Powder v liquids

[daveamkrayoguy]

Well, here is what I am currently washing with & with a more visual description of the jugs, that have little dispensers on the lids:

 

(The Apple Mango Tango got used up, due to its popularity & versatility...) Like I said, I may go back to powdered detergent, but my huge crop of it got all caked & dried up, then given to my dad (you'd think I had a soap opera there) while I believe liquid, if you use it in its timely manner has a better shelf life, save for it getting a bit gummy at the bottom & in its cap...

 

 

-- Dave

 

[liamy1]

liquid vs powder shelf life

I emailed P&G not so long back, and asked them the shelf life of all their laundry products. It was of course for the UK brands, but can't see US brands being that diffenent.

Powders - 12 months
Liquids - 18 months
Gels - 18 months
Pods - 15 months: except 1 brand (enzyme free baby detergent) which is 12 months
Unstoppables - 18 months

They did say, that after this time they may not smell/look quite as they should, but are safe to use up to 3 years.

You'd think with powder being dry, these would have a longer shelf life, but as you say, they can cake up - becoming almost unusable. I am really careful with how many products I stock now, as the amount I have trashed/given away over the years is eye watering.

 

[grwasher_expert]

Powders get caked when exposed to humidity.If you store them in a high humidity area,you should keep them in air-tight containers or nylon bags.Otherwise avoid buying large quantities at once.Buy small boxes that don't have to be stored for a very long time.

 

[dixan]

What P&G told you about the powders is not true. The shelf life of a powder detergent when stored in a dry place can be as much as 3 years (sometimes even more - up to 5 years) and after that you can use it safely as a detergent without bleaching system and enzymes.
The shelf life of the liquids is 1.5 years. Softeners - about a year.

 

[liamy1]

Powders,

I have used Powders that have been numerous years old, with no problem.

Forgot about their softeners - they said their shelf life is 12 months.

Biggest surprise was Comfort (Unilever) fabric softener, the shelf life for that is 3 months (apparently) - it's printed on the bottle.

 

[aquacycle]

Another reason I avoid liquids, they're absolutely jam packed full of chemical preservatives like formaldahyde that don't biodegrade, end up back in the water cycle and have a damaging and lasting impact on aquatic life.

Liquids and softeners, being water-based, will go stagnant quickly if a whole heap of preservatives aren't added.

Powder being dry doesn't have the same problem, therefore doesn't have as many preservatives and doesn't carry the "harmful to aquatic life" warning.

 

[sudsmaster]

For most washing I use Sears Ultra Plus with Oxyclean, boosted about 1/3 bw with STPP. This in my Neptune or Miele front loaders.

 

For bath towels, washable woolens, delicates, throw rugs, etc., a liquid. Lately Clorox Green Works liquid. For hand wash only woolens, Woolite for darks.

 

In my experience, liquids leave a softer finish but do not clean deep embedded dirt as well as a good powder. Powders can leave a harsher result but for most purposes that goes away after tumble drying.

 

All synthetic fabrics may wash better with a liquid. If heavily stained or with embedded dirt, though, a powder may be needed.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Hmmmm... I somehow missed out on Sears laundry detergent (and I have the washer for it)...

 

Wonder if I can still go to 'whatever is left of Sears' near me & get it someday?

 

 

-- Dave

 

[dixan]

AquaCycle,

powders do not contain preservatives - they are dry, they have very small residual moisture, so they don't need preservatives.

Formaldehyde precursors are not used in household chemistry any-more.

In liquids, the biocide preservatives (sold under the brand name Kathon) are allergens and are used in concentrations between 15 and 60-70 ррm. This is 0,007%. In comparison, perfumes are used in concentrations 0,5-2% - this is 300 time more. Accepting that 30% of the ingredients of the perfume compositions are proven allergens, this means 100 times more allergens from perfume composition then from preservatives.
Powder detergent are dry and cannot contain as much perfumes as the liquids.

Liquids are not good. Softeners are even worse.

 

[paulc]

Dixan

Formaldehyde releasers are still used in some detergent, softener and washing up,liquids. Even Ecover uses one in their delicates laundry liquid. Here a list of that products ingredients:-

5-15%: Anionic Surfactants, <5%: Non-Ionic Surfactants, Soap, Perfume (Limonene), Preservative (2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol), Others: Water, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid

Formaldehyde releasers are also used in personal care products. Johnson & Johnson are probably the most high profile case of this.

http://diply.com/and/article/cancer-causing-baby-products-formaldehyde

 

[dixan]

Well, there are exceptions obviously. In household chemistry thiazolinones are mainly used nowadays.

 

[vacerator]

Those darn

nanospheres! I thought they were only used in cosmetics.

 

[mrboilwash]

Finding one of those rare exceptions that still contain formaldehyde releasers must be a godsend for the few who are severly allergic to thiazoliones.

Dixan, kudos to your kowledge about detergents, you really seem to know what you`re talking about!
One thing I`m curious to hear your opinion is the thickeners you mentioned in liquid detergents.
As an adolescent I worked a few weeks in automobile care products production during school vaccation.
I remember the only vicosity control agent we used to make our car shampoos thicker (appear more concentrated for the customer) was plain old sodium chloride.
Has this practice changed ?

To stay on topic, for years I`ve been using liquids only and my machine is as clean as a whiste. I tend to overdose detergents and like to use high temperatures whenever possible. Also use the evil softeners, but only in small amounts. I appreciate their gentleness because of a less basic pH and I always hated to inhale the zeolites from powders when cleaning the dryer`s lint filter.

 

[dixan]

Yes, salt is used but also other thickening, viscosity controlling and stabilizing agents.

 

[lordkenmore]

I already mentioned much of this on another thread recently...

In spirit, I think I'm a powder detergent user. It was good enough for my mother's Kenmore, it's good enough for my piece of junk BOL WP DD. Plus I like the long shelf life (handy if one has a bunch of different detergents). I also like the fact if/when scented, the powder scents tend to be more restrained.

But, unfortunately, I've been using liquids most of the time since at least early summer 2015. I have not bought powder detergent since that summer, and have used existing supplies only occasionally for quite some time. Liquid detergents have one huge advantage: they are so common. They are most of what gets carried (and probably some stores ALL that's carried). Thus the best deals/sales tend to be on liquids. I might or might not do better per load cost with powder, but with liquid I can be more assured of having my monthly budget balance properly.

The only routinely cheap powder detergent I see is All, which sometimes hits $3/box at my regular grocery store. But I have not been terribly impressed by it. I still have a small supply of my last box, which I use sometimes to help vary the detergents used, and I've noted the cleaning power does not seem to be as good as the Tide unscented (which hits as low as $5/bottle locally).

 

[mark_wpduet]

I heard

a long time ago that liquids have much more chemicals in them for the simple fact they it takes more chemical to make it liquid instead of solid.

I use such little liquid fab softener that a small bottle will last me well over a year. It's never gone bad.

the huge bucket of powder that I use (from sams club) called windfresh lasts well over a year and it's never clumped or smelled or washed differently.

Oh, and it's a good thing I watched "How Clean is Your House" tv show from the UK or I would have no clue what washing up liquid means.

 

[vacerator]

Mark,

I suspect liquids have a lot of water. The Persil Pro Clean is thinner than the 2 in one. The 2 in one says it washes 50 loads, and the other 63 loads, yet the 2 in one is more concentrated.
Go figure. I use less of the 2 in one. Both are the same size jug, and cost $11.99
I'm confused.