Importance of enzymes?

[letsgoblues]

Hi! I am new here, but I have been lurking for a while. I have learned so much from reading the postings here and I am excited to have a chance to get some information from everyone.

I have a few questions regarding laundry detergents. I use liquid detergent and I am having a hard time figuring out what detergent is best for me. I have a front loading LG washer (WM3050CW). I wash towels and sheets in hot, whites in warm, everything else in cold (to prevent fading and shrinking). Here are some of my questions:

1. Anyone have experience with Tide Coldwater vs Ultra Stain Release?
I have tried Tide Coldwater and Tide Ultra Stain Release. The cold water formula makes my clothes feel really soft and it does an average job with stains, but I can't help but feel like it is leaving a film on my clothes and it doesn't get all of the sweat odors out of the clothes. I feel like I am not getting a "deep" clean with it. When I use the Ultra Stain Release my clothes come out clean and the odors are removed, but it makes my clothes feel rougher than the cold water version and the clothing looks more worn.

2. Is Tide really worth the extra money?
Whenever I go to various stores I speak to managers about what people buy, and see that people buy a TON of Arm and Hammer Clean Burst (no enzymes), Purex Mountain something (no enzymes), and All free and clear (no enzymes). I bought tide because it had so many enzymes and I was told that was what you needed to remove stains and odors, and that surfactant-only detergents are "wimpy". Any truth to this? Is Tide worth the extra money?

3. Is it really safe to use an HE compatible detergent in an HE washer?
I ask this because I used to use Wisk detergent (safe for both machines), but it created too many suds. I actually had suds pouring out of my detergent drawer while the washer was filling from this detergent. (For the record, Wisk was the only detergent to ever do that for me.) Should I use only HE detergents instead of the ones labeled safe for both?

Sorry for all the questions. I appreciate any help!

 

[DADoES]

 
Getting away from strictly cold water on the regular-type clothes will probably help more than changing detergents.  A little heat is unlikely to cause trouble except on the most very sensitive fabrics.  Keep in mind if you machine-dry all your laundry, dryer heat typically reaches 130°F to 135°F on low temp, and 155°F to 165°F on high.

HE or HE-compatible per se are largely meaningless labels.  What's more important is how a given product reacts with your individual laundry parameters (local water conditions, soil level, load size, dosage habits).

 

[powerfin64]

Welcome to the club

I also have a LG, WM2050cw. As Im am not a big fan of liquid detergents, I prefer powders as my preference. I do like tide but limited to only a few of them. I have used Tide coldwater HE, and it was fine for general cleaning, but it's not my "go-to" choice. Tide Ultra stain release liquid, works very well, and I use it for a pre-treater with no problems.

As far as worth the money for Tide,thats a personal choice due to results.
Some HE compatible detergents aren't completely HE compatible for various reasons. I stay with HE only detergents, as I feel they clean and rinse better.

I too, did use Whisk, but never experienced suds coming out of my detergent drawer,(Never go by the detergent lines in the liquid cups!) Whisk cleaned good, tho had too many suds from my likes and didn't rinse out enough for me.

How much detergent are you using per-load? Are you using a extra rinse? These are things to check and make adjustments on if your having problems, or just try a different HE detergent that others on here recommend.

 

[washer111]

I notice you made remarks regarding filming and general "not clean-ness" of your laundry.

 

This is what I would call the "victim of cold-water laundering," I wouldn't necessary blame you, but rather this 'attitude' a lot of people have (and will instill) on you that its the best thing since sliced bread. So people may have taught you wrong, or misguided you (perhaps you saw "how good" their laundry was just after they switched, before it all went dull?)

 

These films are any or all of the following:

- Your liquid detergent is gelling in the machine somewhere, and leaving a residue on the clothing. Cool/Cold water does not allow detergents to dissolve as readily. If you question this - Then perform a simple, high-school experiment. Try dissolving salt in cold and hot water. Add a tsp at a time, and note how many you can have before seeing particles. You'll notice that warm/hot water can hold more. If you repeat this with laundry detergent, a similar effect may be not noted. 

- The stains on your clothing items are fat-based. This might include fabric softener. Again, the solubility of these stains is not very good in cool/cold water. Hot water will ease the fabrics more, allowing chemical action to reach further into the fibres and release the stains. 

 

You note that other people are buying a lot of detergents without enzymes. I can't say whether this would be purposeful or not, although I will say a lot of people these days seem to be focusing on 'eco alternatives' or 'more natural' products. I think some of this stems from people over-using product, and finding the poor-rinsing results are hurting their skin. 

Unless you want even dirtier clothes, don't buy into this stuff. It would work nicely as a presoaker, perhaps, or if you are going to wash in hot water with bleach (as bleach kills enzymes anyway, there is no sense buying an 'enzymatic detergent')

 

My suggestion would be to try out washing in warm -> hot water over a period of time, and see how things change. 

For darks, warm washes are fine. You can always add a little bit of oxygen bleach to counter chlorinated water supplies that fade colours, and use a specialty care product for these washes

For really bright and loud shirts (that aren't synthetic), cool/cold water is perfectly acceptable. Although I'd recommend presoaking/pre-treating as well as extending the washing time if these are soiled

For anything more pedestrian or closer to white, hot water, enzyme detergent (like Tide) will do wonders. 

 

Something else I can suggest, which I picked up from another thread presently active (regarding Yahoo article on whitening clothes) - You may find washing in hot water only helps clean the clothes too, if they are filled with detergent residue. Check out the thread, and see how that works for you

 

[chachp]

I am no expert on laundry detergents or temps...

<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">...I can only speak to my own results.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">In 2002 I bought a BOSCH front loader and at that time HE detergents were scarce.  Front loaders were just starting to hit the US market but still were not all the craze as they seem to be today.  I had very few options so I was ordering Persil products through the mail.  I was very happy with the results until I developed some weird skin allergy to Essential Oils (fragrance) and a bunch of other things.  Persil was highly scented so I had to find another alternative.  At that time there was no Persil sensitive skin products that I could find.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">I tested many brands but settled on a Sears Powder with Oxi Clean in the orange box because it didn't bother my skin too much.  I defended it like it was one of my own children until recently when Persil hit the market being sold at Walmart.  HOORAY, a sensitive formula!!  I bought a bottle and I kid you not, in the first load I could see a difference in my whites!!  They were bright again and really seemed clean.  I was amazed at how well things like my white kitchen bar towels were coming out.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">It's a long winded way of saying, for me, Persil Pro Clean is really doing the trick like none other I have tried.  I boost it with a scoop or two Oxi Clean when I use the soak cycle which I do on things like white socks and really dirty dish towels etc.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">I wash all my white towels and white socks in the Sanitary cycle which in my machines gets up to around 165 or so.  The heat really seems to boost the results.  I wash a few shirts in cold that I line dry because I don't want them to shrink.  Everything else is washed in warm water.  In my machine the water temp is boosted to and maintained at 140 in the Warm water wash.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Based on my experience I have to agree with the others on the use of Cold water for everything.  I don't feel like my clothes are clean, I think "ya gotta have some heat!!"  Sorry I know this was a little long winded but it's what I seem to do.</span>

 

[arbilab]

Just one question: Does anyone in their wildest eco-nazi dreams think a cold-water dishwasher could work?

 

[lordkenmore]

>Does anyone in their wildest eco-nazi dreams think a cold-water dishwasher could work?

We may be given the "chance" to find out for certain in coming years...

 

[lordkenmore]

Is Tide really worth the extra money?

I think that's one of those things that can be argued endlessly...and probably has been...

I think a lot hinges on the user, and the user's situation. Historically, I've not had huge laundry nightmares to deal with, and much of the time, I've felt that Tide did little to justify the extra cost. But, in more recent history, there was a period when I was more inclined to use it, due to a washing machine that was lackluster.

 

[lordkenmore]

Like others above, I value using at least some heated water when doing laundry. It is very, very rare that I use tap cold.

At one time, I bought into the "use cold water argument." I quit that foolishness when I found that adding some hot water to the mix made a bigger difference in how fresh my laundry came out than changing detergent ever did.

 

[lordkenmore]

>Whenever I go to various stores I speak to managers about what people buy, and see that people buy a TON of Arm and Hammer Clean Burst (no enzymes), Purex Mountain something (no enzymes), and All free and clear (no enzymes).

Stating the obvious, but some of the above sells in quantity because it's cheap, and the cheapest thing the store has is exactly what many customers are looking for. I could probably take a rock bottom bargain brand detergent, dilute to 1/20th strength, bottle that in my own bottle, and sell for $1/bottle, and have steady sales. Even though my concoction would be next to worthless as a detergent.

That's not to suggest that a cheap brand can't be a good buy, at least for certain uses. (I'm using a box of All Free Clear, and it's working just fine for my daily needs.)

 

[firedome]

"think a cold water dishwasher would work?"

sure - how about NO water... it's called ultrasonic cleaning. First demonstrated way back in the '50s.

 

[iheartmaytag]

Now where is our Dear Laundress

when we are having these discussions?

Though Laundress is much more eloquent and knowledgeable than I, I will offer an Opinion.

Tide Cold Water, did an excellent job for what I used Cold water for, but way too perfumy. I liked the Tide Free & Clear Coldwater, but it is no longer available. Quit using the Tide Coldwater because it was making my daughter itchy.

I use Tide Free & Clear HE and can report no cleanability problems, but I do use it with mostly Hot or warm water.

For my cold washes, I use Woolite. This is usually for my down coat that would be ruined by the enzymes in Tide, or for items that I don't want to look "Washed Out" from the optical brighteners.

Though I do have quite a few different detergents in my stash, I usually find if I have a difficult stain, It's Tide I turn to.

 

[launderess]

1. Anyone have experience with Tide Coldwater vs Ultra Stain Release?

Am still working through a large bottle of Tide Coldwater "free" (no dyes or perfumes), and it works great. Thing to remember even on the bottle it states "cold" water is actually warmer than many assume. Probably 84F which is what my European washing machines will heat "cold" water to unless one chooses "tap cold". Here in NYC during the winter tap cold can be very chilly indeed. Whereas during the warmer times of the year it can be much less so.

Sweat odors:

Human perspiration when relatively fresh is acidic, whereas most liquid laundry detergents are near neutral to only slightly alkaline. Hence you often cannot shift really bad whiffs. To counter liquid detergents short comings you now have those boost "pods" what contain oxygen bleach, an alkaline substance (usually washing soda) and enzymes.

If your laundry liquid detergent has enzymes you can try adding some borax to the wash to shift smells. That or pre-treat underarm areas with a good bar soap like Fels as all soaps are alkaline in nature. That or switch to using a powder or liquid detergent that claims to shift odors.

2. Is Tide really worth the extra money?

Not an easy question to answer as much depends upon the soil and stain levels of what is being washed. If you lead a very "clean" life and or do not wash badly soiled or stained items any detergent will do. In testing CR found offerings by Wisk performed as well or nearly so as Tide for less cost.

3. Is it really safe to use an HE compatible detergent in an HE washer?

No, unless product states it can be used in both HE (front or top loading) washing machines *and* normal top loaders then no, you need a product designed for such machines.

High dilution detergents designed for traditional top loading washing machines not only will create too much froth in HE washers, but are not designed for the low water use of such machines. They are what they are; designed to be dissolved in large amounts of water. You will not be able to reach the required concentration ratios by using less product in a HE washer of a high dilution product for proper cleaning and suspension of soils. Rinsing also may be difficult since not enough water is being used.

Being as all this may some report using nothing but "normal" detergents in their HE machines without issues so YMMV.

Exceptions to this rule would be "low sudsing" detergents such as vintage Dash, All, FAB and or other recent offerings. Such products were tested and designed to work in *all* types of washing machines; wringers/semi-automatics and fully automatic top and front loaders.

 

[lordkenmore]

>Now where is our Dear Laundress

Possibly still trying to recover from the shock and horror that Lord Kenmmore, after a long absence, started posting again a few months ago...just when everyone thought it was safe. LOL

 

[lordkenmore]

>Tide Cold Water, did an excellent job for what I used Cold water for, but way too perfumy.

Never used this myself, but have noticed Tide liquids in my experience have been heavily scented in recent history. One might say "perfumy." To me--and I don't have the best sense of smell, either--I'd call it more of a scent stench. (To be fair, others are as guilty of this as P&G.)

>Quit using the Tide Coldwater because it was making my daughter itchy.

I heard this complaint before, too. I have skin issues, and that frankly scared me off even trying the stuff.

 

[launderess]

Tide Coldwater Unless Has Changed

Actually is more concentrated than other Tide liquids. In fact at least when it first came out the CW bottles were slightly less than other versions of Tide liquid, but you got same number of washes. This harks back to those old instructions on detergent packets about using slightly more product when washing in cold water. That is to make up for the loss of thermal action the chemical part is increased.

IIRC Tide CW does have one or more enzymes other Tide liquids so not.

 

[mark_wpduet]

Growing up

with our Kenmore Shredmore, we always used warm wash/cold rinse....I don't think we EVER used cold/cold for anything. But I never remember using HOT wash/cold rinse.....But now with my duet, I'm using hot ALL the time. I think cold water washing is awful quite honestly...nothing dissolves or gets rinsed away like it should.

Right now, I'm using the Costco HE powder. It's taken me a while to go through it, and I'm not sure I'm going to buy that next time I need detergent, which won't be too long. It's not bad though. I think it's at least equal to the Sears powder. MY favorite powdered detergent is Gain HE. But the above poster is right, water temp means more than the detergent you're using.

I just washed a dark navy T shirt with a load of darks, and when I was hanging them up I noticed this huge oil splotch on the navy shirt. I have NO clue what the hell it is and it's my shirt. But I've never had any success with any detergent getting OIL stains all the way out, I usually have to put something on them like Spray & Wash before the oil comes out (but this time, I didn't catch it)....but I've gotten oil stains out before on the second or third wash...

 

[iheartmaytag]

I am honestly not trying to say Tide is better

It's just a preference, with that said.

 

My mother has this favorite white blouse.  She calls it old faithful.

I swear everytime she wears it she drops something down the front.  Spaghetti sauce, chocolate ice cream, brown gravy.  Everytime Tide gets it clean.  I told her I was going to write P&G and offer her for a commercial.

 

OH-forgot, for that task it's Tide powder with acti-lift.  Which is what I use for my whites, towels,and bed linens, table cloths. 

 

I squirted pizza sauce down the front of one of my white T-shirts, and on a whim washed that load with All free w/bleach. The stain remained, next wash back to Tide, stains gone.

 

Now really, I'm not trying to preach Tide these are just my personal results. 

 

I also like Wisk, Era, ALL, and, of course the previously mentioned Woolite.  I have also had good results with Sear's detergent.

 

[imperial70]

Anyone try Charlies Soap.  I bought the 100 load container of powder with the tablespoon measure. In my GE front loader 1 tbsp goes a long way on a large load of towels.  Rinses clean.  I use white linens and notice they appear very white.

 

 

Charlies Soap

Charlie's Soap's eco-friendly laundry solutions are safe, effective, and environmentally responsible cleaning products that care for your clothes and the planet.

www.charliesoap.com