Powders vs Liquids

[pulsatron]

Hi people,
My local deli has not had my old favourite German Persil powder in for quite some time now, so I have been experimenting with different detergents and I find myself becoming a bit of a fan of liquids now,in particular the liquid Surf range,they are always reasonably priced and do seem to do a pretty fair job of cleaning the clothes.
I would be interested in some other opinions as to wether the liquids are preferred by you good folk or are powders pretty much the mainstay here.
I must say in is good to not have to worry about pre-dissolving the liquid as opposed to the powders,however I was mostly of the view that powders worked better,I also recall quite a long time ago I was told by as friend that some of the thicker liquids i.e. Dynamo and possibly liquid Omo were actually powders in a liquid suspension and when the liquid dissolved,the powder was dispersed in the wash, is this likely to be true I wonder?,perhaps some og you guys may know the answer,I must say though liquid Surf is thin and clear so I would say that is not the case with this one.
Cheers people.
Steve.

 

[gadgetgary]

In my Maytag Neptune........

I usually use powder for whites(I think it cleans better) and liquid for colors. And from another AW member, I always use a bit of the cheap fabric softener to cut the suds.
My current powder is Arm & Hammer, and liquid is Dynamo.

 

[seamusuk]

Liquid detergent?????

I personally dont use liquids- the reason being they tend to leave a gooey residue in the outer drums of front loading/ HE washers(99% of UK machines lol). Strangly the chemical that goes in to keep them liquid dosent disolve very well!! especially at low temperatures( I only use above 40 deg c once in a blue moon- think thats 110F).
Im currently using Sainsburys Megaperls in normal Bio and colour variants- they are kinda odd- not really a powder, more granular! and are concentrated to double the strength of normal powders. Looking on the Miele US website they may be made by Persil as I see they recommend Persil megaperls(not availiable over here!!

Seamus

 

[mattywashboy]

fantastic thread

you have just caught me in a turmoil myself. I'm looking to change my detergent and have never used liquids before. I was thinking Radiant liquid or maybe Dynamo. They had BioZet liquid for like a month here in WA so i missed that. Also i was wondering about using Matic detergents in top loaders, would they work as well as regular detergent but with less suds?, I'm sick of the Hitachi kicking up too many suds due to its vigourous wash action. My current powder is Bio Zet. I did use Spree liquid for a change but it looked too much like hand soap for me so i stopped using it. Any recommendations from the other Aussies would be great.
Good thread Steve
Matt

 

[portendere]

My problem with liquids

If you spill a powder, it's easy to sweep/vacuum/brush up.

If you spill a liquid, you've got a slippery, gooey mess.

Maybe I'm just clumsier than most.

 

[maytagbear]

Since my Maytag doesn't

have Automatic Temperature Control, I use liquids in winter, and powders in summer. Seems to work well enough.

I have read on this site that powders are better for vintage machines, but this is just a 9 year old n00bie...... (9 years, and I still think of it as my "new" washer.)

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[retromom]

Powder for this household!

I used to use liquids, but found they gunked up the washer. I am strictly a powder gal, and prefer the phosphate-laden Mexican detergents followed a close second by Tide with Bleach.

I continue to notice the incredible shrinking power section in the stores. There are more and more liquids taking their shelf space. I hope this is not a (no pun intended) "trend" to eliminating powdered detergents.

Venus

 

[frigilux]

Having used liquid a number of years, I've gone back to using powder. Had no particular problems with liquids, just wanted a change.

Hi Venus! Glad to see you posting again.

 

[retromom]

So Frigilux.....

What did you miss...my vast knowledge of everything appliance-related, Sophia Loren good looks, self-deprecating sense of humour, or my dry wit? ;-)

I'll be back.......

Venus

 

[pulsator]

Powder, powder, powder!!!! I only use Tide Original Scent Powder!!!!! Oh, well, with the exception of my dad's Duet machine. I use liquid Ecos in that machine...

 

[nickuk]

It's good to keep both on hand

as the liquids do a better job at removing oily stains than powders, they dissolve easier on a really gentle front load cycle, are slightly easier on fabrics and are really handy for prewashing / pretreating / handwashing etc. They're also great for handwashing cooker shelves! Soak overnight in bio liquid, the dirt just floats off in the morning ;-)

Downsides of liquids I find are usually the scents are a little strong, and they are not as good at muddy stains (sorry for non technical language) as powder. Also, in the UK at least, no liquid contains any kind of bleach.

Personally I feel that the `powder for whites, liquid for deep colours' is an excellent philosophy because not only are those the ideal products for the job, you also have the advantages of each kind of detergent on hand.

It's true to say that liquids can do damage to a FL, even to the extent of wrecking tub bearings, but I think this is only the case when liquid is used all the time with big dirty loads on a warm cycle. Of course, if you do hot washes with powder, maintenance washes, dose properly etc I don't think liquid will be a problem. I have no evidence to support that though, I may be wrong.

Great thread. Seamus....yes, the Sainsburys stuff is Henkel but Jon and I never quite proved if it's Henkel Persil or a cheaper variant. I love the scent of the bio megaperls, and the whitening is superb. Rinsing was a little less than adequate for me but that's the only gripe. A fantastic value product too. What are the colour ones like? The JS color gel is also Henkel and is a a nice product though not quite so good at pretreating or rinsing as Ariel liquid IMO.

Regards

Nick

 

[seamusuk]

Sainsburys........

Hey Nick

The colour version is great as well- slightlly different scent but still very nice without being overpowering .
I have a full 36 scoop box of the colour and 3!! normal bio.(On special @ £1.12 for the 12 scoop or £2.17 for the 36!!!.
Can you see why I stocked up lol

Seamus

 

[zipdang]

Doin' my part to support the economy

I guess I'm a detergent slut. I've got piles of both liquid and powder. Currently my arsenal includes:

Seventh Generation powder
Seventh Generation liquid
Bio-Kleen liquid
Whole Foods 365 powder
Liquid Tide
Mrs. Meyers liquid

I'm sure my stockpile will get bigger before it gets smaller.

 

[polkanut]

There's a tug-o-war in our house as I prefer powder's and my wife prefer's liquids. When I do the laundry it's strictly Mexican detergents for this boy and Bluette bluing. When the wife does the wash it's liquid detergent from Aldi's or Purex Pure Rain and Mrs. Stewart's bluing. But regardless who does laundry, we both hang it outside to dry, weather permitting.

 

[pulsatron]

Follow up and thank you for the info

Wow! what a great response thank you one and all, although I am still a bit unsure about what I prefer perhaps the best suggestion is too have both at home and just alternate periodically.

Mattywashboy,
You asked about which liquids the Aussie folk here have tried well for my part I stay away from ones which seem thick and gluggy in particular Dynamo it is horrible and leaves streaks in your clothes I like the ones which are thin and clear you might likw to try the Surf range by Unilever,as I posted originally it is usually reasonably priced and seems to work fairly well although I must tell you it does foam up a bit in my Twin-Tub.
I counter this by using a little bit less than waht is suggested on the bottle.
We here in Sydney used to be able to get a brand called "Aura",which was made by an Aussie owned company by the name of Pascoe's which I think is based in your home state of W.A.,perhaps you can get it over there as it seems hard to find here in Sydney.
Remember "thin not thick",perhaps you might let us all know how your experimenting goes.
Thanks once again to all who responded.
Cheers folks.
Steve.

 

[pulsatron]

Folowing up the follow up!

Hi again Matt,
sorry I forgot your other query about wether Matic type detergents would work in top loaders or not well when my old front loader died,I still had a fair bit of low suds powder left (Fab-matic from memory),as well as Persil(Which does not foam up much anyway) and both worked perfectly well in the new Twin-Tub,in fact the instruction book from Haier suggests to actually low faom powder anyway,don't know why really.
Hope all this helps you.
Cheers.
Steve.

 

[spiralactivator]

I will use liquid if it is all that's available, but I have always preferred powder. Maybe 'cause I used coin-ops all through college, and it's much easier to measure a little bag of powder than lug a bottle of liquid all the way to the 'mat.

 

[sudsmaster]

I use powders for most wash, and liquids only for bath towels (leaves them a bit softer) and articles that can't take the harsher powders (rubber coated items, or silks/woolens).

I have read that consumer org testing has shown that powders clean much better than liquids. In fact, some liquids tested no better than plain water.

 

[jaxsunst]

I just switched to liquid Gain from powder Gain. It got difficult to find orginal scent Gain powder in this area. It seems to be working fine.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I like the smell of liquid Arm & Hammer HE, so I add just a small amount in the bottom of the cap to loads I wash in powder Tide HE. I guess I should see if it can kill the evil odor of liquid Tide HE if I combine the two. Powder Surf has vanished from stores in my area. While I guess most of you would dislike it for its strong fragrance, I like it. If it still exists, they probably have changed it by now and ruined the fragrance, so maybe it's no great loss.

 

[frigilux]

Venus---Oh, I think the dry wit and Sophia Loren-esque looks were what I missed the most.

Back to topic: The cleaning people in my work building are using something that smells JUST LIKE CLASSIC 1960's TIDE! I think they're using it to wash walls, although there is a laundry room nearby, so it may be the detergent they're using in the machine. I'll have to make an inquiry. I LOVE the smell of classic Tide.

 

[re563]

zipdang:

LOL!!

My partner just called me a detergent whore the other day!!!

I have recently been on a "Detergent Run", using just about everything. I have a Kenmore HE3 and got very dismayed with the selection of HE detergents on the shelves here in Florida. I should also way that I'm probably a "Scent whore" too. I like my clothes to not only feel clean, but have a scent too when they are done.

My best friend (who has a traditional toploader) has been using Tide with Febreze and has been raving about it. So, I decided to break down and buy a bottle, as he said the liquid has a stronger scent. Well, with the reduced amount, my clothes did come clean but still had suds. Not enough to make my machine suds lock, but still made me very nervious about it. So, I went back to Gain Liquid HE. Can't find Gain HE powder here anymore. I have had good results with the liquid, but as a general rule I do feel powders clean better over all. I also still have people telling me that I should use liquid because I am on a septic system. (I know that statement is not true), but that always haunts the back of my mind. I also find powders less expensive to use. For example, a 100oz of liquid tide He (atleast here in my stores)runs $7.99. and you get 26 loads. A 71oz box of powder is the same price but you get 31 loads. So the long and short of it is, I'm still torn on which to use.

 

[maytagbear]

And, that, friends

is why the manufacturers love to sell liquid detergents...to sell water at detergent prices!

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[zipdang]

Robert/RE563: I really am a detergent whore. I just thought slut would make me sound more virtuous. (As much as that's possible.)

Today I was at Costco and read the label on their 300 oz. size Kirkland Free and Clear HE-compatible liquid (it can be used in either HE or conventional machines). Get this: the directions are to fill the cap to line 2 for large loads, but it's specified for large loads in HE machines to fill the cap to line 3 (the maximum amount). Now, doesn't that seem backwards? In an HE machine that uses at most half the water of a toploader, one is supposed to use MORE detergent? Must be that new math.

Our Costcos now also have the 300 oz. size of Liquid Tide HE for $17.99. That didn't strike me as any great bargain.

 

[sudsmaster]

Zipdang,

Yes, the dosing instructions on the Kirkland/Costco "HE Compatible" detergents is back-asswards, and it's a good indication that Kirkland/Costco doesn't know what it's doing when it comes to HE detergents. I have tried both the liquid and powder versions, and they suds too much to be effective cleaners in a front loader, IMHO.

 

[pulsatron]

Liquid wins.

Just a follow up guys I think I shall be sticking with liquid Surf from now on because you do not have to worry about pre-dissolving it and it rinses clean with just a single spin-rinse in the T.T. thus saving me water and time and also I like the pretty blue bottle which the Ocean Fresh fragrance comes in(it has a pretty dolphin on it and I love dolphins),also it has a really fresh almost aromatic aroma which lingers in your clothe for ages.
Sorry Persil powder you are officially dumped.
Cheers folks.
Steve.

 

[toggleswitch]

If you spill a liquid, you've got a slippery, gooey mess

Just keep some paper-toweling on hand when those moments can be anticipated. And for G-d's sake, watch your aim!

HMMM liquid detergents gumming up machine. NEVER heard or thought of it. Are we sure it's not those waxy softeners?

Fascinating to me that low wash-water temps are absolute anathema outside this country.

I believe it has been proven that powders wash better~ in order to *load* liquids up with he same level of cleaning power, they would have to be be as thick as molasses, honey.

 

[toggleswitch]

And, that, friends is why the manufacturers love to sell liq

see, and I heard decades ago that the ingredient labeled as "filler" in detergent powders was sawdust. Makes you use more (remember when it was a full cup to top-loader?) AND you HAVE to buy softener.

Think about it logically. How was AmWay powdered detergent able to allow you to use an 1/8 of a cup (standard coffee scoop measure). No fillers!

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM............

http://www.amway.com/en/Product/home-care-products-10386.aspx

 

[westytoploader]

Only powders here! I try to keep the detergent shelf in the Studio stocked well with many different varieties of powder. Right now I have Tide w/Bleach, Fab, Fresh Start, Gain, Bold Plus, Surf, Chinese Tide, Roma, Viva, Ariel OxiAzul, Persil powder, Persil tabs, and Bold 2-in-1 tabs.

Persil LiquiGels are the exception. Excellent detergent; dissolves quickly, smells nice, rinses well...I need to get online and order more! I don't use it very often, but one of these days I'm going to run out! Same with the other British detergents I picked up in the Cayman Islands last summer.

Robert mentioned in previous threads that liquid detergents and chlorine bleach can deteriorate the neoprene rubber on a vintage Frigidaire's agitator...probably the cause of many cracked diaphragms and dropped rings we've seen. The "hard" diaphragms on the 1-18s (and some solid-tub Rollermatics) are exceptions.

--Austin

 

[mrcleanjeans]

I remember in the 70s when phosphates were banned in powders,and washing soda was now the main water softening ingredient instead.The washer manufacturer's laundry guides VEHEMENTLY insisted that the non-phosphate powders would react with hard water minerals,forming precipitates in the washer and the clothing,greying the whites,and not fully desolving in cold water.Thus,I'm a liquids man,unless I find mexican phosphated powders.