We had our WH FL when these came out. We even received two tablets in a little box in the mail! The coupons at that time made them almost free. A full load in the Westinghouse took only one tablet and a small load took a half a tablet in our soft water. Out water heater was set to 160F, which you could do then and the washer was close to it so out whites were brilliant. We had boxes on the shelf, all bought on sale with coupons. They broke in half easily and did not crumble to dust. Rinsing was good, also. It seems we used these for quite a while. I don't know why they were discontinued. Maybe with all the promotions, P&G never made money on them. We used a lot of VIM also. We went back to Dash after SALVO.
POD 8/22/12 SALVO tablets
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polkanut
Well-known member
Mom tried Salvo in the filter pan of her 1967 GE Filter-Flo and wasn't impressed with the way they dissolved. Our washer was also close to the wh so water temp wasn't an issue. We do have medium hard water here so maybe that was a factor.
Does anyone know if Salvo contained phosphates?
Does anyone know if Salvo contained phosphates?
golittlesport
Well-known member
Salvo!
My mom used Salvo in her Westy front loader also...she loved that stuff. Wouldn't use any other brand of detergent once Salvo was introduced.
I remember seeing a movie once where a boy was in the basement helping with the laundry and was practicing his baseball pitch throwing a Salvo tablet across the room into their Westy. Can't recall the name of that movie.
My mom used Salvo in her Westy front loader also...she loved that stuff. Wouldn't use any other brand of detergent once Salvo was introduced.
I remember seeing a movie once where a boy was in the basement helping with the laundry and was practicing his baseball pitch throwing a Salvo tablet across the room into their Westy. Can't recall the name of that movie.
Oh, yes. SALVO was phosphated. Even liquid Wisk had phosphates back then.
towels
Was Salvo tablets the one with a cheap free washcloth in each box? Mom always bought that freebie, I think it was Salvo. I'm talking 1965ish.
Was Salvo tablets the one with a cheap free washcloth in each box? Mom always bought that freebie, I think it was Salvo. I'm talking 1965ish.
My mom used Salvo for several years. This was between the time she used Instant Fels and Wisk
vintagekitchen
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Speaking of salvo..
I actually have 2 boxes of 12 tablets each on ebay right now. New old stock from a local store.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/221106446736?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
I actually have 2 boxes of 12 tablets each on ebay right now. New old stock from a local store.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/221106446736?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
As an eBay Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
vintagekitchen
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Instant fels
Got that too, lol. Selling it with a vintage box of Bounce..
http://www.ebay.com/itm/221106431491?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
Got that too, lol. Selling it with a vintage box of Bounce..
http://www.ebay.com/itm/221106431491?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
As an eBay Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
The Name....
....Was the problem with Salvo, in my opinion.
A "salvo" is, according to Merriam-Webster, "A simultaneous discharge of artillery or other guns in a battle." What the manufacturer was trying to convey was that you would be turning some serious "firepower" on dirt and stains.
Unfortunately - and in spite of some commercials that tried to 'splain it - this metaphor was lost on consumers, because many of them did not have the word "salvo" in their vocabularies.
The word they DID know was "salve," which had icky, greasy, smelly connotations from injuries and childhood illnesses.
Had the product been called something like "WashTabs," I honestly believe a much more satisfactory sales result would have ensued.
....Was the problem with Salvo, in my opinion.
A "salvo" is, according to Merriam-Webster, "A simultaneous discharge of artillery or other guns in a battle." What the manufacturer was trying to convey was that you would be turning some serious "firepower" on dirt and stains.
Unfortunately - and in spite of some commercials that tried to 'splain it - this metaphor was lost on consumers, because many of them did not have the word "salvo" in their vocabularies.
The word they DID know was "salve," which had icky, greasy, smelly connotations from injuries and childhood illnesses.
Had the product been called something like "WashTabs," I honestly believe a much more satisfactory sales result would have ensued.
dirtybuck
Well-known member
Akronman:
Your mom bought either Breeze (Lever Brothers) or Bonus (Procter & Gamble). Those were the only two detergents in the 1960's that offered wash cloths (regular size), hand towels (giant size) and bath towels (king size) inside the box.
I remember Salvo made it's marketing debut in El Paso around July of 1962. Our across the street neighbor, Mrs. Peak, swore by Salvo tablets and used them religiously every wash day. If I remember correctly, she used them in her RCA Whilpool top loader (1960's model).
Your mom bought either Breeze (Lever Brothers) or Bonus (Procter & Gamble). Those were the only two detergents in the 1960's that offered wash cloths (regular size), hand towels (giant size) and bath towels (king size) inside the box.
I remember Salvo made it's marketing debut in El Paso around July of 1962. Our across the street neighbor, Mrs. Peak, swore by Salvo tablets and used them religiously every wash day. If I remember correctly, she used them in her RCA Whilpool top loader (1960's model).
As for the name, Vim went out of production, too, and its name did not have battlefield connotations. I imagine that the tablets were expensive to make and package what with the box and the little plastic bags around the tablets. I don't remember when they stopped being sold, although a Wikipedia article says they were sold from the early 60s until the mid 70s, but the economy began to heat up with inflation from the first energy crisis so that might have had something to do with it or maybe it was the advent of enzymes in the early 70s so the manufacturers jumped on that bandwagon. Also Cold Power had come on the scene and maybe the Salvo tablets did not dissolve in super cold water if anyone tried to use them in cold water and with the way energy prices soared, cold water washing probably was being tried by more than a few people.
vintagekitchen
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I say cost killed them...
I just did some math using the inflation calculator. The 2 boxes of salvo tablets I have on ebay have their original price of 48 cents each still written on them.
So, I picked 1965 as a good mid production year, and punched it in. that works out to $3.28 in todays money.
Each box had only 12 tablets, and said to use one tablet for a front loader, or 2 for a top loader, and an extra tablet if you have hard water.
That means for front load users, (in todays money), if your water was reasonably soft, it would work out to about 27 cents per load, which is reasonable, but if you had harder water and needed the extra tablet, the price would go up to about 54 cents per load.
It was even worse for owners of top loaders, since for them it meant if they had reasonably soft water it works out to 54 cents a load, and if they had harder water and needed the extra tablet, the price jumps all the way up to 81 cents a load.
I dont know about you guys, but as much laundry as I do that would get fairly expensive. Since the majority of washers in the US in those days were top loaders, one can understand why the product failed in the 70s when people were in a recession and trying to pinch pennies where they could. If times are hard, and especially if one is doing laundry for a large family, 55 or 81 cents per load of laundry is too dear a price for detergent.
I just did some math using the inflation calculator. The 2 boxes of salvo tablets I have on ebay have their original price of 48 cents each still written on them.
So, I picked 1965 as a good mid production year, and punched it in. that works out to $3.28 in todays money.
Each box had only 12 tablets, and said to use one tablet for a front loader, or 2 for a top loader, and an extra tablet if you have hard water.
That means for front load users, (in todays money), if your water was reasonably soft, it would work out to about 27 cents per load, which is reasonable, but if you had harder water and needed the extra tablet, the price would go up to about 54 cents per load.
It was even worse for owners of top loaders, since for them it meant if they had reasonably soft water it works out to 54 cents a load, and if they had harder water and needed the extra tablet, the price jumps all the way up to 81 cents a load.
I dont know about you guys, but as much laundry as I do that would get fairly expensive. Since the majority of washers in the US in those days were top loaders, one can understand why the product failed in the 70s when people were in a recession and trying to pinch pennies where they could. If times are hard, and especially if one is doing laundry for a large family, 55 or 81 cents per load of laundry is too dear a price for detergent.
Since the tablets went out of production in the mid 70s, what would the cost have been then?
vintagekitchen
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2011
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- 706
Well..
Assuming the price was still only 48 cents in 1975, it would have been 1.92 in todays money.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure of the exact age of my boxes, nor of the pricing for any specific year. If anyone has an ad or something so we can pinpoint a price and the year of that price, I would be happy to do the math again.
Assuming the price was still only 48 cents in 1975, it would have been 1.92 in todays money.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure of the exact age of my boxes, nor of the pricing for any specific year. If anyone has an ad or something so we can pinpoint a price and the year of that price, I would be happy to do the math again.
lotsosudz
Well-known member
Trend
Wally Cox was the spokesperson for Salvo! Trend was the other detergent that gave away towels inside. Salvo worked great, but was not cost effective, at the time. Too bad as it was very effective, and smelled good too.
hugs,
David
Wally Cox was the spokesperson for Salvo! Trend was the other detergent that gave away towels inside. Salvo worked great, but was not cost effective, at the time. Too bad as it was very effective, and smelled good too.
hugs,
David
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Price:
"Assuming the price was still only 48 cents in 1975, it would have been 1.92 in todays money."
It wouldn't have still been 48 cents in '75.
Beginning in about '73, inflation was a huge factor through most of the '70s. Whatever you bought this month was almost certain to cost more next month. The Federal Government took some measures to counteract it, but they didn't do as much good as hoped.
If you will look at the opening credits of later seasons of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," you will see Mary shopping for meat. She looks at the price, makes a disgusted face, and throws it into her cart with a look of resignation on her face. That is a reference to the inflation of the time; everyone back then understood i5.
"Assuming the price was still only 48 cents in 1975, it would have been 1.92 in todays money."
It wouldn't have still been 48 cents in '75.
Beginning in about '73, inflation was a huge factor through most of the '70s. Whatever you bought this month was almost certain to cost more next month. The Federal Government took some measures to counteract it, but they didn't do as much good as hoped.
If you will look at the opening credits of later seasons of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," you will see Mary shopping for meat. She looks at the price, makes a disgusted face, and throws it into her cart with a look of resignation on her face. That is a reference to the inflation of the time; everyone back then understood i5.
dirtybuck
Well-known member
danemodsandy
It was a bakery item she tossed into the cart
It was a bakery item she tossed into the cart
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Bill:
Here's a quote from Wikipedia:
"In later seasons, Mary is shown looking at a package of meat at a supermarket, then rolling her eyes as she throws it into her shopping cart. This is a reference to the high consumer inflation during the mid-70s.[4] In 2009, CBS' Nancy Giles, commenting on the high cost of small packages of food, showed this clip and said that it seems only she and Mary Richards buy them."
And there's this:
Here's a quote from Wikipedia:
"In later seasons, Mary is shown looking at a package of meat at a supermarket, then rolling her eyes as she throws it into her shopping cart. This is a reference to the high consumer inflation during the mid-70s.[4] In 2009, CBS' Nancy Giles, commenting on the high cost of small packages of food, showed this clip and said that it seems only she and Mary Richards buy them."
And there's this:
My favorite laundry detergent of all time. I still miss salvo.
launderess
Well-known member
Inflation & 1970's Television Shows
Most all the sitcoms of the era addressed inflation, All in the Family,Maude, Good Times, Sanford and Son, etc.. MTM and other more "vanilla" shows made subtle hints "Mary looking at the price of that small packet of meat then chucking it into her trolley with a look of disgust on her face, *LOL*).
Carol Burnett got into the act with her "Mama's Family" skits as well. One time Mrs. Harper was moaning to Eunice about how dry her meatballs were, to which the latter shot back it was because she had to use *lots* of breadcrumbs to stretch a few pounds of ground beef to feed them all.
That is how bad thing were. Every housewife/person counted themselves lucky if money was coming into the home but it often didn't go far. So you got creative in making the food budget stretch. There were lots of dishes and new recipes made from cheap cuts of beef , or chicken and pork. Crock Pots which had really hit the market in stride allowed a housewive to make that favourite staple of budget stretching the pot roast , whilst not having to stay around all day and mind the range.
You also had lots of "new" food extenders such as "Hamburger Helper" and later "Tuna Helper" if one needed to get creative. LOL*
One of the most sadest things one remembers hearing during the 1970's was that some seniors were reduced to eating canned dog food. Good Times and IIRC a few other sitcoms/television programs took up the issue and it was just pitiful.
Because of inflation those on fixed incomes including SS just couldn't make ends meet. After paying for meds and other household expenses the kitty was simply empty. The outcry and noise got Congress to finally adjust how it adjusts cost of living "COLA" for SS which would give seniors some breathing room.
As if the inflation of the 1970's wasn't bad enough it was also the start of the decline in American manufacturing and shipping jobs overseas. It seemed every other week some union from longshoremen to automakers was threatening to or shut down some plant or another. What fueled this was you had lots of American men often in the prime of their working lives being chucked out of rather good paying jobs for persons with barely a high school degree. Red Forman on That 70's Show is a prime example of what went on. Men who fought in WWII, Korea and Vietnam were being told "see ya" as plant after plant shut down.
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Most all the sitcoms of the era addressed inflation, All in the Family,Maude, Good Times, Sanford and Son, etc.. MTM and other more "vanilla" shows made subtle hints "Mary looking at the price of that small packet of meat then chucking it into her trolley with a look of disgust on her face, *LOL*).
Carol Burnett got into the act with her "Mama's Family" skits as well. One time Mrs. Harper was moaning to Eunice about how dry her meatballs were, to which the latter shot back it was because she had to use *lots* of breadcrumbs to stretch a few pounds of ground beef to feed them all.
That is how bad thing were. Every housewife/person counted themselves lucky if money was coming into the home but it often didn't go far. So you got creative in making the food budget stretch. There were lots of dishes and new recipes made from cheap cuts of beef , or chicken and pork. Crock Pots which had really hit the market in stride allowed a housewive to make that favourite staple of budget stretching the pot roast , whilst not having to stay around all day and mind the range.
You also had lots of "new" food extenders such as "Hamburger Helper" and later "Tuna Helper" if one needed to get creative. LOL*
One of the most sadest things one remembers hearing during the 1970's was that some seniors were reduced to eating canned dog food. Good Times and IIRC a few other sitcoms/television programs took up the issue and it was just pitiful.
Because of inflation those on fixed incomes including SS just couldn't make ends meet. After paying for meds and other household expenses the kitty was simply empty. The outcry and noise got Congress to finally adjust how it adjusts cost of living "COLA" for SS which would give seniors some breathing room.
As if the inflation of the 1970's wasn't bad enough it was also the start of the decline in American manufacturing and shipping jobs overseas. It seemed every other week some union from longshoremen to automakers was threatening to or shut down some plant or another. What fueled this was you had lots of American men often in the prime of their working lives being chucked out of rather good paying jobs for persons with barely a high school degree. Red Forman on That 70's Show is a prime example of what went on. Men who fought in WWII, Korea and Vietnam were being told "see ya" as plant after plant shut down.
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
danemodsandy
Well-known member
And There Was:
"You also had lots of "new" food extenders such as "Hamburger Helper" and later "Tuna Helper" if one needed to get creative."
There's also an ad for a little-remembered '70s product on the wall behind Mary. It's for "Hamburger II," which was ground beef stretched with the addition of textured vegetable protein.
A lot of housewives swore by it.
A lot of husbands swore AT it.
"You also had lots of "new" food extenders such as "Hamburger Helper" and later "Tuna Helper" if one needed to get creative."
There's also an ad for a little-remembered '70s product on the wall behind Mary. It's for "Hamburger II," which was ground beef stretched with the addition of textured vegetable protein.
A lot of housewives swore by it.
A lot of husbands swore AT it.
And then there were the utility rates. I was living in a total electric apartment built before the rates shot up. It was by no means a Gold Medallion construction place. Winter just about killed us. The power companies instituted their fuel charge adjustments and monthly bills went through the roof. I moved to another total electric apartment that was properly insulated and that still included the electricity in the rent before finishing up school and moving up here.
I remember that the department store I worked in had to keep price records to show customers to prove we were not raising prices unfairly to help the inflation, but that did not really work because it was the increased cost of fuel in 1973 that was driving prices. Free delivery on small purchases slammed to a halt after the first energy crisis. My roommate and I tried a hamburger extender and with enough seasoning, it was not bad. There was a mini series at the time set during WWII. The title might have been Homefront. In one scene, the carpool was picking up riders, but only on downhill streets or at stop signs. The car would not stop, but would slow so that the man could run and grab the post of the open door and swing in. In the show, the mother was making meatloaf and extending it with corn flakes.
Up here, I found out that large apartment buildings cut back on the temperature of the hot water to save money. I think it was the winter of 1978 when the temperatures up here stayed below freezing for 30 days. Heat pumps were running on back up heat the whole time--OUCH!. I remember that snow stayed on the ground for more than a month and the surface of the snow would melt slightly from the sun then refreeze at night which produced a mirror surface that reflected lights and signs at night just like clear still water. It was beautiful. I had not seen it before nor have I seen it since. Then, near the end of the 70s came another oil shock and prices rose again. It was painful, but it forced a lot of energy improvement based renovations.
I remember that the department store I worked in had to keep price records to show customers to prove we were not raising prices unfairly to help the inflation, but that did not really work because it was the increased cost of fuel in 1973 that was driving prices. Free delivery on small purchases slammed to a halt after the first energy crisis. My roommate and I tried a hamburger extender and with enough seasoning, it was not bad. There was a mini series at the time set during WWII. The title might have been Homefront. In one scene, the carpool was picking up riders, but only on downhill streets or at stop signs. The car would not stop, but would slow so that the man could run and grab the post of the open door and swing in. In the show, the mother was making meatloaf and extending it with corn flakes.
Up here, I found out that large apartment buildings cut back on the temperature of the hot water to save money. I think it was the winter of 1978 when the temperatures up here stayed below freezing for 30 days. Heat pumps were running on back up heat the whole time--OUCH!. I remember that snow stayed on the ground for more than a month and the surface of the snow would melt slightly from the sun then refreeze at night which produced a mirror surface that reflected lights and signs at night just like clear still water. It was beautiful. I had not seen it before nor have I seen it since. Then, near the end of the 70s came another oil shock and prices rose again. It was painful, but it forced a lot of energy improvement based renovations.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
One Thing.....
....That was great about the adjustments of the '70s was that people seemed to understand better that energy and money savings depended on their personal actions. They turned thermostats down, drove less, stretched food more.
Now, people want their stuff to do it all for them. They want a huge luxury SUV that saves gas. They want "smart" refrigerators to save energy, and never mind that the kids leave the door open all the time. They want cheap food, even if some of the cost savings come from making it in China or exploiting illegal migrant farm workers.
To this day, I cannot put a pot of water on to boil uncovered; it boils faster with less energy use. I still make some budget-stretching dishes from that time - though, I hasten to add, not my mother's meat loaf. If Truth in Advertising applied in the home, she'd have had to call it just "loaf." I am sting-GEEE with the heat and air-conditioning, and I still group trips out to maximize my return on gasoline expenses.
....That was great about the adjustments of the '70s was that people seemed to understand better that energy and money savings depended on their personal actions. They turned thermostats down, drove less, stretched food more.
Now, people want their stuff to do it all for them. They want a huge luxury SUV that saves gas. They want "smart" refrigerators to save energy, and never mind that the kids leave the door open all the time. They want cheap food, even if some of the cost savings come from making it in China or exploiting illegal migrant farm workers.
To this day, I cannot put a pot of water on to boil uncovered; it boils faster with less energy use. I still make some budget-stretching dishes from that time - though, I hasten to add, not my mother's meat loaf. If Truth in Advertising applied in the home, she'd have had to call it just "loaf." I am sting-GEEE with the heat and air-conditioning, and I still group trips out to maximize my return on gasoline expenses.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Oops!
I meant to say that a pot of water boils faster with less energy use when COVERED.
My bad.
I meant to say that a pot of water boils faster with less energy use when COVERED.
My bad.
polkanut
Well-known member
Kevin,
Any other interesting detergent finds for sale again soon?
Any other interesting detergent finds for sale again soon?
Ignorance has a price and it's climbing all of the time.
dirtybuck
Well-known member
My Apologies
I am mistaken...it looked like a bakery product to me. That looked like bread hanging above the display case.
Please forgive me.
I am mistaken...it looked like a bakery product to me. That looked like bread hanging above the display case.
Please forgive me.
Smile, Mary, life isn't so bad!
With the look on her face, she looks like she is putting a feminine hygiene spray in the cart. Those were a big deal in the 70s too, even when all my sisters say "but you're not supposed to need it".
With the look on her face, she looks like she is putting a feminine hygiene spray in the cart. Those were a big deal in the 70s too, even when all my sisters say "but you're not supposed to need it".
Looks like she was at her friendly neighborhood Red Owl supermarket 
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