"Improved" Tide with Bleach alternative powder

[Marky_Mark]

Hi Bob.  I think some European counties, such as the UK, Germany and Sweden have a history of washing at high temps and using detergents with oxygen bleach, which has been "activated" oxygen bleach for decades.  Adding chlorine bleach is almost unknown.  So yes, I suppose the use of high temps with oxy bleach was traditional, especially before the bleach was "activated" to make it effective at lower temps.

 

While other countries such as Spain, the USA and Italy have a history of washing at lower temps and adding chlorine bleach.  Washing machines in Spain traditionally had chlorine bleach dispensers that were not usually present on the UK versions.

 

As you can see from this photo I took when I lived in Spain, there was plenty of choice in the laundry section when it came to chlorine bleach for the washing machine:

 

[appnut]

Mark, thank you. I'm in the extreme miniscue minority, I do not use LCB. I prefer using the highest temp I can get on my US washer because those higher temps coupld with Tide w/bleach and/or Biz Powder yield incedible results that just are achieveable with ordinary U.S washing methods. The first time I tried the higher temps (along with a profile type wash profile), I felt like I'd emerged from the Dark Ages to enlightment.

 

[Marky_Mark]

Ha ha yep I've seen many of your posts over the years and I knew you'd seen the light LOL.  Funny you should mention Biz -- I have never tried it but I'd like to give it a go for use during the soak cycle of my TLs.  Do you like Biz?  All my machines in the US are TLs but I am hoping to find a Maytag Neptune with a heater (I know the Neptune heating has limitations).

 

Happy washing!

Mark

 

[appnut]

Biz powder was my "savior" with Lady Shredmore. And even with the Fridgeore since it didn't have an onboard heater. but use less of it with onboard-heater models I've had. I highly recommend it. The powder is better than the liquid version.

 

[Marky_Mark]

Biz versus Tide w/Bleach

Thanks for the recommendation, Bob.  I'll give powdered Biz a whirl.  

 

Sorry if this is too much of a subject drift (perhaps it needs a separate thread?) but would Biz be effective without detergent in the automatic soaks of my TLs that are typically around 20 min?  Or does it need a longer contact time and higher concentration to really do anything, i.e. best used in a bucket overnight etc?  How did you put it to work in your Lady Shread? I was thinking of using it as a general pre soak for whites in place of TWB or Tide liquid.  It seems to have 5 enzymes but no bleach activator anymore.  I have softened water.

 

[appnut]

Biz is positioned as a booster to your detergent. There is instructions on the box about using it as a soaking agent. I have not done any "soaking" in years, just added Biz to the load and run it as a regular cycle.

 

[Marky_Mark]

OK great, thanks.  I'll try it out a few different ways and see how it goes!

 

Mark

 

[stan]

When using powdered detergents

Whiter results can sometimes be obtained by using a laundry sour.
Especially if they are fabrics that are going to be ironed.

 

[appnut]

Mark, I just had a thought that hadn't occurred to me until now. October 2001 I was diagnosed with diverticulosis via a massive GI bleed which I almost died again In the ensuing years I had others but March 2015 I exprienced another massive bleed in which I almost died. The friend I was visiting at the time, I'd already shared the wonders of Biz with him. He later told me that Biz literally saved all the towels and bed linens, otherw wise he would have thrown them all away because they were stained so badly.

 

[Marky_Mark]

Oh gosh, Bob, I'm sorry to hear that happened and I'm pleased to know you're OK.  It's great that you introduced your friend to Biz but who could have imagined that you would then go on to have a near-death experience that would prove your point about Biz!  So pleased to hear that you (and the towels/linens!) made it.

 

[DADoES]

 
No Biz powder available at the local WM and grocery last time I checked, within a couple months ago.  :-(

 

[launderess]

Original product from P&G contained enzymes and activated oxygen bleach.

https://www.whatsinproducts.com/types/type_detail/1/3785/standard/span style="color:#a9a9a9;">BIZ%20Non%20chlorine%20Bleach-Old%20Product/span>/16-003-096

After P&G spun it off to Redmond Brands latter was basically selling original product still made by P&G. That soon ended and formula went through various changes.

https://bizstainfighter.com/biz-stain-fighter-powder-ingredients/

https://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/5630-BIZPowderStainFighter/

Am working through a case of coin vend size old school Biz powder. Can only use it for soaking or when washing in top loading washer as it creates too much suds in front loading machines. Stuff is difficult to rinse as well but again that may have to do with using in anything else but high dilution situations.

 

[appnut]

My box of Biz was acquired either last winter or spring of 2022 via online from Target. It's NLA at Target and I've not seen it at HEB in 2 years. Only liquid version is available at HEB currently.

 

[launderess]

Problem with Biz powder is it faced competition from TWB along with other powdered detergent or laundry boosters that also have activated bleaching systems.

P&G originally launched their early activated bleaching oxygen bleaching system in Biz and Oxydol, things were then moved over to Tide and perfected.

Tide powdered detergent at the time was USA market leader. With advent of TWB and similar products also came less need for separate pre soaker products. Activated bleaching system in TWB also made Oxydol redundant and in end both products were dropped by P&G. Biz and Oxydol are still around of course since their brand names were sold by P&G. Neither are a patch on what they were under P&G heyday.

Biz went from an enzyme based/activated oxygen bleach pre soaker to a detergent "booster" all fabric bleach/stain remover.









Oxydol with bleach!

 

[appnut]

All I know is that it still works. And for my absolute WORST I double team TWB & Biz on the equ8ivalent of Sanitary/Sanitize cycle.

 

[stan]

So I bought this new Tide plus

and have used almost half the box.
And frankly on a load of whites with a hot wash..I don’t see much of difference between this and regular powdered Tide..despite the 50% more bleach?
Scent seems to be the same as reg Tide too. Not sweet or flowery, just a slight chemical smell. (Not offensive)
What I do notice with this new version and with Reg Tide for that matter .. is that if I ad about 2 TBLS of pure Sodium percarbonate..there’s a difference in whiteness.
Technically I don’t think adding pure sodium percarbonate is supposed to make a too much of a difference (without a activator) but for me..Well I see a difference ?
Talk amongst yourselves.

 

[launderess]

IIRC TWB no longer has an activated oxygen bleaching system, just plain old sodium percarbonate. If correct then yes, adding extra oxygen bleach may give better results.

With activated bleaching systems (TAED or NBOS) sodium percarbonate or perborate in fixed ratio with activator produces peracetic acid. That substance is what provides bleaching and sanitation qualities.

However it is a fixed ratio; X amount of oxygen bleach will react with Y amount of activator to produce Z amount of peracetic acid. Adding more oxygen bleach doesn't do much if anything because there isn't any free activator for it to react.