New Ariel Excel Gel

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Simon, that's what I have been asking P&G ever since TCW came out. Why no HE formula??

But I just saw somewhere..maybe on here? That someone said they just bought some tcw HE. I went to P&G's website and tide.com and I didn't see any tcw HE in their product line up. I sent P&G a note asking if they did just come out with it. I should hear something in a few days.

Also Simon, I have asked that question (why the different amounts to use) to P&G and other makers as well. My bone was always; I have a front load washer, I use less detergent, WHY does the HE formula use the SAME amount as the regular version?? An HE formula should use like half the regular amount of detergent. I also thought (and still do) that it's a rip-off for us front load users. To date, no-one has ever given me an answer.

I got a sample of tcw in the mail ages ago, and tried it. I didn't think it was so hot. Certainly NOTHING like Ariel Excel...But then again, I'm not a huge fan of cold water washing either. I don't come clean in cold water, so I'm sure my clothes don't either. lol

Laurent
 
Hi David,

Although Ariel Excel Gel is marketed as a cold wash detergent, it did occur to me that the mains water supply may be a tad too cold at this time of year, possibly falling short of the 15*C which this product's claims are based on. For this reason I figured 30*C was worth a try, because it's just enough to take the chill off the water without actually stepping into "warm" territory. Still no luck unfortunately, but that's the way these things go sometimes.

I wouldn't say it's a dud product though, because it's obviously working well for the majority of people here. In much the same way, many have found Persil Small & Mighty to be disappointing, yet for me it does a great job. I can only assume one's water quality, laundering habits and the type of machine used all play an equally important part as the detergent itself... lots of variables that can affect the outcome.
 
Nice to see reviews good and bad still coming in! I haven't been able to use Excel Gel in the machines here - having to use Fairy at the moment as I've had a major outbreak of eczema (not quite sure as to what it is, but it all calmed down after I made a variety of changes including changing to Fairy powder), but plan on using when I'm back home in Lincoln this weekend. What's surprised me though about Fairy powder is that it's so much better at cleaning than I imagined it would. Only Fairy washing detergent I've used in the past 2 years or so are the tablets and they don't clean or whiten very well, but the washing powder is a totally different story.

Kirk - my mum's a big fan of the colour Small & Mighty, she buys it in the huge 42 wash bottles, along with industrial sized boxes of Ariel from JTF for the whites. Although I'm not ever so keen on PErsil S&M (for Persil liquids I don't think you can beat the liquigels), it seems to be a good product for light-normal soiled products. Have you used the bio version at all? I used the bio version for a while on whites, and although I loved the smell and even the whiteness from it, it wasn't very good at stain removal particularly on socks I found.

OT - but softener wise I've been using Marks & Spencer Linen fabric softener and it has to be the nicest softener I've used for a while. Just smells of clean laundry, the matching ironing water smells divine too - even better both the softener and the ironing water is on buy one get one free at the moment!

Jeff - would love to know how you manage to get whites white in a toploader, I've been struggling with the coin op Maytag's here - they don't seem to remove anything at all!

Jon
 
Jon, start with the most common mistakes:

-- Using too much detergent

-- Using too little detergent, and/or not using bleach when it's needed

-- Oversized loads

-- Undersized loads (this can be more of a problem than oversized loads)

-- Inadequate wash time

-- Inadequate water temps

-- In many front loaders, inadequate water levels.

You won't have control over some of these things in a coin-op machine.
 
Was in the launderette just now, and saw somebody squeeze what must be a quarter of a bottle of Ariel Gel into the machine! I could almost have screamed!

Jon
 
Hey Jon,

That's the bizarre thing... many here have found Persil S&M to be lacking in the stain removal department, yet I've had great results using the bio variant on severely grubby white socks! Which again takes us back to that whole thing about certain products working well for some people, but not others. I guess that's just one reason why there are so many detergents to choose from on store shelves, besides good old marketing of course.

Speaking of which, I wonder if Unilever will be hopping onto the cold-wash bandwagon too at some point? They didn't have much to say in response to Ariel's "Turn to 30*" campaign though, so maybe it's a sector of the market they're just not particularly interested in pursuing. Who knows?
 
Kirk,
My mum uses persil non bio powder, has done for years. And while having a look they've added on the packed great cleaning from as low as 30degrees. So that was about as much said on the matter i think.

Personally i think this ariel excel gel is the best detergent i've used in ages! I've got 6 bottles of it!

My girlfriend mentioned it to her mum and while havin a sneak. atop of her machine was 3bottles of it!:D

Darren
 
HI Darren,

Ah, I must have missed that... it's been a couple of years at least since I last used Persil powder. Have they mentioned it in their advertising at all, because all I can recall hearing in recent times is the "Dirt is Good" slogan?

Forgot to mention this previously, but one thing I did notice when using Ariel Excel Gel is that clothes do stay fresh once dried. Although I found the cleaning disappointing, the lack of sour or musty odours was a pleasant surprise. So it's not all bad :o).
 
Tide Coldwater

Hi Laurent,
LOL you know the old saying about the Grass being greener on the other side of the fence so I just had to try some Tide Coldwater.

I'm all for energy saving even cold water washing but I must have excellent results, if you have to rewash because the product does not clean as promised then energy is actually wasted. I know cold water washing is not a new idea as Colgate Palmolive had Cold Power but credit to P&G for developing products like Tide Coldwater and Ariel Excel Gel as the potential energy savings are enormous.

David
 
Greener Grass

Yes David, the grass always seems greener, fuller, thicker, weedless, mowed on the other side!
I agree completely on the cold wash issue. I would wash in cold water, but the stuff has to come out CLEAN, period.
But then I wonder...grease and body oils and such, don't dissolve or release themselves from fabric (or our skin for that matter) well in cold water...so how much harsher does the detergent have to be to remove oils etc? I wonder if it damages your clothes in the long run??
Oh, and I broke down and did a load of towels with my new ariel! I know I said I was only gonna use it for special occasions...so I decided it was Special Occasion Tuesday last night. It was special because it was Tuesday. I just love Special Tuesdays. lol.

Ok, gotta run. I'm going to go and pour a bottle of Tide down the drain...just because I can and because the grass is greener. ;) Thanks for the fun David.
 
Standard chemicals found in most common powder detergents (washing soda, borax, soap, etc) are really only good for removing body oils in warm to hot water. However there is a world of synthetic surfactants what will do the job.

Fels "Naptha" soap was the first, when Mr. Fels discovered petrol (Naptha) would help remove oils and grease, even in cool or in some casescold water (we're talking 85F, not 40F), without all the rubbing and beating normally associated with laundry of the day. Indeed laundry manuals from the day advised housewives and launderesses NOT to boil laundry when using Naptha soaps, as it hindered cleaning.

Prior or instead of naptha, turpentine (another form of petrol) was added to wash baths to help remove oils in warm to cold water, or even hot washes.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, amoung other modern man-made surfactants will degrease most anything, even in cold water. Hence the chemical and it's cousins being the main component of cold water washing liquids and powders such as "Woolite".

Problem previously with detergents for cold water use, is they mostly contained insoluable substances such as Zeolites, soda ash, saw dust, washing soda and the like which simply would not break down well or at all in cold water. "Cold water" in the United States can vary, what is one temperature in Maine during the winter is quite another in Los Angeles at the same time of the year.
 
Launderess you fascinate me

Please go on...
Is there a "standard" temperature that manufactures use when speaking 'cold'? You are right, water temps vary greatly by region and of course the time of year. Here in Sacramento, in the winter, the water is freezing cold out of the city lines. When I shower, the knob is way to the left, yet in summer, the knob is way to the right. Sometimes in the summer you can even take a shower without using any hot water, because the water is that warm.
On my washer I have a cold setting that will mix hot water with the cold to bring the temp up to, I think 86 or around there. But that seems to me to be defeating the purpose of cold water washing.
How do the soaps keep all the junk from settling back onto your clothes?

Thanks - Laurent
 
When speaking of "cold" water for laundry, the accepted temperature from most sources is around 85F, which feels slightly "cool" rather than totally ice cold.

Most washing machines with automatic temperature control aim for an 85F wash temperature when set to "ATC/Cold". Tap cold is just that, whatever one gets from the tap.

One reason for the growth in liquid laundry detergents is that unlike powders, they disslove in cold water, and will not leave a powdery "residue".

Again, rather than depending upon washing soda, and other alkaline substances for cleaning, liquid laundry detergents rely upon surfactants, and increasingly enzymes to do the job.
This is why some feel liquid detergents are better on oil/grease soils,while powders on clay based dirt. However testing on both sides of the pond by various independent agencies shows little difference in cleaning performance between TOL liquid detergents and powders.

One says "TOL" because until recently, many liquid detergents were mostly water, indeed some BOL and even MOL products on the shelves today are still mainly water. On the other end of the spectrum we have the opposite extreme, liquid detergents with so little water they are now gels.

Yes, laundering in cold water does require stronger detergents, or more of the product as two of the five variables in good laundry technique (water temperature and energy),have been reduced. This can be the cause of the gunk, mould and filth some complain their washing machines become full of when doing cold water washing with liquid detergents. There either isn't simply enough power in product, or the concentration in the wash bath is not great enough to remove soils and keep them suspended, so the muck ends up clinging to everything.

Think of it as washing greasy dishes in cold water. If you use enough of a strong degreaser, oils will disslove and wash away, not clinging to anything. Use too little and the stuff clings to the sides of the sink and even recoats the same pan you just washed.
 
I purchased Ariel gel for the simple reason it was at an offer price you couldn't refuse.

I have had mixed results and overall im not that impressed with it. The funny thing though is that it has got out stains I didn't think it would but also not got out stains I thought would be easy for it.

I shall not be buying it now it's at full price. Im sticking to my budget detergents. I don't tend to buy liquids anyway as I like my powder/tabs for the bleach they contain. Also I understand liquids rot the drum spider?

Im using the Ariel in a top loader but dosing is very confusing as I have no idea how much to use in it. Im currently using about 2 dispenser fulls.

Like others have said I think that it's a case of what machine it's being used in, cycle times and people habits etc which give different results for different people.

I am impressed with the whole concept of it though and it smells lovely and the smell stays on the clothes. I wonder if there will be any supermarket brands like it.

Mark
 

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