nickuk
Well-known member
3 items which were quite bad: a toddler's white sock, a t-shirt which had chocolate ice cream and pizza stains (Pizza Hut yesteday yay!) and, ahem, some white underwear with the usual staining. Sorry.
Fresh as a Daisy?
- Thread starter nickuk
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nickuk
Well-known member
So there we have it. I don't really think the pictures do justice to the spotlessly clean items - I was really very pleased with the result. It was as good as anything else I use. The washing had no identifiable scent left on it at all, just that really clean lovely smell. This may be a good detergent for someone who likes a particular fabric softener scent and doesn't want that scent clashing with the detergent.
Anywayone who knows me will have predicted my gripe: the rinsing was not good enough. It did the usual thing of rinsing clear but with a head of suds. I know this isn't a problem, but I don't like it. Notice too how there are more suds the clearer the water rinses. P+G detergent does this too. To my knowledge, there is only one bio/bleach detergent which rinses as it ought to (drinkeable water, no suds at all) and that's Persil Gel Tabs. But they have a range of other drawerbacks.
So there we have it, a top notch budget detergent.
The FS, buy the way, smells good but is way too gloopy and not very dispenser friendly.
Cheers everyone,
Nick
Anywayone who knows me will have predicted my gripe: the rinsing was not good enough. It did the usual thing of rinsing clear but with a head of suds. I know this isn't a problem, but I don't like it. Notice too how there are more suds the clearer the water rinses. P+G detergent does this too. To my knowledge, there is only one bio/bleach detergent which rinses as it ought to (drinkeable water, no suds at all) and that's Persil Gel Tabs. But they have a range of other drawerbacks.
So there we have it, a top notch budget detergent.
The FS, buy the way, smells good but is way too gloopy and not very dispenser friendly.
Cheers everyone,
Nick
spoodles
Well-known member
Seems like for the price, it did pretty well then! It's only about £2.50 a box isn't it? As for the gloopy conditioner, I find some Comfort and Lenor variants can be like that too - not many of them, just certain flavours.
I wonder how good the colour version would be at cleaning and protecting colours? I'm always wary of buying cheap colour detergents, as I doubt they protect colours as well as Ariel or Persil colour.
Not to go off topic, but did anyone see that BBC programme a few months ago where they put products' claims to the test? One was Ariel's washing at 30ºC - it was proven to work but they tested against supermarket brands and although they generally cleaned most stains OK, when examined under a microscope the fibres were damaged by the supermarket brand powders. They lacked fibre protection ingredients, meaning clothes wear out a lot sooner than with a more expensive brand. That was never something I'd considered but I wonder if anyone on here who uses Tesco/Sainsbury's etc. stuff, has found that to be a problem?
Simon
I wonder how good the colour version would be at cleaning and protecting colours? I'm always wary of buying cheap colour detergents, as I doubt they protect colours as well as Ariel or Persil colour.
Not to go off topic, but did anyone see that BBC programme a few months ago where they put products' claims to the test? One was Ariel's washing at 30ºC - it was proven to work but they tested against supermarket brands and although they generally cleaned most stains OK, when examined under a microscope the fibres were damaged by the supermarket brand powders. They lacked fibre protection ingredients, meaning clothes wear out a lot sooner than with a more expensive brand. That was never something I'd considered but I wonder if anyone on here who uses Tesco/Sainsbury's etc. stuff, has found that to be a problem?
Simon
paulc
Well-known member
Simon, I've found that supermarket own brand and some cheaper detergents are quite harsh on clothes causing "bobbling" even on less vigorous washes. Plus often I've had to re-wash things washed in cheaper detergent so its a false economy in that respect.
2drumsallergy
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Lidl Formil Bio
Hi Nick,
The Daisy Bio certainly did perform well, no doubt the Sodium Tripolyphosphate greatly enhances its cleaning performance. I will definitely be trying some Daisy Bio!
I believe one of the the best value detergents on the market is without doubt Lidl's Formil Bio Powder, it cleans superbly, rinses cleanly and leaves the laundry smelling clean with no scent left behind. I don't know who makes it but it is made in Germany. I have used Formil Bio for a number of years now and it has not caused any fiber damage to my laundry, in fact I have noticed towels washed in Formil have a softer feel then Ariel or Persil Powder leaves (I don't use any softener on my towels). Talking of softness Lidl's Doussey Concentrated Fabric Softener is also excellent; made in Germany, it softens very well, is not gloopy and comes in a range of pleasant scents which are not overpowering.
I would value your (Or anyone's) opinion on Formil Bio; I think you would be very impressed with its performance and clean rinsing.
David
Hi Nick,
The Daisy Bio certainly did perform well, no doubt the Sodium Tripolyphosphate greatly enhances its cleaning performance. I will definitely be trying some Daisy Bio!
I believe one of the the best value detergents on the market is without doubt Lidl's Formil Bio Powder, it cleans superbly, rinses cleanly and leaves the laundry smelling clean with no scent left behind. I don't know who makes it but it is made in Germany. I have used Formil Bio for a number of years now and it has not caused any fiber damage to my laundry, in fact I have noticed towels washed in Formil have a softer feel then Ariel or Persil Powder leaves (I don't use any softener on my towels). Talking of softness Lidl's Doussey Concentrated Fabric Softener is also excellent; made in Germany, it softens very well, is not gloopy and comes in a range of pleasant scents which are not overpowering.
I would value your (Or anyone's) opinion on Formil Bio; I think you would be very impressed with its performance and clean rinsing.
David
paulc
Well-known member
formil bio
David, I will certainly give Formil a try, I have used the Liquid in the past....it seemed quite good but asda is nearer than Lidl so I went back to brand names.
David, I will certainly give Formil a try, I have used the Liquid in the past....it seemed quite good but asda is nearer than Lidl so I went back to brand names.
washdayisfun
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2008
- Messages
- 97
Hi Nick
Thanks for posting this thread. I myself have used the Daisy for colours (Couldn't help it..It was in a bright pink box so had to be done!..lol). I was impressed with it apart from the sudsing issue. I have very soft water and sudsing is a complete nightmare for me.
I have yet to try the Green biological version but that is going to be on my list soon.
Im currently using Tesco Bio Tabs (Good cleaning but awful smell) and Lidl Formil colour tabs (Good cleaning and smell nice).
I also tried a few of the different Daisy fabric conditioners but like you found them very thick and I was having problems with gloop left in the dispensor.
David
I have used formil bio and colour tabs before and was impressed with them. Ive yet to try the actual big box powder as I tend to go for tabs over powder but im always changing my mind.
Im currently using Aldis fabric conditioner which I find is very good. Its not thick and it all gets washed out of the dispensor. Does a good job of conditioning aswell. They have changed the fragrances again though and there is a new line up. They are nice but I liked one particular one of the old line up.
I do not go for the major brands anymore as I just can't afford to pay the prices they want these days. I always now buy cheaper products. It can be supermarket own brands or I go for Lidls or Aldis. Have never tried the £1 boxes of "Clean & Fresh" yet..Anyone tried them? They used to have a different name but can't remeber what it was.
Mark
Thanks for posting this thread. I myself have used the Daisy for colours (Couldn't help it..It was in a bright pink box so had to be done!..lol). I was impressed with it apart from the sudsing issue. I have very soft water and sudsing is a complete nightmare for me.
I have yet to try the Green biological version but that is going to be on my list soon.
Im currently using Tesco Bio Tabs (Good cleaning but awful smell) and Lidl Formil colour tabs (Good cleaning and smell nice).
I also tried a few of the different Daisy fabric conditioners but like you found them very thick and I was having problems with gloop left in the dispensor.
David
I have used formil bio and colour tabs before and was impressed with them. Ive yet to try the actual big box powder as I tend to go for tabs over powder but im always changing my mind.
Im currently using Aldis fabric conditioner which I find is very good. Its not thick and it all gets washed out of the dispensor. Does a good job of conditioning aswell. They have changed the fragrances again though and there is a new line up. They are nice but I liked one particular one of the old line up.
I do not go for the major brands anymore as I just can't afford to pay the prices they want these days. I always now buy cheaper products. It can be supermarket own brands or I go for Lidls or Aldis. Have never tried the £1 boxes of "Clean & Fresh" yet..Anyone tried them? They used to have a different name but can't remeber what it was.
Mark
washdayisfun
Well-known member
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Forgot to add the picture!
These are my current detergents and softeners. As you can see there is an Ariel excel gel in there. I ONLY purchased this because it was on offer. Will not be paying full price for it!
Mark
These are my current detergents and softeners. As you can see there is an Ariel excel gel in there. I ONLY purchased this because it was on offer. Will not be paying full price for it!
Mark
nickuk
Well-known member
Hi everyone
Thanks for your responses. I really am becoming more and more keen to try these Formil products. I'm a fan of tablets too actually Mark, without really knowing why.... but I'm sure like many people I tend to use one tablet unless it's a particularly large or dirty load.
I have the Tesco bio tabs too and think they're great. They're not bad rinsers are they clean as well as the major brands IMO, but the formulation has recently changed down here, the phosphates having now been abandoned. I really don't mind the smell of them! And I LOVE the yellow 2 in 1 smell, without going into the whole `2in 1s' debate.........
Well it's off to LIDL then. Thanks for telling me about the ALDI softener being good. Aldi is on the other side of town so I may well try the Doussey from LIDL first, the one David says is good. Have you tried that one Mark?
I'm enjoying how this thread is evolving to celebrate the budget detergent. I have never really tried them before, but at age 33 (and a life long detergent addict) there is honestly no `top' brand detergent that I'm 100% impressed with anyway. I really feel that the FORMAT you get is far more important than the brand, in so much as if you know the strengths and weaknesses of powder vs liquid, bio vs non, regular vs colour etc then you'll get good results. I kind of feel that the brand is just a choice based on issues such as scent (or lack of), brand image, dosing practicalities etc.
Thanks again.
Keep it coming guys!
Thanks for your responses. I really am becoming more and more keen to try these Formil products. I'm a fan of tablets too actually Mark, without really knowing why.... but I'm sure like many people I tend to use one tablet unless it's a particularly large or dirty load.
I have the Tesco bio tabs too and think they're great. They're not bad rinsers are they clean as well as the major brands IMO, but the formulation has recently changed down here, the phosphates having now been abandoned. I really don't mind the smell of them! And I LOVE the yellow 2 in 1 smell, without going into the whole `2in 1s' debate.........
Well it's off to LIDL then. Thanks for telling me about the ALDI softener being good. Aldi is on the other side of town so I may well try the Doussey from LIDL first, the one David says is good. Have you tried that one Mark?
I'm enjoying how this thread is evolving to celebrate the budget detergent. I have never really tried them before, but at age 33 (and a life long detergent addict) there is honestly no `top' brand detergent that I'm 100% impressed with anyway. I really feel that the FORMAT you get is far more important than the brand, in so much as if you know the strengths and weaknesses of powder vs liquid, bio vs non, regular vs colour etc then you'll get good results. I kind of feel that the brand is just a choice based on issues such as scent (or lack of), brand image, dosing practicalities etc.
Thanks again.
Keep it coming guys!
nickuk
Well-known member
Sorry, Mark, I assumed you were a different Mark I already knew under a different user name...
But it looks like you are a new member....
WELCOME!!!
But it looks like you are a new member....
WELCOME!!!
washdayisfun
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- 97
Hi Nick
It is me....I dissapeared but have returned!
The Tesco tabs up here have changed to the no phosphate ones but I managed to scrabble around and find the last 2 with phosphate amongst all the others. I have tried the yellow 2 in 1 and did like the smell so will use them again. I still use fs though with them as I just like using it especially for it cutting down any last suds in the rinse. They do clean like you say very well.
I haven't used Asdas tablets or powder for a long long time simply because Tesco is down the road and Asda is in another town so can't comment on what Asdas detergent is like. I do remember them being more expensive though than Tesco.
I used lidl softner ages ago and haven't used it since so can't remember how it performed.I remember it was a red colour though. Will wait and see your results as I still have lots of softener at present as you can see from the pic.
What ingredients am I looking out for in the budget brands? What does Sodium Tripolyphosphate do? I have no idea really what to look out for and what different things do. All I know to look for is phosphate and bleach!
Mark
It is me....I dissapeared but have returned!
The Tesco tabs up here have changed to the no phosphate ones but I managed to scrabble around and find the last 2 with phosphate amongst all the others. I have tried the yellow 2 in 1 and did like the smell so will use them again. I still use fs though with them as I just like using it especially for it cutting down any last suds in the rinse. They do clean like you say very well.
I haven't used Asdas tablets or powder for a long long time simply because Tesco is down the road and Asda is in another town so can't comment on what Asdas detergent is like. I do remember them being more expensive though than Tesco.
I used lidl softner ages ago and haven't used it since so can't remember how it performed.I remember it was a red colour though. Will wait and see your results as I still have lots of softener at present as you can see from the pic.
What ingredients am I looking out for in the budget brands? What does Sodium Tripolyphosphate do? I have no idea really what to look out for and what different things do. All I know to look for is phosphate and bleach!
Mark
nickuk
Well-known member
Hi Mark
Ah, it is you sir! Well I trust you are keeping well and it's nice to hear from you.
I don't know what the diferences are between the two types of phosphates and am led to believe that one doesn't need to worry about it.
I'm always interested to know what sort of enzymes a detergent contains, but this isn't usually stated on packs. You can get it from Lever /PG websites. Both Daz and Surf, for example, contain at least one less enzyme than their premium counterparts.
I also look at the list of scents. Usually it says `perfume' on the pack followed by a bunch of chemicals like linalool, coumarin etc. There are (IIR)C 9 possible artificial scents and some detergents contain them all to make the desired scent! Each of them has `charactetistics'. An excess of Linalool, for example, has been shown to be linked with depression. Funnily enough I find blue Lenor depressing if things are drying in the house, and did before I even began researching all this. Coumarin (which Yellow Lenor, admittedly a long term fave of mine, contains in abundance) reportedly bonds with and is drawn in by the skin. X Factor theme twinkles in the background!. You can quite often smell fabric softener on peoples' skin long after they've been exposed to it.
Non bio detergents and `white' softeners contain none of these scents, as they are all potential irritants.
As for the rest, well it's just surfactants, OBAs, Zeolites and all I can see is that the proportions vary according to brand. I don't know much more about it than that. Maybe we will be lucky, somebody with more knowledge could contribute to this aspect of the thread.......
BTW Im sure that Lavamat Jon did some looking into LIDL detergents and discovered that they were made by quite a reputable German company. Not Henkel, maybe not quite that well known. Regarding Henkel, a few years ago there was a bunch of hype on here about German Persil being the `must have' detergent. Jon and I wondered if it was being sold under the Adritt name - can't remmeber why. Anyway, eventually I went to France and bought us some `Le Chat' which is the direct equivalent, and we didn't rate it that much! What a disappointment....fantastic scents but mediocre cleaning and even more mediocre rinsing, in UK conditions, though US friends on here have reported excellent results.
Ah, it is you sir! Well I trust you are keeping well and it's nice to hear from you.
I don't know what the diferences are between the two types of phosphates and am led to believe that one doesn't need to worry about it.
I'm always interested to know what sort of enzymes a detergent contains, but this isn't usually stated on packs. You can get it from Lever /PG websites. Both Daz and Surf, for example, contain at least one less enzyme than their premium counterparts.
I also look at the list of scents. Usually it says `perfume' on the pack followed by a bunch of chemicals like linalool, coumarin etc. There are (IIR)C 9 possible artificial scents and some detergents contain them all to make the desired scent! Each of them has `charactetistics'. An excess of Linalool, for example, has been shown to be linked with depression. Funnily enough I find blue Lenor depressing if things are drying in the house, and did before I even began researching all this. Coumarin (which Yellow Lenor, admittedly a long term fave of mine, contains in abundance) reportedly bonds with and is drawn in by the skin. X Factor theme twinkles in the background!. You can quite often smell fabric softener on peoples' skin long after they've been exposed to it.
Non bio detergents and `white' softeners contain none of these scents, as they are all potential irritants.
As for the rest, well it's just surfactants, OBAs, Zeolites and all I can see is that the proportions vary according to brand. I don't know much more about it than that. Maybe we will be lucky, somebody with more knowledge could contribute to this aspect of the thread.......
BTW Im sure that Lavamat Jon did some looking into LIDL detergents and discovered that they were made by quite a reputable German company. Not Henkel, maybe not quite that well known. Regarding Henkel, a few years ago there was a bunch of hype on here about German Persil being the `must have' detergent. Jon and I wondered if it was being sold under the Adritt name - can't remmeber why. Anyway, eventually I went to France and bought us some `Le Chat' which is the direct equivalent, and we didn't rate it that much! What a disappointment....fantastic scents but mediocre cleaning and even more mediocre rinsing, in UK conditions, though US friends on here have reported excellent results.
I quite like Le Chat - smells nice.
In general I find most top of the line detergents do exactly what you'd expect them to do.
Tesco's detergent definitely creates a lot more bobbling than Persil Gel Tablets (non-phosphate).
There are good own-brand detergents out there though. Lidl and Aldi seem to do quite well in that regard.
I found Tesco's detergent line to be very harsh on my clothes and switched straight back to Persil again. Everything was coming out feeling rough and bobbly.
I really do think when it comes to detergents, you're better off sticking to good quality stuff.
In general I find most top of the line detergents do exactly what you'd expect them to do.
Tesco's detergent definitely creates a lot more bobbling than Persil Gel Tablets (non-phosphate).
There are good own-brand detergents out there though. Lidl and Aldi seem to do quite well in that regard.
I found Tesco's detergent line to be very harsh on my clothes and switched straight back to Persil again. Everything was coming out feeling rough and bobbly.
I really do think when it comes to detergents, you're better off sticking to good quality stuff.
zanussi_lover
Well-known member
I'm allergic
i'm allergic to tesco branded stuff, bought some tesco colour tablets and they made me itch like made,
so all i use is surf washing powder/tablets and sainsburys gentle fabric conditioner.
Surf powder/tablets are great for rinsing, you get a clear rinse at the end of the wash, i only use one tablet and thats sufficient for a normal wash, as alot of my clothes are lightly soiled.
I like the smell of sainsburys bio, it smells like ariel used to before they changed it to the piney lemony scent.
i'm allergic to tesco branded stuff, bought some tesco colour tablets and they made me itch like made,
so all i use is surf washing powder/tablets and sainsburys gentle fabric conditioner.
Surf powder/tablets are great for rinsing, you get a clear rinse at the end of the wash, i only use one tablet and thats sufficient for a normal wash, as alot of my clothes are lightly soiled.
I like the smell of sainsburys bio, it smells like ariel used to before they changed it to the piney lemony scent.
nickuk
Well-known member
Hi Zanussi lover
Yes,you're quite right - Surf clear rinses because it's phosphated. Surf tabs are the same as old Persil (pre `gel') tabs minus an enzyme and one or two other posch ingredients. Oh, and not forgetting it comes in a range of yummy scents.
However.....
- you have to faff about with that silly net, and sweeping up little bits of detergent that fall through the net as you drop it in
- you can't do automatic prewash with it
- you'll be lucky to get it to dissolve completely at 30 degrees on a quick wash, let alone anything gentler
- on some machines (including Miele, LG and Hotpoint)`the net' gets stuck in the door seal with half disolved tabs,causing rinsing nightmares and so on
- in all FL machines, the net and semi digested tab are liable to be smeared all over the door glass and boot during the initial wash phase, needing a high level splashy wash (or rinse god forbid) to get rid of it.
Is there a PERFECT detergent out there LOL - and is it Lidl's Formil ??!!!
I wonder what it was about the Tesco that irritated you. It's a good rinser, (though not as good as Surf tabs) so either it wasn't being washed out the drawer properly or you are allergic to one of the scents, would be my guess.
Thanks for your input
Yes,you're quite right - Surf clear rinses because it's phosphated. Surf tabs are the same as old Persil (pre `gel') tabs minus an enzyme and one or two other posch ingredients. Oh, and not forgetting it comes in a range of yummy scents.
However.....
- you have to faff about with that silly net, and sweeping up little bits of detergent that fall through the net as you drop it in
- you can't do automatic prewash with it
- you'll be lucky to get it to dissolve completely at 30 degrees on a quick wash, let alone anything gentler
- on some machines (including Miele, LG and Hotpoint)`the net' gets stuck in the door seal with half disolved tabs,causing rinsing nightmares and so on
- in all FL machines, the net and semi digested tab are liable to be smeared all over the door glass and boot during the initial wash phase, needing a high level splashy wash (or rinse god forbid) to get rid of it.
Is there a PERFECT detergent out there LOL - and is it Lidl's Formil ??!!!
I wonder what it was about the Tesco that irritated you. It's a good rinser, (though not as good as Surf tabs) so either it wasn't being washed out the drawer properly or you are allergic to one of the scents, would be my guess.
Thanks for your input
zanussi_lover
Well-known member
my allergy
after i used the tesco colour tabs, i got a burning sensation on my skin and i started itching and itching till i started bleeding, it was that bad. i am still itching now, i think i have scabies, the guy that used to live in my new house left some persil non bio powder, so i have put on a wash with that to see if the itching will stop, if it does then i will start using non bio powder, but if i still itch then i will have to go to the doctors
we have surf lavender and oriental blossom at the moment, which is great, I have a Siemens Siwamat XB1060 washer, which looks like a Bosch Maxx 5, but it is 6 years old as the XB1060 came out in 2002.
its a great machine and its always set on 30, as it my housemates quest to be greener. though the towels, teatowels and dishclothes get washed on 60 intensive stains and they come up clean.
its great to have a german washer, rather than a shitty indeshotpoint washer dryer, which was shit!!
after i used the tesco colour tabs, i got a burning sensation on my skin and i started itching and itching till i started bleeding, it was that bad. i am still itching now, i think i have scabies, the guy that used to live in my new house left some persil non bio powder, so i have put on a wash with that to see if the itching will stop, if it does then i will start using non bio powder, but if i still itch then i will have to go to the doctors
we have surf lavender and oriental blossom at the moment, which is great, I have a Siemens Siwamat XB1060 washer, which looks like a Bosch Maxx 5, but it is 6 years old as the XB1060 came out in 2002.
its a great machine and its always set on 30, as it my housemates quest to be greener. though the towels, teatowels and dishclothes get washed on 60 intensive stains and they come up clean.
its great to have a german washer, rather than a shitty indeshotpoint washer dryer, which was shit!!
washdayisfun
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2008
- Messages
- 97
Thanks Nick! Im keeping well thanks although going to try and stop smoking tomorrow...That should be fun!
Thanks for your info with regards to ingredients. It totally confuses me as there are so many. I guess for me the best way is just to try different budget detergents and see how I get on. I think when I run out of Tesco and lidl colour tabs Ill try the Lidl Formil bio and colour powders then daisy. If you try the lidl ones first I look forward to the results. My main issue is over sudsing due to my very soft water and im yet to find a powder / tablet that does not give me this problem.
I am bad though for using 2 tablets and not 1. I do use 1 for towels as 2 is rediculous for sudsing because of the high absobancy. I have suds lock on every spin and there are 4 rinses with spins in between. I always have to reset the machine to do more rinses. It's just in my head that 1 tablet will not clean well. Don't know why but I just can't bring myself to use 1 tab for the rest of the washing.
I totally agree with you with regards to a silly net for tablets. Im surprised they have not yet advanced the tablets to being put in the drawer. I totally avoid any tablets you have to use a net for. Im sure people have not had problems with nets but for me personally I can't be doing with them.
Mark
Thanks for your info with regards to ingredients. It totally confuses me as there are so many. I guess for me the best way is just to try different budget detergents and see how I get on. I think when I run out of Tesco and lidl colour tabs Ill try the Lidl Formil bio and colour powders then daisy. If you try the lidl ones first I look forward to the results. My main issue is over sudsing due to my very soft water and im yet to find a powder / tablet that does not give me this problem.
I am bad though for using 2 tablets and not 1. I do use 1 for towels as 2 is rediculous for sudsing because of the high absobancy. I have suds lock on every spin and there are 4 rinses with spins in between. I always have to reset the machine to do more rinses. It's just in my head that 1 tablet will not clean well. Don't know why but I just can't bring myself to use 1 tab for the rest of the washing.
I totally agree with you with regards to a silly net for tablets. Im surprised they have not yet advanced the tablets to being put in the drawer. I totally avoid any tablets you have to use a net for. Im sure people have not had problems with nets but for me personally I can't be doing with them.
Mark
washdayisfun
Well-known member
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- Oct 30, 2008
- Messages
- 97
Nick forget to mention a quick tip.
If you buy Lidl Formil tablets I would recommend crushing them up in the packet first. It kinda defeats the object of tabs but I find personally for me they don't always dissolve fully if I put them in whole. And of course with todays wash water levels being lower there is not as much water passing over them.
They may be fine with your bosch though. Nice machine by the way. We had a bosch classix 1400 in our last house and I liked it.It was the previous design to yours. Motor was a bit whiny and I always had to use aqua plus and sometimes wash plus but overall a good machine.
Mark
If you buy Lidl Formil tablets I would recommend crushing them up in the packet first. It kinda defeats the object of tabs but I find personally for me they don't always dissolve fully if I put them in whole. And of course with todays wash water levels being lower there is not as much water passing over them.
They may be fine with your bosch though. Nice machine by the way. We had a bosch classix 1400 in our last house and I liked it.It was the previous design to yours. Motor was a bit whiny and I always had to use aqua plus and sometimes wash plus but overall a good machine.
Mark
nickuk
Well-known member
Good luck with giving up smoking! I gave up just before we had our first child. I still have the odd sneaky one though. I do find I have a mega hangover if I smoke on an evening out, which I suppose is odd.
A little disaapointing to read about LIDL tabs need crushing up. It does depend on the machine, my awful LG wouldn't disolve Tesco tabs properly via the drawer. Funnily enough, the LG flushed Persil S+M down fine, whereas the Bosch inexplicably leaves a blob of that in t'drawer.
I think that therefore, in terms of tabs, P+G are the best for disolving. Does anyone else have opinions about this?
I would avise experimenting with one tab. Basically, if you can see a few suds and the load comes out clean you're ok. If there are no suds at all, the machine is underdosed and grease / dirt etc will begin to build up around the vital organs. Too much detergent is poor for wash results, can casue seepage (sp?) to the bearings, and chokes the pump, reducing the effifiency of iterim spins and shortening its life. But then you know all that.
Agree - towels are awful for suds and iterim spins, especially in one of those Hotpoints. Sudscakes galore! I often wonder if it's cos of all the dregs of shampoo and shower gel (full of very bubbly SLS) they mop up.
Have found Persil bio gel tabs absolutely the best for towel laundering in this respect. And I know how much you love the nets....
A little disaapointing to read about LIDL tabs need crushing up. It does depend on the machine, my awful LG wouldn't disolve Tesco tabs properly via the drawer. Funnily enough, the LG flushed Persil S+M down fine, whereas the Bosch inexplicably leaves a blob of that in t'drawer.
I think that therefore, in terms of tabs, P+G are the best for disolving. Does anyone else have opinions about this?
I would avise experimenting with one tab. Basically, if you can see a few suds and the load comes out clean you're ok. If there are no suds at all, the machine is underdosed and grease / dirt etc will begin to build up around the vital organs. Too much detergent is poor for wash results, can casue seepage (sp?) to the bearings, and chokes the pump, reducing the effifiency of iterim spins and shortening its life. But then you know all that.
Agree - towels are awful for suds and iterim spins, especially in one of those Hotpoints. Sudscakes galore! I often wonder if it's cos of all the dregs of shampoo and shower gel (full of very bubbly SLS) they mop up.
Have found Persil bio gel tabs absolutely the best for towel laundering in this respect. And I know how much you love the nets....
rolls_rapide
Well-known member
Lidl Tablets
I found that it was best to scrunch them to pieces in the packet too, before adding to the dispenser, as they didn't fully dissolve.
Another thing is, that the Lidl tablets are composed of large particles that look like "Hundreds & Thousands" (cake decoration sugar strands). I found that these particles did not fully dissolve at 40 deg C. (white bits on coloured clothes), so I only used the tablets for whites @ 60 deg C.
I found that it was best to scrunch them to pieces in the packet too, before adding to the dispenser, as they didn't fully dissolve.
Another thing is, that the Lidl tablets are composed of large particles that look like "Hundreds & Thousands" (cake decoration sugar strands). I found that these particles did not fully dissolve at 40 deg C. (white bits on coloured clothes), so I only used the tablets for whites @ 60 deg C.
