The unit-dose detergents are coming....

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jt1985

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We're starting to get the new unit-dose detergents in at work. And it's not who you'd expect to be first - it's Arm & Hammer.

There are two formulations:

Crystal Burst - a powder-based pac. Has Oxi-Clean stain fighters.

Toss N Done - a liquid-based pac. 4x concentrated, Clean Burst scent.

A 24 count bag of Crystal Burst is priced at $4.97
 
I would love them to bring back the tablets...they had them back in 2001-2002 and I absolutely loved them...they made doing laundry so much easier...i always wondered why they discontinued them....
 
We had them in the early mid 60s also, Vim and Salvo. We used to break the Salvo tablets in half for the WH Laundromat with the revolving agitator. The trouble with the tablets in 2001 was that, while they were low sudsing formulations, the front loading HE washers did not use enough water to guarantee them dissolving if added to the tub (I remember one banging around in the Duet) and they definitely did not dissolve in the dispenser drawer during the wash fill. I still have some. They had to be smushed up to be added to the HE washers which defeated the purpose of the tablets.
 
pre-measured

Pre-measured packs or tablets are great if you only do full loads, but I do many small and medium loads and to use an entire pack or tablet would be wasteful and the load probably wouldn't rinse well. I did like the low sudsing Tide tablets, though, and I have a box or two of the Purex tablets left. I remember using Vim and Salvo in the '60's, but only when I could talk my Mother into giving up her Tide for a week or two....
 
I didn't like the tablets...

I still have a brand new unopened box of 24 Korean-made Purex Tabs, and two packs of 2001 vintage Wisk tablets. I still crush the tablets in the pouch to use them, even did so for my former Kenmore TL. I dump the detergent right in the middle of the wash load , because my detergent dispenser sometimees doesn't remove all the liquids from it! The powders just get on the glass door when the full-fill starts, and makes a total mess! Today's combo laundry tabs or pouches or sheets do NOT clean as well as regular GOOD detergents like the ones I use. Also, Tide Tabs never were low-sudsing! They made a mound of suds in my Kenmore! The smell was nice, though.
 
theres times where these pouches or tabs are handy........

you don't have to carry a whole bottle or box to the laundromat.....

easy dispensing/measuring

these worked great for my nephew in the military to carry along...no mess

I had a lady buy them for her Mother in a nursing home, it would save her major money, because they had to supply detergent for their parents in the home, and the staff would keep any remaining detergent after doing the patients laundry in the facilities.......so enough detergent tabs were left to complete the wash, and the rest was kept in the apt.....without them available, she now buys the laundromat style boxes for useage....of which fabric softener can be purchased as well.....odd, but amazing of what you have to do.....and these tabs made it a little more easier....
 
the tide tablets

I bought and used in my Maytag WERE low sudsing. That's what I liked about them. Maybe there were different formulas for different regions....???
 
I liked Salvo and Vim more then the newer tabs that were out back around 2000. the Salvos were more like a tablet of Dash and Vim was more like All. Vim was a blue tablet that looked like a hockey puck and Salvo looked like a huge Anacin asperine tablet.At that time, we had a Lady kenmore all in one gas washer/dryer combination.They were also making products like Action bleach tablets,Lestare( an oxygen bleach made by the manufacturers of Lestoil and the first ever tablet type washing additive), and Beeds O Bleach a powdered as oposed to liquid chlorine bleach.the combo had seperate dispensers for all additives and we never hadf any problems with tablets disolving.
 
Dropps

I haven't used them. As a matter of fact, my local grocery store is listed as a reseller on their website. Can't say that I have ever seen them in the store. Or perhaps they just don't have much presence on the aisle.

Malcolm
 
the Dropps are a good idea....but the detergent is worthless....I swear it is blue colored water in those little pacs.....terrible at cleaning, even handwashing...I got them on clearance, wasn't worth the money
 
Tablets/unit doses are ok, I guess, if they work. The obvious problem is that it can be difficult to tailor the dosage to the actual needs of the laundry. There can be a lot of leeway when there is an excess of water involved, but modern washers are very sparing with water and so I think the exact detergent dosage becomes more important. Even worse in hard water, probably.

Prescored tablets one could break in half or thirds might be the answer... but then that sort of involves getting one's hands in closer contact with the detergent residue than one might wish.

Besides, what's so difficult about a powder and a scoop, or a liquid and a measuring cap? Why do our washers have to try to be characters out of Valley of the Dolls (where the pill happy housewives of the 60's self-medicated their way to happiness)?
 

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