer than the number of loads indicated on the box.

 

Even before I acquired a FL washer, I had used friends' machines in Europe and had been warned repeatedly that liquid detergents gum up the dispenser and create a mess (which makes one wonder what kind of mess accumulates between the the wash basket and the outer drum, which one can't normally see). In Sweden, many liquid detergents come with a dispenser ball (you pour detergent into the ball, then place it on top of clothes), which I assume is a recognition of the dispenser issue and an effort to keep liquid residue out of the dispenser and the conduit between dispenser and drum. I toyed with the idea of bringing a dispenser ball with me from Sweden, but now that at least a few HE powders can be found (at least Tide HE powder; Gain HE if you look hard) in the USA, I just stick to powders. This lets me USE the dispenser instead of bypassing it, without residue build up or clogs.

[this post was last edited: 2/10/2011-12:45]

 

[mrb627]

Gain HE

I agree.  Gain HE is pretty good but not easy to find.  Fortunately, Soap.com has it.

 

Malcolm

 

[passatdoc]

Malcolm, try amazon.com. They usually have it in bulk, often in three-packs.

The soap.com site price is about the same as Amazon's and you don't have to order three of them---but you do have to purchase >$25 for free shipping. It works out to LESS than what stores like Target or Walmart might charge for it in the store, plus it comes straight to your doorstep.

 

[donprohel]

Please don't blame me, OK?

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">White and colourfast cotton: Ecover Concentrated Biological Laundry Liquid (for whites I add Sodium Percarbonate, but NOT Ecover Laundry Bleach powder)</span>

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Delicates and non-colourfast: Ecover Delicate </span>

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">And no, it's not because they are environmentally-friendly: I perfectly know that they aren't at all!</span>

 

[spookiness]

Gain HE powder availability

In response to a comment about finding Gain HE powder.

It is tricky to find in my area (WDC/Northern VA) but I have had to make a few family trips back to mulletville, and Family Dollar reliably has it at $5 a box. I was in a Big Lots and I think they had it also. Dollar General also has an impressive selection of powder detergents.

I have been using Gain HE and I like it a lot. Fresh smell, rinses clean, does not have the same over-powering vile smell of the liquid.

 

[bernina]

RE: ECOVER: Do tell!

donprohel said:

White and colourfast cotton: Ecover Concentrated Biological Laundry Liquid (for whites I add Sodium Percarbonate, but NOT Ecover Laundry Bleach powder)

Why don't you like Ecover's bleach powder? Is plain sodium percarbonate better?

I always thought that's all that was in Ecover's powder?

Thanks for the info!

 

[franksdad]

Foca detergent

Anyone here familiar with Foca detergent? The Sav-A-Lot just down from my office has a large International section and they carry Foca detergent. I dropped in at lunch and purchased their last bag at $3.99. It is a Mexican product and contains sodium phosthate and silica. Should it be okay to use in my BOSCH front loader? I have a load of whites and two loads of towels I can't wait to try it on tonight! Jim

 

[paulc]

Dubstar

I too am using Bold as it is £2.00 for a ten wash box at Scot-mid this week. I must say I was suprised how white it got my towels! BTW is your name in referance to the 90's band?

 

[donprohel]

For Bernina and PassatDoc

Bernina:

Yes, you are right: Ecover Laundry Bleach is sodium percarbonate (although I don't know how pure it is) but I can buy it in bulk (10 Kg, about 22 lb) for 1/3 the price of Ecover Laundry Bleach.
Not to mention the fact that it is delivered in a simple sealed plastic bag (less package) while Ecover Laundry Bleach is packed in 400 g (about 0.9 lb) cardboard boxes. Yes, Ecover says that the cardboard is recycled, but much less package is much better even than recycled package.

More in general, I don't like the fact that the Ecover products are not ecological at all, but a well organised advertising campaign spreads this mystification that "the environment is happy if you wash with Ecover"

 

PassatDoc

"In Sweden, many liquid detergents come with a dispenser ball"

At least in Italy, the dispenser balls were introduced together with the first liquid detergents. At that time people did use the pre-wash and was used to put powder detergent in the pre-wash compartment of the detergent drawer. The advertising campaigns explained that "this new liquid detergent in its miracle-wonder-technological-advanced ball is so effective that you will not need the pre-wash because the fantastic-ecstatic-orgasmic ball will deliver all its cleaning power at the heart of your laundry"

If you pour liquid detergent in a dispenser drawer designed for powder detergent (as it is often the case) the liquid pours under the open drawer and, when you close the drawer and start the machine, the water does not rinse it (well, this is not that clear, hope it is understandable...)


[this post was last edited: 2/10/2011-15:37]

 

[passatdoc]

@donprohel

I understood what you meant. My Swedish friends just gave up trying to place liquids in the drawer dispenser, it was always a sticky mess. The ball was a way to put the liquid right into the wash basket, without having to pour it directly on top of the clothes. Personally I think it would be easier just to use power detergent (e.g. Ariel or Via/Persil), but they like the concentrated liquids, just not the sticky mess. Maybe because they are smaller/lighter to bring home from the store. I just figure, why re-invent the wheel? If the drawer was designed for powders, then use powders.

It's more work in USA finding powders suitable for FL washers, but Tide HE powder isn't difficult to find. I have never seen Gain HE in a store, but have ordered it twice from Amazon. It works great, as well as Tide (that is to say, average performance by European standards, but about the best one can buy here, unless one pays $50 for a small box of Henkel Persil). It rinses out well and has a nice light scent, nothing strong or overpowering. We have Big Lots stores here, but I have never seen HE detergent of any kind on their shelves.

 

[gansky1]

We've been using a combination of things - mostly some powdered detergent that Roger brought from home when he was here at New Years.  It's very effective, almost no suds even with adding STPP and rinses very clean.  It leaves only a very light, citrus-y scent that is virtually undetectable after the clothes are dry. 

 

[peterh770]

Still working down my stash of Lever Wisk HE.

 

[frigilux]

UK Persil Bio Powder
Liquid Tide with Bleach Alternative HE
Woolite For Dark Colors (for black loads)

 

[twinniefan]

Surf liquid and Omo T.L.

At the moment  i am using Surf liquid sunshine fresh and Omo liquid top loader, the local Franklins store has a clearance sale on Duo liquid fresh linen fragrance am considering buying a few bottles, has anyone ever tried this, also do not mind Radiant liquid.

Cheers.

Steve.

 

[Pingmeep]

From Left to Right

Tide Cold Water Free HE Liquid - Really good on it's own or as a pretreater
P&G Professional Tide Powder - Cleans up the mastiff's worst messes and bedding
Quick Dissolving Tide Compact HE Powder - Sheets and Linens Like the Smell
Sunlight Deep Clean Coldwater HE Liquid - Dog Dander and Prewash
Woolite Complete - Delicate/Darks
Ultra Sunlight HE Powder - Towels
Kenmoreclean! Advanced Formula Ultra Plus Dual Enzymes Stain Fighting Formula - Catch all and sometimes as prewash. Sears Ultra Plus packaging was better but washing results are similar.
Persil Color Gel (Henkel) - Coloured Dress Shirts and Pants also as a pretreater
Persil Universal Megaperls - Whites and Towels

The daily drivers for 16-22 loads per week

Would really love to get my hands on a stash of Persil Bio Powder

 

[jjsunshine]

2011 Variety!

I'm a big fan of Tide, but after reading the rave reviews of Sears Ultra Plus, I tried it and it works great! I play Soccer and get really muddy so I am able to put any detergent to the ultimate test!

Jeff

 

[lavamat_jon]

Generally Persil or Ariel, in biological and colour care variants.  Tend to use powder/tabs on whites/lights/towels, and any format on colours.  Whether I get for example Persil colour powder one week or Ariel colour gel the next all depends on supermarket offers.  Currently have 2 50wash boxes of Ariel biological atm - Asda were selling 50wash boxes for a fiver last week - and a bottle of 28w Ariel Colour gel.  One of my flatmates uses non-bio liquitabs on everything, I just smile and say nothing

 

Since moving out and having an undersink cupboard to store all the cleaning stuff including washing powder etc in in this flat, my hoarding has got under control, unlike when I lived at home when I could buy as many as I want due to practically unlimited storage just for washing stuff in the utility room

 

Jon