Powders without Optical Brightners?

[jbrady3324]

I’m coming to end of my Cheer powder stash and need to find an alternative powder without OBs for darks/colors. I really liked Cheer cleaning performance and used it for lights as well to prevent fading on some of our nicer light clothing. I use Tide powder for everything else.

Anyways, what is the best powder without OBs these days?

I’m located in the US (Chicago area).

 

[launderess]

Regret to inform you that none of top shelf powdered laundry detergents (to wit, Tide) are OBA free.

You thus have limited range of options.

First you can go to eBay and similar places to track down NOS boxes of Cheer.

If that's not up your street look into offerings of "colour" powdered detergents from Europe such as Persil and others.

Unlike USA European laundry detergent market still has good selection of powdered detergents on offer. Those for colours and or darks usually do not contain OBAs or bluing agents. However, it is wise to check label for list of ingredients.

You didn't say what sort of washer owned, if a front loader then things should be fine. In fact you may come out ahead in that even if European detergents cost more than Cheer, normally you will be using less.

https://www.amazon.com/Persil-Color-Powder-washloads-Opportunity/dp/B00QEUSVCO

Miele USA also offers a laundry detergent powder for colours.

https://www.amazon.com/Miele-7903320-Ultra-Color-Powder/dp/B005MQXP4K

 

[jbrady3324]

Thanks for the fantastic info.

I’ve been debating between Color Megaperls, Color Pulver, and Color Professional to replace Cheer powder (which I was very happy with). What is the difference between these 3 versions? Persil is cheaper than Cheer (eBay)

Could I mix in a little oxi to mimic Cheers chlorine neutralizer?

 

[jbrady3324]

Forgot to mention that I have a LG Front Loader.

 

[launderess]

Megaperls is Persil's answer to more concentrated powdered detergent. Less dust, easier to dispense, use less but get same cleaning power, etc...

Persil "Professional" is Henkel's answer to what P&G and others have done with their TOL detergents such as Tide. Create a version for OPL (hotels, restaurants, catering, etc...)laundries. It comes in larger sizes which offers economy and of course suits places that use quite a lot of product at a go.

Issue some find with Persil's megaperls is sometimes the hard little beads of detergent bounce around when being poured into dispenser. That and when flushed into drum those beads can end up in the boot or clinging to porthole until dissolved.

Generally but not always most Americans find German Persil streets ahead of P&G's Tide across the board. This is especially true of powdered detergents of which P&G seems to have lost their way.

https://cranraspberryblog.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/tide-and-persil-laundry-detergent-reviews-pt-1/

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5373373/persil-megapearls-color-universal-dosing-help

 

[gelaundry4ever]

gain detergent

What about Gain detergent? Does it have optical brighteners or is it free of them?

 

[labboy]

I’ve used German Persil Color Megaperls as well as Color Powder in my LGs as well as my Miele and have found them outstanding. You need very little as (even the powder) is super concentrated. Also, dosing is based on German / European water hardness which is generally very hard. I’m in San Diego with water hardness around 16-18 gr/gal. So, with US water being (generally) much softer relative to parts of Europe I use much less than the lowest dosing.

I got a great deal on eBay for some Professional color powder which I’m currently working through. Current dosing is 2 tbsp of color powder for a 5-6 kg load in our Miele W1. Depending on what’s in the load, I may also add 1 tbsp of STPP. Other than that, I use no other additives and everything comes out beautifully.

I’ve really come to love the various Miele detergents. I’ve tried UltraColor liquid and really liked it. UltraWhite is amazing and (once I burn through the Persil Color) I’ll probably make that my color powder go-to.

Bob

 

[launderess]

Outside of a few instances all powdered and liquid laundry detergents from P&G sold in USA have OBAs.

"Formula Contains: Cleaning Agents (Sodium C10-16 Alkylbenzenesulfonate, C14-15 Pareth), Cleaning Aids (Sodium Polyacrylate), Colorants, Enzymes (Subtilisin, Lipase), Fragrances, Process Aids (Sodium Sulfate, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Silicate, Water, Bentonite, Organosilicone Copolymer), Water Softener (Sodium Silicoaluminate), Whitening Agent (Fluorescent Brightener)."

https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?96575_5~1

IIRC Cheer powdered detergents did not have OBAs, but most or all liquid version did or do.

Tide "Free and Gentle" liquid with or without Downy IIRC was reformulated a while ago and is OBA free. Tide PurClean also is OBA free IIRC.

https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?28139_19

 

[jbrady3324]

Launderess and Bob, thank you for the fantastic info. It sounds like the Zeolite content in Perls should be of no concern as long as dosing is correct. If the assumption is right, do you recommend Persil Color Perls over Persil Color Powder? I have found the following pricing:

Persil Color Powder (90 load) - $50
Persil Color Perls (16 load) -$21.99

Doing the match Perls would be roughly $65 for the equivalent (recommended) loads. Should I go with the Perls given that info?

I’m using an LG FL w/ STPP and only warm/hot washes. Rarely do I use cold except for pre soak.

 

[nmassman44]

I use the Persil Color Powder and get great results. One thing with the MegaPearls is that if you have a washer that does not have a recirculation system, my late Frigidaire built GE front loader did not have one, the Pearls will go right thru the drum and into the pump sump boot and will just sit there until the washer drains. Nothing more maddening to hear the detergent get thrown down the drain and was barely used. The Powder Persil is outstanding and I use both the color for ,well ,colors and Persil Universal Powder for whites and towels. I bought the new Teifenrein , Deep Clean version and it also protects the washer from bactreria build up...how true that is can be debatable plus it also protects the heating element that my LG 4000 series washer has. ...I buy the 50 load boxes on Amazon for a cool $39 a box and it lasts me about 4 months give or take.

 

[launderess]

Since about 1980's or so many if not most European h-axis washing machines have had small plastic ball in sump. Thing floats up as water enters washer (filling) to prevent detergent or other laundry additive products from being flushed down sump into drain.

Have used both powder and megaperls detergents in my vintage Miele W1070 without issue. All detergent or whatever is in dispenser drawers goes into wash or rinse cycles as should.

Can say system works because do not see any great amounts of detergent being flushed down sink as machine drains from pre-wash, main wash or soak cycles.

https://www.espares.co.uk/answer/es545182/47506/whats-the-oko-ball-in-the-sump-hose-do-indesi

https://www.washerhelp.co.uk/forums...ne-keep-draining-after-completing-all-cycles/

As have said some have complained that when megaperls are flush into machine some end up in porthole boot. Those beads may or may not dissolve quickly, especially if they settle into folds which can cause issues.

To be fair same also happens to some extent with various pods, that is one reason many don't like em.

 

[logixx]

Labboy

At over 15 gr/gal, your water would be considered hard according to the German scale:

Below 8 gr/gal is soft
Below 14 gr/gal is medium
Above 14 gr/gal is hard
(according to Wikipedia)

 

[mrboilwash]

Alexander`s right!

Grains per gallon (gpg) is nearly the same as German Degrees (°dH) not just according to Wikipedia (wich is always to be taken with a "grain" of salt) but according to many hardness converters found on the net too.

Soft water in Europe can be just as soft as soft water in the US the only difference I think is that what we consider still "medium hard" would be already considered hard in the US. There also seems to be more ground water used in Europe so chances are higher that someone living in Europe has to deal with hard water than someone living in the US where more (softer) surface water is used as drinking water.
But if someone has 16 gpg it still converts to 15.35 °dH and thus the correct dose of a European detergent would be the one for "hard water".

Don`t know where some of the Myths on Automaticwasher.com come from and why they`re so persistent.

 

[jbrady3324]

@nmassman44 - do you have a preference between Megaperld and Powder?