Mexican Detergents/Fabric Softeners Disappearing From Shelves?

[frigilux]

First, let me start out by saying I have a l-o-n-g history of getting attached to a product just as it starts getting phased out. Palmolive Ultra Dishwasher Detergent, Cottonelle moist toilet paper on a roll, Coke C2.....you get the picture.

And now this:

I took a leisurely Sunday drive to Worthington this morning for a bit of shopping. Stopped by the well-stocked Mexican grocery to pick up a bag of Ariel, a bag of Ace and a bottle of Mexican Downy. TO MY UTTER HORROR, there was no Ace or Mexican Downy, and only three large bags of Ariel shoved off to the end of the detergent shelf. And what are those products being replaced with? Standard-issue Tide/Downy/P&G products, that's what!

I immediately grabbed the three remaining bags of Ariel and made my way to the counter. I asked the very beautiful young Mexican woman behind the counter if they were going to order more Ariel/Ace/Downy. Not sure she understood my question, nor did I understand her answer, although I think she might have said, "Hey Gringo, you could stand to lose a few pounds!" or something to that effect.

Have any of you who shop at ethnic grocery stores noticed similar moves in the laundry products aisle? I already have to order SA8 and Persil online; am I going to have to do that with Ariel/Ace/Downy, too? Grumble, grumble....

 

[danemodsandy]

EPA/FDA

Frigilux:

I think the disappearance has something to do with the problems seen with some merchandise from China. Basically, what I think is going on is that stores are either getting heat from the Feds about imports, or they're anticipating getting some. A lot of the Mexican detergents contain phosphate levels that are not legal here. The defective Chinese products found here recently have served as a reminder that stores and chains can be held liable for any problems caused by merchandise they cause to be imported. There's been a lot of "looking the other way" in the past few years, but recently finding antifreeze in toothpaste, melamine in pet food, and tyres with no proper gum strip has gotten the Feds re-focussed to a certain extent.

 

[oxydolfan1]

Yep, Ariel's disappearing here too.

The dollar stores are phasing in inexpensive detergents like Xtra and Trend to pick up the slack.

 

[westyslantfront]

I go to "Food City" here in Tucson every few months and load up on bags of "Viva" detergent, "Cloralex" bleach, and
"Ensueno" fabric softener. My garage smells like a
Mexican laundromat but I love that clean aroma.
I also use "Cloralex" alpine scent bathroom cleaner with bleach.

Ross

 

[westyslantfront]

I also meant to add that I spike my Viva with additional
phosphates. I mix bags of Viva with scoops of phosphate powder
that I order over the computer. My whites certainly glisten.

Ross

 

[frigilux]

Now that you mention it, the store I frequent usually carries Viva, too. There was none on the shelf today. W-a-a-a-a-a-h!

 

[oxydolfan1]

We have the "Ensueno" softener all over the place, but no more Mexican powders.

In the interim, I've switched to Gain HE liquid, which works great in my water with chlorine bleach, is low sudsing, is an excellent cleaner and whitener, and has a fragrance I really like.

Just a suggestion....

I was just happy not to have mounds of suds like liquid Tide HE!

 

[toggleswitch]

Chemical *warfare* rules!

HMMM must check my sources en el Bronx, and in Brook-a-lean.

Ross I have seen the magic that you do with vestments, and ordinary drag...er, I mean garb. I must say without my sunglasses the glare and reflected sunlight is hard on my eyes!

 

[frigilux]

Oxydolfan--Gain HE was highly rated by Consumer Reports, echoing your comments on it. I think only liquid Tide w/ Bleach Alternative was rated higher, and it's not an HE formula.

I know there are many very good US detergents---I'm a diehard Tide man, myself---but I really like the scent of Ariel powder. It's like a bag of crushed Sweet-Tarts. And it's fun to have Ace, Viva and Persil around when the mood strikes to use them.

If forced to have only domestic detergents in the house, they'd be powdered Tide HE and SA8. Oh, and either Woolite For Darks or Cheer For Dark Colors....for my many winter black loads.

Hi Togs---Let us know what you find out about availability in your bite of the Big Apple.

 

[westyslantfront]

Hi Eugene. Just got back from "Food City" supermarket.
They have big selection: Viva, Ariel, Foca, Roma as well as
Mexican Bleach "Chloralex" and Mexican fabric softener
"Ensueno". I stocked up on supplies. Perhaps you will come visit us in Tucson and we will take you shopping.

Ross

 

[DADoES]

Local grocery this afternoon. The usual array of Mexican offerings are still there. Also saw quart bottles of Chloralex, and thought of you, Ross!

 

[frigilux]

Interesting. I wonder if certain Mexican groceries (at least up here in the north) are switching suppliers, or if P&G is offering some sort of incentive for them to carry domestic P&G products rather than Mexican imports.

If the disappearance of Mexican laundry products in the north is a trend and not an anomaly, then I suggest Glenn, Venus (and our other southern friends) pick up a Visa/Mastercard machine and prepare for an onslaught of orders, LOL!

 

[frigilux]

A question for you, Danemodsandy: Is The Bramford, Apartment 7-E a reference from the film Rosemary's Baby? It's been a long time since I've seen it, but don't the hapless couple of Satan's spawn move into an apartment building called The Bramford?

 

[frigilux]

Oh, and thanks for the invite to Tucson, Ross! Unfortunately, work and a strapped-for-cash financial situation lead me to believe I'll have to consider it a luxury just to go to Minneapolis a couple of times this summer, LOL.

 

[danemodsandy]

Frigilux:

"A question for you, Danemodsandy: Is The Bramford, Apartment 7-E a reference from the film Rosemary's Baby? It's been a long time since I've seen it, but don't the hapless couple of Satan's spawn move into an apartment building called The Bramford?"

That's it.

 

[polkanut]

This thread got me thinking that I should check out my local Mexican grocer. They too have a very limited supply, Foca, Roma, and Ariel OxiAzul Max. I miss my Viva.

 

[frigilux]

Next time I'm in Minneapolis, I'm going to check a few Mexican groceries to see if I can find and stock up on my favorites. I'm hoping the disappearance of Mexican detergents isn't a regional trend, but perhaps only a localized one.

I like Viva, too, Polkanut. It's great for light-color loads, especially.

 

[westyslantfront]

I like the scent on Viva the best which is why I use that over
Foca, Roma, or Ariel. I did some research. In 2000,
Colgate-Palmolive sold Viva to Henkel which is an old
German soap company headquartered in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Germany is my second country as I worked for
Lufthansa German Airlines for 26 years.

Ross

 

[xyz]

If you have a chain grocery store in your area called SAV-A-LOT then you can most likely find your Mexican cleaning products. My store here has all of the ones you mention above but I have never used Ariel. What's so special about it? I see alot of Mexican stuff at SAV-A-LOT such as popsycles, soda pops, cookies, candy etc. Thank you so much Mr. Clinton for NAFTA.

 

[sudsmaster]

Phosphated laundry detergents are generally legal in the arid western states: California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, etc. They are generally banned in the wet-summer states: almost every place else, including esp the Great Lakes states.

This should help explain their disappearance from the shelves in Minnesota. Oh, and it's not a federal law. It's state or local law, so the Feds wouldn't have much to do with it.

 

[frigilux]

Since Minnesota is known as The Land Of 10,000 Lakes, we were one of the first to ban phosphates, if I recall correctly.

xyz-- There is nothing particularly special about Ariel. It's just a very good detergent with a unique, strong scent. I always say it smells like a big bag of pulverized Sweet-Tart candies.

 

[oxydolfan1]

"I always say it smells like a big bag of pulverized Sweet-Tart candies."

I could never identify that fragrance until you mentioned that, Frigilux!

 

[Unimatic1140]

Oh Eugene

After reading this post I decided to go out on a reconnaissance mission. While I have never bought Mexican detergent before I thought it would be fun to see if I could find it. The first and only place I went to was this Mexican Grocery at 29th and Blaisdell in south Minneapolis. Guess what Eugene, you're in luck, big time!

 

[Unimatic1140]

PEEEEEEE-uuu PHEW!
Lookie what I found there, and the shelves are stock full of it, it doesn't appear to be going out of style at this store. I put this stuff in the back seat of my truck and went to the gym. It cooked in the 90 degree weather for over an hour and my car smelled like a bubble-gum factory when I got back into it LOL.

 

[Unimatic1140]

I love this "Not For Sale in the United States". I wonder if the city realizes this, something tells me they don't.

So what can you guys tell me about this very sickenly-sweet smelling detergent? From the small amount I can read on these packages it appears they all have the word Phosphate in their ingredient list.

 

[westyslantfront]

Hi Robert. When I purchased 10 bags of Viva earlier this week and loaded them into the truck, it smelled like a
Mexican Laundromat.

Ross

 

[exploder3211]

Time for me to venture over to the kinda bad side of raleigh and go to save way

 

[~sudsshane]

Xyz~

"Thank you so much Mr. Clinton for NAFTA".



George H.W.Bush's government, along with the Progressive Conservative Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, spearheaded the negotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which Bill Clinton signed in 1993.

source: Wikepedia.

So, I guess while we are at it, We should thank Bush Sr too for NAFTA..

 

[frigilux]

YAY!!! I know exactly where that grocery is, Robert; I have friends who live very near there. I'll be in town at the end of the month, so I'll go stock up. All my bags of Ariel also say "Not For Sale in the United States".

I really like the ground-up Sweet-Tarts smell of Ariel. It cleans well, but didn't score highly in my very tough stain removal test from a few months back. I just like the smell of my laundry room---and the whole lower level of my house, for that matter---when I use it in hot water to wash bed linens and bath towels in the top-loader. Quite high-sudsing. That bag of Ariel must have been around for awhile. All the new bags say Oxy Azul Max on them.

Viva, Ace and Ariel are all considered 'top-shelf' detergents. Foca and Roma are 'budget-line' detergents. Haven't used them myself, but Glenn does and he likes them.

Haven't seen 1-2-3 before. I'll have to pick some up when I visit the grocery store.

Thanks for checking that out for me, Robert!

 

[Unimatic1140]

My pleasure Eugene, I just washed a load in the '55 Unimatic with Ariel and boy does it make a HUGE suds cake.

Does any know what Lavadora de Ventanita mean (does it mean Front Loader)?