New some detergent recommendations and opinios

[logixx]

My stay in New York comes to an end and it's time do do some shopping. I found a Target (the one in the Bronx Terminal) that has a better selection of products (better than RiteAid and so forth) and was looking to get some me goodies to take back home.

 

<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Softener:</span> really, I couln't find a single product that I find smells nice. Besides, I tried Downy Simple Pleasures last time I came here and it didn't leave any noticable scent on my dried laundry - just left noticable gunk in the dispenser. These in-wash scent booster look interesting but most of the products are sealed so can't tell anything about the scent.

 

<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Dishwasher detergent:</span> I found some small samples of Cascade Action Pacs that I'm gonna buy.

 

<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Detergent:</span> I bought Tide liquid and method liquid last time I was in LA. Both didn't "wow" me. Tide has optical brightners but no oxy bleach so it's not really perfect for colors or whites. method was okay for light soils. I like the scent of Gain Thai Gradon Fruit (sweet, I know and has brighteners, I know) but wonder if it will last in the clothes? Mind you, Downy didn't do much for me - I'm on hard well water, which, I think, must do something to laundry product scents.

 

Has anyone tried Vaska? People on The Laundry Room Forum claim that it leaves clothes super soft and smelling of lavender. Vaska has detergent, softener and liquid oxy bleach. Since Vaska is mostly surfactants, I wonder if it wouldn't be the same if I just washed my lightly soiled towels in Perwoll?

 

Off to Sears to look at appliances...

 

[jerrod6]

Please tell us what you think of the appliances and how knowledgeable the sales staff was.

 

[logixx]

Hi Jerrod!

Well, I was a Best Buy and Home Depot yesterday. The appliances at HD were dirty and damaged. The HE top loaders didn't seem as large as I had imagined. The 5 cu.ft. GE had a large tub. I tried comparing the tub size to my laundry basket. Since top loaders can't be stuffed like a front loader, I think my 3.3 cu.ft. Duet will wash the same am amount as these super large units. The dryers were downright huge, though.

I actually avoid sales people. Most don't understand why one would would walk around filming appliances...

Am currently at Grand Central but Sears is opened until 9:30 anyway.

 

[kenmoreguy89]

You look like a liquid kind one...so I will talk for liquids...
I'd suggest Gain liquid, while cleanability as all the liquids for me is not that good. I was impressed with it's scent as when you smell the bottle it's smell is totally different, it almost stink and smell almost seem weak, strange thing, but in the wash it assumes the typical smell of the powder...and is rare that liquids version smell the same like their powder counterparts... gain indeed leaves good nice smell on clothes..
I'm speaking of Gain regular...
The scent of gain regular is similar, almost identical to what Dash powder Mandarinen Limonfrische in Germany and in Italy Bolt powder smell like...
Another one that IMO smell very nice is Arm & Hammer regular (clean burst)...I love it's scent..but again same speech of liquids, cleanability is not that much..
Moreover you speak of bleach in liquids...it's pretty rare to find bleach in regular liquid, europe too...
This changes when you buy liquids with bleach, like Tide Vivid etc...
Regular versions don't usually includes it...nor usually do reg. liquids here in europe too..
[this post was last edited: 9/19/2013-17:11]

 

[launderess]

Vaska

Can be very sudsy and difficult to rinse in our Miele, and cleans lightly soiled things such as bed linens well enough. However for stained and or badly soiled things you might need a booster and or better off looking elsewhere. After laundry dries much of the lavender scent is gone, especially if you use a tumble dryer. We line dry our linens and the whiff of lavender was barely detectable. Are still on our first and only bottle (purchased at a good discount), once that is gone won't bother again.

Had one knew earlier you were in our neck of the woods (well GCT anyway) would have steered you towards some shops we know in the East 50's that usually have a good selection of discount health and beauty products including cleaning/laundry supplies. You may also have been able to charm me out of a bottle of Gain "lavender fresh" liquid detergent. *LOL*

Did you try the K-mart down in the Village (Astor Place)? They have a pretty vast selection of laundry products including detergents, but sadly as with most other shops in NYC they seem to have gone over to mainly liquids with *some* powders.

 

[launderess]

Appliance Sales Persons

At Best Buy, PC Richards, etc... can be hit or miss. IIRC they don't pay the poor souls much and they rely greatly upon commission. The one's at shops in our area seem to know their stuff and will leave one alone to "look under the bonnet" if that is all one wishes to do.

Better places to look and or purchase appliances would be Grainger and Sons on the Lower Eastside. One of the few "old school" appliance dealers left in Manhattan. Places such as Bloom and Krup are now distant memories. IIRC Miele has a showroom somewhere on the Upper Eastside in the 50's, but have never been able to find or confirm.

 

[logixx]

I actually prefer powders for most of my laundry. Am still using my two 20 lbs. boxes of Ariel with ActiLift (both in regular and Color and Style). However, I find European powders a litte better than the US ones and since I don't have to pay like 50 USD for a box of Persil... that's what I'll keep buying. Besides, most stores carry very, very litte powders. Target had them hidden away in the corner of the shelf. The liquid bleach Vaska offers comes in an extra bottle. It's hydrogen peroxide, I think.

Neck of the woods is certainly right. I'm at 248 Audubon Ave, way up in Washington Heights. Good thing we have Unlimited Metro Passes.

Thanks for your comments. And thank you for the advice on airbnb, Laundress! Think I'll pass on the Vaska then.

Alex

 

[launderess]

248 Audubon Ave

Oh dear! Wasn't there anything more central on offer for Airbnb?

Know things in general about the area, but honestly the only time am remotely close is on the way to or from the George Washington Bridge via driving.

Is the apartment nice? You'd probably been better off in Downtown Brooklyn.

 

[joe_in_philly]

Logixx:

The Downy and Gain scent booster containers have a little vent in the top. You can just squeeze the "sealed" container to smell it. Unless something has changed, the top cap on the Purex crystals can be removed, and the flip cap opened.

 

[logixx]

Yes, the room is very nice: bright, lots of storage space, clean and the whole apartment is newly renovated. A little noisy with all the cars going by - but it quickly turns into white noise.

 

Thanks for the hint about the vents. I suppose, I'm not the only one who didn't know about this, as there were several bottle ripped open and hidden away in the back of the shelf...

 

[jerrod6]

Oh you filmed the machines at the stores?....I am sure the sales people stayed away from you!

I think most(not the folks on this forum) just go into the store look for the brand they bought the last time, look for something big and cheap and buy it.