Are you talking about the square buckets of Kirkland powder from Costco, or is there a different product? I got some to try, because being Kirkland it must be good and ended up throwing it out. So many suds and everything was stiff and scratchy. I didn’t find it to be good at all
On The Quest For A New Powdered Laundry Detergent
- Thread starter qsd-dan
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Yes, the square buckets.
I'm also not a fan.
I'm also not a fan.
When using powdered detergents like Kirkland and similar products, you really would want to use some sort of "sour" in final rinse. Bit of household white vinegar should suffice.
Again there is a reason why these "institutional" or whatever detergents are so cheap for huge containers, they are rather heavy on washing soda and silicates.
Again there is a reason why these "institutional" or whatever detergents are so cheap for huge containers, they are rather heavy on washing soda and silicates.
Yep, it's the square buckets. It's el chepo but works supremeo for my use. Consumer reports persistently gave it an "Excellent" rating. All of Costcos in my area are permanently out. I would have grabbed like 20 buckets had I known this was discontinued. I just assumed it was a supply issue given the current circumstances.
The 806 doesn't create suds nor does it sudslcok, even with mechanically softened water. Rinsing isn't a problem either with a warm spray rinse and deep rinse of 120F. The extra incoming water from mixing hot and cold water for 85F via the temper valve plus hot water straight from the supply (about a 7 gallon spray rinse) makes for excellent results. Then a 19 gallon 120F deep rinse for the win. No second rinses or sours required. Probably not recommended for front loader use or poor rinsing top loaders without a second rinse option.
The 806 doesn't create suds nor does it sudslcok, even with mechanically softened water. Rinsing isn't a problem either with a warm spray rinse and deep rinse of 120F. The extra incoming water from mixing hot and cold water for 85F via the temper valve plus hot water straight from the supply (about a 7 gallon spray rinse) makes for excellent results. Then a 19 gallon 120F deep rinse for the win. No second rinses or sours required. Probably not recommended for front loader use or poor rinsing top loaders without a second rinse option.
panasonicvac
Well-known member
Darn
That's a shame, I liked using this stuff. Guess I'll also be on the hunt for a replacement when I get a place of my own if I get a top loader because I prefer using powder for top loaders and liquid for front loaders. So far I've enjoyed trying out Tide, Arm & Hammer, and OxiClean.
That's a shame, I liked using this stuff. Guess I'll also be on the hunt for a replacement when I get a place of my own if I get a top loader because I prefer using powder for top loaders and liquid for front loaders. So far I've enjoyed trying out Tide, Arm & Hammer, and OxiClean.
Hmm.
There was plenty of that Kirkland powder at the local Costco here. On display at the end of an aisle.
Maybe I should get some?
There was plenty of that Kirkland powder at the local Costco here. On display at the end of an aisle.
Maybe I should get some?
The best thing I found about Kirkland Detergent
was the BUCKET I use it to store a decent washing powder in from Aldi or Lidl as with another member found the Kirkland stuff useless at cleaning anything did not remove dirt out the dog bed which is always a good test. So yes threw it in a black sack and in the trash it went, Like an idiot I also tried using their own DW pods ..... another mistake I won't make again.
Austin
was the BUCKET I use it to store a decent washing powder in from Aldi or Lidl as with another member found the Kirkland stuff useless at cleaning anything did not remove dirt out the dog bed which is always a good test. So yes threw it in a black sack and in the trash it went, Like an idiot I also tried using their own DW pods ..... another mistake I won't make again.
Austin
I found out the dishwasher pods work really well,
They actually seem to work better than Aldi’s on a hot long wash, I’ll try throwing a greasy pan in there Because that’s one way to definitely test it plus running the hot water until it’s actually hot helps
They actually seem to work better than Aldi’s on a hot long wash, I’ll try throwing a greasy pan in there Because that’s one way to definitely test it plus running the hot water until it’s actually hot helps
DW pods used in
F&P Dishdrawer on normal cycle which uses only cold water as no hot connection and heats to about 60c and these darn pods would not shift anything baked on or dried or really greasy unlike Aldi pods throw it in press start and the jobs always a good one !
F&P Dishdrawer on normal cycle which uses only cold water as no hot connection and heats to about 60c and these darn pods would not shift anything baked on or dried or really greasy unlike Aldi pods throw it in press start and the jobs always a good one !
And that Costco detergent actually does work really well
Specifically the laundry detergent, mum tends to use it for doing towels, she doesn’t use it for doing dark stuff as she’s had issues with it not dissolving properly, (she uses the quick wash with cold water, which honestly, I’m not surprised), I’ve used it on warm and hot washes before and it worked well, although considering it’s probably one of the more cheaper detergent on the market as it doesn’t have any sort of “heating agent” to help dissolve it in cold and cool water, If you ever work on a transmission on a washing machine or something really greasy, try washing your hands with laundry detergent you’ll feel it heat up in your hands when you run your hands under water While scrubbing them with the detergent
Specifically the laundry detergent, mum tends to use it for doing towels, she doesn’t use it for doing dark stuff as she’s had issues with it not dissolving properly, (she uses the quick wash with cold water, which honestly, I’m not surprised), I’ve used it on warm and hot washes before and it worked well, although considering it’s probably one of the more cheaper detergent on the market as it doesn’t have any sort of “heating agent” to help dissolve it in cold and cool water, If you ever work on a transmission on a washing machine or something really greasy, try washing your hands with laundry detergent you’ll feel it heat up in your hands when you run your hands under water While scrubbing them with the detergent
This really is not worth arguing about
as the saying goes its horses for courses and not all hats fit all heads.
I am expressing my own opinion of the findings I had when using said products ymmv !
as the saying goes its horses for courses and not all hats fit all heads.
I am expressing my own opinion of the findings I had when using said products ymmv !
As Adam mentions, it works best in warm and hot water. I don't have issues with it dissolving in 85F temps in a top loader but I can see it having issues in a front loader. Liquid detergent produces better results for dark items, anyway. It works very well for oil and grease stains as well as ground in dirt, which aligns with my habits. It contains no enzymes but using oxybleach makes up for most of its downfalls. I really enjoy the almost undetectable scent rather than smelling like a purfumey whorehouse.
Well, I found my old bucket of Kirkland today... lingering in the workshop building here. Can't remember the last time I used it, though.
I may bring it in to test on the next load in a week or so. I typically use warm or hot water, very rarely if ever cold. So it should be OK for me. Since it's probably going to disappear soon, I might swing by the local Costco to pick up a bucket or two extra. Depending on the price of course. As I recall, it can also be used for other cleaning, such as floors and walls.
The water here is relatively soft, which may help it perform better. Although as the drought wears on perhaps the water will get harder.
I may bring it in to test on the next load in a week or so. I typically use warm or hot water, very rarely if ever cold. So it should be OK for me. Since it's probably going to disappear soon, I might swing by the local Costco to pick up a bucket or two extra. Depending on the price of course. As I recall, it can also be used for other cleaning, such as floors and walls.
The water here is relatively soft, which may help it perform better. Although as the drought wears on perhaps the water will get harder.
mark_wpduet
Well-known member
That's weird. I haven't seen those big buckets of detergent at my Costco...anyway...for the past few years I've used Windfresh in the big bucket. Yes, it's one of those detergents that's probably not the best...but seriously I have never had an issue with it....If I have an oil stain on some clothing I usually put a drop of dish soap on it...I don't feel like it makes the clothes stiff and everything feels clean. I just feel like powder is so much easier to deal with and since it comes in such a large container...you don't have to think about buying it for a year or more...
I've never been a detergent whore as much as I am an appliance whore.
I've never been a detergent whore as much as I am an appliance whore.
Non bio detergent
These do become rarer and rarer - don't think I have seen a detergent without enzymes in powder for here in Germany in a few years.
Even the cheapo detergents from the more eastern country's that make it into our dollar kind stores now had enzymes.
But still very soap heavy and nothing fancy like specific water softeners.
Modern enzymes are technically designed to work at way broader temps then earlier formulations.
Many DW detergents contain enzymes even though most DWs don't enzyme stage heating and run at over 120F.
So I wouldn't sweat that.
Enzymes alone don't clean, so any good detergent will have decent cleaning in high temps aswell.
I usually look for other stuff. Like rinsing being ok.
Not to many suds.
If it's just a cheap detergent for soaking I go more for price and don't care.
If it is to perform good in a washer I usually don't look at price per se, but go for any main brand stuff on offer.
These do become rarer and rarer - don't think I have seen a detergent without enzymes in powder for here in Germany in a few years.
Even the cheapo detergents from the more eastern country's that make it into our dollar kind stores now had enzymes.
But still very soap heavy and nothing fancy like specific water softeners.
Modern enzymes are technically designed to work at way broader temps then earlier formulations.
Many DW detergents contain enzymes even though most DWs don't enzyme stage heating and run at over 120F.
So I wouldn't sweat that.
Enzymes alone don't clean, so any good detergent will have decent cleaning in high temps aswell.
I usually look for other stuff. Like rinsing being ok.
Not to many suds.
If it's just a cheap detergent for soaking I go more for price and don't care.
If it is to perform good in a washer I usually don't look at price per se, but go for any main brand stuff on offer.
Biggest thing that can be said about enzymes in laundry detergents is they shift certain soils at lower temperatures. This and with less aggressive chemical action including strong bleaches.
As have said commercial laundries largely rely upon chemicals and pH levels to deal with all sorts of soiling. But then again wash cycles there are rarely longer than 8-12 minutes. Heavy soiling might have a pre-wash and or multiple main washes however.
Whole "turn down the dial" thing for wash temperatures relies heavily upon enzymes, and activated oxygen bleaching systems (latter for whites and colourfast items). This and detergents loaded with lots of surfactants, solvents and tons of other chemicals. Indeed ingredient list for most TOL liquid laundry detergents goes on and on.
As have said commercial laundries largely rely upon chemicals and pH levels to deal with all sorts of soiling. But then again wash cycles there are rarely longer than 8-12 minutes. Heavy soiling might have a pre-wash and or multiple main washes however.
Whole "turn down the dial" thing for wash temperatures relies heavily upon enzymes, and activated oxygen bleaching systems (latter for whites and colourfast items). This and detergents loaded with lots of surfactants, solvents and tons of other chemicals. Indeed ingredient list for most TOL liquid laundry detergents goes on and on.
I went down to Costco, got my membership renewed and…
I literally bought myself a Bucket of it, plus I picked up some milk as well, so now it sits next to the other one that my mum uses although bad news, I found out Oxy clean is discontinued, that wonderful powdery product which is basically the same as vanish, I absolutely LOVED it, and in regards to bio and non-bio detergents, what are used to do for my three knob European machine (the semi automatic) What is I used to run the first wash with Biozet Laundry detergent, and for the second wash, I’d use this And it works really well, the only thing I would have to do is turn the temperature down to not create genocides at the microbial level, then once it drains I turn the temperature up to the 60° wash that I normally do and it does its thing
I literally bought myself a Bucket of it, plus I picked up some milk as well, so now it sits next to the other one that my mum uses although bad news, I found out Oxy clean is discontinued, that wonderful powdery product which is basically the same as vanish, I absolutely LOVED it, and in regards to bio and non-bio detergents, what are used to do for my three knob European machine (the semi automatic) What is I used to run the first wash with Biozet Laundry detergent, and for the second wash, I’d use this And it works really well, the only thing I would have to do is turn the temperature down to not create genocides at the microbial level, then once it drains I turn the temperature up to the 60° wash that I normally do and it does its thing
Two washes
Just had to chuckle...
When enzymes in detergents were becomming a thing in the 50s (I think) around the EU they were marketed as presoaks and prewash detergents.
First automatics jumping on the Bio train had a long bio prewash which was anywhere from a couple of minutes to hours of warm soaking/washing followed by high temp main washing.
You'd dose your normal detergent in the main wash and the enzyme stuff in the prewash.
That slowly became products being good for both, then to no longer needing prewashing.
2 more modern things that came from that school that still persist to this day:
A) Some washer programmings use "enzyme staging". Though it has become very rare now aswell, a few manufactureres do (or used to) add a stage around 104F/40C where heating is paused for a couple of minutes before they resume and heat to target temp.
B) A few manufacturers allow staged addition of bleaching agents. For example, ELux does that here with their "Stains" option: That keeps any oxy type product seperate until a certain temp is reached, only then its flushed in, dissolved for 5 min before heating then resumes.
A few more niche manufacturers actually have "bio component detergent" setting of some sort. For example, the new machine I'll be getting next week; there cou can set a programming option that once you press the prewash option, allows you to choose from either prewash, "soap detergent" or "bio detergent".
Soap detergent makes you add a water softener in the prewash and your detergent in the main wash. Then it first flushes in the water softener, and only after that has worked adds the detergent, since soaps get inactive when they hit hard water.
The "bio detergent" setting flushes in the main detergent first and adds the bleaching part later once a certain temp is reached.
The US laundry set up of course makes it way more reasonable to use that method of 2 washes to get bio activity and bleaching on one load, even if it is archaeic by our standards.
But it still is very funny to hear people doing stuff today just from sheer need that we moved past decades ago here lol...
Just had to chuckle...
When enzymes in detergents were becomming a thing in the 50s (I think) around the EU they were marketed as presoaks and prewash detergents.
First automatics jumping on the Bio train had a long bio prewash which was anywhere from a couple of minutes to hours of warm soaking/washing followed by high temp main washing.
You'd dose your normal detergent in the main wash and the enzyme stuff in the prewash.
That slowly became products being good for both, then to no longer needing prewashing.
2 more modern things that came from that school that still persist to this day:
A) Some washer programmings use "enzyme staging". Though it has become very rare now aswell, a few manufactureres do (or used to) add a stage around 104F/40C where heating is paused for a couple of minutes before they resume and heat to target temp.
B) A few manufacturers allow staged addition of bleaching agents. For example, ELux does that here with their "Stains" option: That keeps any oxy type product seperate until a certain temp is reached, only then its flushed in, dissolved for 5 min before heating then resumes.
A few more niche manufacturers actually have "bio component detergent" setting of some sort. For example, the new machine I'll be getting next week; there cou can set a programming option that once you press the prewash option, allows you to choose from either prewash, "soap detergent" or "bio detergent".
Soap detergent makes you add a water softener in the prewash and your detergent in the main wash. Then it first flushes in the water softener, and only after that has worked adds the detergent, since soaps get inactive when they hit hard water.
The "bio detergent" setting flushes in the main detergent first and adds the bleaching part later once a certain temp is reached.
The US laundry set up of course makes it way more reasonable to use that method of 2 washes to get bio activity and bleaching on one load, even if it is archaeic by our standards.
But it still is very funny to hear people doing stuff today just from sheer need that we moved past decades ago here lol...
'Nother idea for non bio detergent
At least over here, you can get "industrial" detergents quite readily for decent enough prices for bulk containers.
While dosages are usually insanely high compared to noraml concetrated detergents one finds at stores, these are usually designed for the sub 30min mainwashes and thus don't rely on enzymes.
Maybe the US has simmilar products?
Most if not any big brand detergent available for household use around here has a "professional" version you get a big box stores or through amazon.
At least over here, you can get "industrial" detergents quite readily for decent enough prices for bulk containers.
While dosages are usually insanely high compared to noraml concetrated detergents one finds at stores, these are usually designed for the sub 30min mainwashes and thus don't rely on enzymes.
Maybe the US has simmilar products?
Most if not any big brand detergent available for household use around here has a "professional" version you get a big box stores or through amazon.
