The Downy that SHOULD be sold in stores…

[volvoman]

To build off an earlier thread about P&G’s commercial/professional line, the Mrs. and I decided to splurge and get a bottle of “Downy Professional”…and boy, are we surprised!

First, this does not smell anything like the sweet, sickly scents that P&G sells at your local supermarket. Rather, the scent is extremely light…clean…a touch chemicall-ish…almost “hotel-like”, if that makes any sense.

Second, it’s a thinner liquid. By a lot. Whereas the stuff you can buy locally is so thick, it needs to be diluted in the washer’s dispenser (and you can actually see it separate somewhat as it hits the water), this does not need to be diluted. Not at least from what I can tell.

Lastly, no colorant. Not that this matters to us, but it might to others.

At $24, it was pricey, but definitely worth it.

 

[qsd-dan]

I'm not a fan of typical softeners as they contain grease, oil, wax, and other ingredients that are toxic. I use plant based softeners but if you're happy with the results, I'm happy for you

 

[mark_wpduet]

This is exactly the reason I find the generic fabric softener smells much better than the Downy... The current FS I have now is Kirkland from Costco and it's much thinner too and it reminds me of the way Downy used to smell...

I don't use much FS at all...it takes me FOREVER to go through a bottle.

 

[askolover]

I'm happy with Walmarts GV fabric softener. Not too strongly scented.

 

[maytag85]

It seems as though P&G is putting “Professional” on their popular products such as Tide and Downey. If you really want professional, be professional with using hot or warm water, how the machine is loaded aka not stuffed full, the wash time and so forth.

 

[launderess]

"I'm not a fan of typical softeners as they contain grease, oil, wax,.."

None of that about here:

Ingredients: water, diethyl ether dimethyl ammonium chloride, polyquaternium-33, formic acid, calcium chloride, pentasodium pentetate, fragrances

Downy "Professional" delivers softening by use quat compounds.

Fabric softeners made from cationic surfactants (to wit, "quats") largely are free of issues seen with oil, fat and wax based products. They're usually more fluid (thinner consistency) and remain stable longer. Whereas many of us know other sorts of FS can curdle into something resembling bad Hollandaise sauce if left too long. Once this happens product must be binned as it's no longer a stable emulsion and no amount of agitation will change things.[this post was last edited: 4/26/2024-13:15]

 

[gelaundry4ever]

pump variety

I wish they sold this in the pump variety so I can easily measure it without it gunking up the line, not to mention the dispenser.

 

[qsd-dan]

"Fabric softeners made from cationic surfactants (to wit, "quats") largely are free of issues seen with oil, fat and wax based products."

Learned something new, thanks Launderess.

 

[volvoman]

Wow

Never knew this, either. I'll have to see what the ingredients are in Plebian Downy. Thanks for this information!

 

[Chetlaham]

Where did you buy this? I want to try it. I find anything commercial/professional to be light years ahead of anything consumer grade. I feel like businesses care more about you running another business than being an average buyer.

 

[launderess]

Ohhh yes!

Bought two one gallon containers of industrial/professional FS from Warsaw chemicals off fleaPay many years ago now. Stuff is mostly quats (DIHYDROGENATED TALLOWAMIDOETHYL HYDROXYETHYLMONIUM METHOSULFATE), alcohol and other bits. Container even gives directions for dosing in wringer washing machines....

Since it's very concentrated requiring one ounce or less per 10lbs of wash the stuff lasts. Took some time to use up first container and have just started second several months ago, and it's still nearly full. To be fair don't use FS that often which accounts for something.

Any-who both finished container and product remaining are just as fluid and fresh as when new. Meanwhile job lot of Vernel "Rose" FS one nabbed from Germany long since has curdled and turned to muck. Sadly barely used two of the six bottles before remaining had to be binned. It had curdled so badly it was neither use nor ornament on wash day.

On another note not everyone is thrilled with quats in any or many forms. But at rate things are going nowadays nearly everything is going to cause death or illness, so there you are.

https://www.ewg.org/cleaners/substa...LLOWAMIDOETHYLHYDROXYETHYLMONIUMMETHOSULFATE/

https://cosmileeurope.eu/inci/detai...owamidoethyl-hydroxyethylmonium-methosulfate/

 

[launderess]

Quat or cationic fabric softeners have it over wax, oil, fat sorts in that they are less likely to cause residue build-up that decreases ability of fabric to absorb water.

Dryer sheets are a mixed bag:

"Most dryer sheets are made from a nonwoven polyester material coated with a softening agent that has a long hydrophobic chain. Fatty acids, fatty alcohols, and alcohol ethoxylates are all possible softening agents. P&G uses quaternary ammonium salts of fatty acids as its primary softening agents, whereas Unilever, which produces Snuggle dryer sheets, uses a stearic acid."

https://cen.acs.org/articles/86/i15/Dryer-Sheets.html

Quite honestly have long wondered why those who seem to get up in arms over so many other things haven't come for dryer FS sheets.

Aside from what they do to fabrics and interior of tumble dryers, there's all the chemicals being spewed into air from FS sheets via venting system.

https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/stop-using-fabric-softener-or-dryer-sheets/

Nearly every dryer one has seen at laundromats has darkened and coated interiors from heavy dryer FS sheet use. Have stood standing watching persons peel off one, two, three or even four FS sheets and bung them into dryer. This for a load that barely fills half capacity. Am quite sure their laundry must be waterproof by now.

 

[adam-aussie-vac]

Has anybody gotten back to what’s in the original Downey

As I had a look at my local Costco as someone had mentioned in here that the Kirkland brand softener is better in comparison to the brand made by PNG, I had a look and Kirkland surprisingly wasn’t there, I know I’m related though does the Downey brand does that tend to leave a waxy residue? And considering now I know that fabric Softener ages like milk after awhile, I should definitely check my little tiny bottle of Downey as well as any other fabrics soften as I might have, and on a related note to that does anybody know what the general shelf stable life of most modern detergent are?

 

[launderess]

Shelf life...

P&G states their Downy has shelf life of only twelve (12) months.

https://downy.com/en-us/faq

OTOH for Gain P&G states FS have shelf life of between two to three years. Liquid laundry detergent twelve to sixteen months (unopened), and should be used within six months after opening for best results.

https://ilovegain.com/en-us/tips-an...rgent typically,for the best cleaning results.

Powder laundry detergents and other products are quite shelf stable. Can last for years or decades if properly stored. Product that has clumped, caked, hardened into a brick and so forth may not give a good wash.

Oneself and others routinely have used "old" powdered laundry detergent, boosters and other products without issues. Wouldn't touch old liquid products with a barge pole.



For one thing find many older liquid detergents, fabric softeners, etc... have either lost their scent and or whiff isn't what it once was. Am that gutted stash of Ariel "Alpine Fresh" isn't what it once was scent wise. Wash barely has a trace once dried either by air or in tumble dryer.

Also depending upon ingredients old liquid products can separate, congeal, discolor and other evidence it's no longer fresh.

Saw vintage bottles of Tide liquid in local hardware store (this place doesn't get rid of inventory ever). Clear bottle had discolored and contents were an off weird shade of orangey fluid.

Vintage packets of Wisk in our stash contained not a liquid but a semi solid muck with odd granules.

 

[launderess]

Has anybody gotten back to what’s in the original Downey"

Current version of *Downy* (no "e").

Water

Diethylester Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride

Fragrance

Polyquaternium-33

Formic Acid

Blend Of Polyoxyalkylene Substituted Chromophores (Blue And Red)

Pentasodium Pentetate

See: https://smartlabel.pg.com/en-us/00037000739739.html

As for what was in Downy of old, say prior to 2000's who can say...

P&G did not break down things beyond "Biodegradable softening agents", among some other bits.

https://www.whatsinproducts.com/types/type_detail/1/3762/standard/span style="color:#a9a9a9;">Downy%20Ultra-Old%20Product/span>/16-003-073

Or: https://www.whatsinproducts.com/pages/database_search

 

[launderess]

"Never knew this, either. I'll have to see what the ingredients are in Plebian Downy. Thanks for this information!"

Far as one can see there is little difference between "professional" and domestic versions of Downy FS.

Have posted ingredient list above for both and they are quite similar. P&G adds a few colorants to domestic Downy and changes fragrance. Professional Downy has Pentasodium Pentetate (chelating agent), but those differences do seem to be about it.

Commercial/industrial laundry owners sussed P&G out some time ago when reps came around flogging P&G "Pro Line" laundry products. They rightly concluded stuff was largely Tide, Downy and so forth in slightly different formulas.

P&G targets their "professional" or "ProLine" at OPL laundries. Hotels, hospitality, health clubs, gyms... Places that normally do (or need not) subject their linen to intense industrial/commercial laundry systems.

 

[tomturbomatic]

The Suazul softener made in Mexico that I wrote about some months back lists as its ingredients: Water, cationic softeners, fragrance and dye and it is sold in a 33.8 oz. bottle for about $3. The recommended dosage is a capful which is an ounce. I remember when fabric softeners first came out that Staley's Sta Puf and Texize's Laundry Fluff were very thin, but not concentrated like Suazul so the dosage was between 1/3 and 1/2 cup. The fabric softener dispenser on our 58 LK held a half cup. The other softener that I remember from that time was NuSoft which was thicker. The directions were to use a capful, but it was a larger cap so maybe closer to two ounces.