New from Purex! Powder fabric softener!

[pulsator]

Well, "crystals" to be more exact. Got this for $5 at Meijer. It's to be added to the wash cycle with the detergent and acts as a fabric softener. Not sure if it works but it's interesting! Thought I'd try it out to see. Says right on the bottle, "Works great for towels and activewear."

 

[pulsator]

Here's the back...

...of the bottle. Interesting fact: the two main ingredients are sugar followed by clay...

 

[jerrod6]

I've been thinking about giving this a try once I find it. I think I read somewhere -- probably here -- that this is Henkel introducing Vernel fabric softener crystals to the USA.

Please let us know how this works and what you think, and how strong or overpowering the scent is.

 

[pulsator]

First report:

This stuff is weird! And, shockingly, it works quite well! Everything came out VERY soft! I'm impressed! The only problematic areas are static and fragrance. The clothes that came out of the dryer had a bit of static but, they had a whole lot less static than no softener at all. The fragrance is very strong during the wash cycle but, once it comes out of the dryer, it has a nice light scent to it.

I was absolutely shocked at how soft everything came out! It was just as good as if not better than when I use my mega-dose of Downy! And according to the commercial and the bottle, it's totally safe to use on towels and kids clothes!

If they came out with a scent-free version of this stuff, I would drop my Downy Free like a hot potato and never look back! It's also nice that I wouldn't have to deal with gunked up dispensers anymore! My biggest pet-peeves with liquid softener are having to clean out the dispensers so often, and having to worry about staining. This stuff totally eliminates those problems!

I still have yet to do the ultimate test though: Towels. If it cannot pass my towel test with flying colors, it goes right to the trash.

 

[launderess]

Clay Based "SoftDetergents" or Fabric Softeners

Are nothing new. The art was patented by several chemists and used in such products from the 1970's/1980's as Oz "Fab" detergent, and American "Bold". Later, around 2003 "Soupline Hearts" was introduced in France. Here we had a clay based fabric softener shaped as a little heart.

Clay being a colliod will swell upon contact with water, for laundry purposes it then forms a coating in and around textile fibers. This results in their being smooth and soft. These products work best in the wash cycle because the surfactants (anionic) remove the dirt, leaving a charge which attracts the clay.

Static however is not controlled by and large with these products. Generally dryer sheets are best for dealing with static cling, next rinse added fabric softeners, then wash cycle products.

 

[bajaespuma]

Is that Bentonite? We used to use that clay in pottery to make glazes and slips for decoration. The clay granules were so fine that they formed a colloid in water that made them stick better to smooth surfaces.

 

[jamiel]

Probably wouldn't be the best thing if you've got a muddy load, but might be an interesting addition to a liquid detergent.

 

[mrwash]

Hey there,

there is already a discussion about the crystals in Thread 32134. Just go browsing it, if you are interested in some opinions about that product.

 

[appnut]

pet-peeves with liquid softener are having to clean out the

Jamie, that's why I became an unloyal Downey user. I got tired of the dispenser being gunked up in my 1986 DD LK. I don't have a gunk problem at all with snuggle and hence I'm now a loyal snuggle user.

 

[pulsator]

Whoops!

My bad, shoulda looked closer at previous threads!

Bob, If manufacturers just learned to flush their dispensers properly then we wouldn't have that stupid gunking problem! My LG and my dad's new Whirlpool Duet seem to do a very good job at flushing their FS dispensers. There isn't a trace of softener left behind and I have never needed to clean them! I think the secret is flushing them, then letting the siphon take out all the water it can then repeating several times. The best dispenser flush I've seen is in my belt-drive Cabrio. Instead of sending a trickling shower of water through, it sends a powerful jet pointed at a steep angle. There is still a siphon but it removes very little water as there is almost none left anyway after that jet!

 

[launderess]

Bentonite?

Yes, it tis! Give that man a Kewpie doll! *LOL*

Also "yes" again, the fine particles of clay (bentonite) do exactly textiles what they do for pottery making; cling to surfaces. Suppose of the stuff launders out easily there won't be much of a problem, but...

This whole thing began out of the need to combine what are usually two incompatible processes, laundering and softening of textiles.

Textiles laundered in soap are softer than those done in "detergents" because the natural oils and fats leave a residue. Also if the water is not heavily softened with highly alkaline substances such as washing soda, and others, fibers aren't as roughed up as they might be.

Once detergents made from man made surfactants came upon the scene there is a problem. The two main chemicals of that nature: ionic and anionic tend to work at cross purposes with cationic surfactants. The later while having cleansing properties, also softens and smooths textiles. Indeed it is the stuff of everything from fabric softeners to hair conditioners. It is also why "two in one" laundry detergent liquids such as "Rain Barrel" and others tend to perform neither cleaning nor softening as well as stand alone products used in different cycles.

OTHO clay does not interfere with surfactant or other actions during the laundering process, so it seems upon the surface a better choice.

Being as all this may, oils, fats, and cationic surfactants tend to provide better results when measured by humans and machines. You notice the Purex bottle above speaks more about "lasting freshness", than softness of texiles.