Water Softners

[liberatordeluxe]

Can someone tell me what detergent is better to use with a water softner unit? Should liquid detergents be best avoided when using artificial water softening units? Be interested to know if anyone else has a water softner and what they use.

Thanks

 

[wayupnorth]

Water softner

My well water is extremely hard with alot of iron but I have found really no difference in any type of soap or detergent using soft water other than it does suds much better than with plain well water. Clothes tended to look dingy on the hard water and the dishwasher did not clean well. Softer water enables you to use much less soap to achieve the better results I feel.

 

[hoovermatic]

I have a Culligan mains water softener and have had one for years. I use whatever I feel like - liquid, powder, tabs, caps, whatever. You shouldn't need to change any of the products you use. The only difference will be you need to experiment with HOW MUCH you use. Same with dishwashers - I still put salt in it but probably only refil it once or twice a year. Turn the rinse aid down about 50% and switch to powdered detergent so you can reduce the dosage, which you can't do with a tablet's fixed dosage. As for softener in the washing machine, I use about a third of a cap, maximum. Hope that helps!

 

[liberatordeluxe]

@ Hoovermatic

I think you may i have misunderstood my post. I have an artificial mains water softner made in the USA and sold by Wickes. I have NEVER used calogon or water softners as they are in detergents already. I wanted to know do you find liquids harder to rinse out of washing with soft water or powders easier. The reccommended dose for example of Ariel Excel gel for normal soiled clothes is 37ml now that would be extremely difficult to rinse out of my clothes what with my water softner so i use about 5 ml for normal soiled and is fine. I do think modern detergents are extremely difficult to rinse out!!!!! The makers need to come up with a detergent that rinses off easily with 3 rinses max!

 

[hoovermatic]

I thought your question was quite clear - you have a mains softener, the kind you put salt into, right?

 

[liberatordeluxe]

Hi Hoovermatic yes that is right the ones you have to put salt in. How much detergent do you use for yours for a normal soiled load?

 

[hoovermatic]

For a normal soiled load I would use the dosage recommended for soft water and light soiling. It will take a bit of time to get it right but once you do, you will find that all cleaning chemicals last a LOT longer. For example, I am using Daz tablets at the moment and on a normal soiled load, I use one as opposed to the two that they recommend - they all come wrapped in twos. I don't use caplets because you can't adjust. If you are using powder, reduce the dosage to half what you would have used before you had the softener. Half a cap of Comfort/Lenor etc. One of the best things about water softeners are noticeable when you shower and shave. I have just had a new kitchen which meant my softener was disconnected for a couple of weeks and I hated it!

 

[servisspectrum]

Hi Hoovermatic,

Great that is very helpful advice. Can i ask on the last rinse cycle is the rinse water crystal clear or does it have some bubbles on top of the rinse water? Do you get your water softner serviced?

Thanks

 

[hoovermatic]

I have an h-axis top loader so I don't actually know if there are any bubbles on the top of the last rinse water but I have occasionally stopped the machine during the last rinse because I have forgotten to add softener and the water seems pretty clear to me. The softener I have now I had from new and didn't have it serviced for 8 years, which was a mistake because several things needed replacing (clock, float valve and something else which eludes me). I don't think they need servicing as often as the makers say but they do need it periodically. I am going to have it serviced this year - the first time since 2009. You can tell from the water if it isn't working correctly and also the rate that it uses salt is an indication. The inside of the salt hopper gets encrusted with salt and it is always worth clearing that off - rather like scraping ice off the walls of a freezer, of just bang the outside and it will fall off. All in all, it sits there and just does its thing twice a week whilst I am in bed and that is that. The water in this area is as hard as nails and I wouldn't be without it.

 

[zanussi_lover]

I recommend powder

Powders tend to rinse out alot better than liquids, particularly persil and surf If you use a tablespoon per wash. I'm using Formil Biological (lidl) which is very good, as it rinses out really well.

and you can adjust the dosage, I sometimes mix with soda crystals if i have heavy stains so i can use the same dosage for soft water and get a good wash still as soda crystals are a water softener and stain remover.

 

[liberatordeluxe]

@ Zanussi_lover Have you used liquids before then? I always thought liquids would of been easier to rinse out because they were predissolved. How did you come to find powders rinsed easier? When i stayed at a friends house for 2 weeks i had to do the washing and the water there is terribly hard anyway i was using Daz concentrated liquid. No joke even after 5 rinses i was still trying to rinse out the suds and they didn't have a water softner. What on earth do these companies use in liquid detergents to make them so difficult to rinse?

 

[zanussi_lover]

Powders/Liquids

Yes i have used liquids before, Its a common fact powders clean better, remove stains better and rinse better, I think liquids are only really good for colour protection as they dont have bleach in, but they are bad for washing machines as continued use of Liquids mixed with Low temperatures can cause mould and gunk build up and bad smells, if you only use liquid on 30 or 40 for example.

As for rinsing im not sure, liquids tend to have more soap in than powders.

If you are worried about rinsing issues, try using white vinegar in final rinse cycle as white vinegar is a mild acid, which breaks down any soapy detergent residue in the wash. Its great for towels and strips away any detergent build up which makes them crunchy and hard.

 

[liberatordeluxe]

I always thought soap based detergents were better to use with water softners? Have you noticed that Ariel powders don't contain soap but Persil ones do? Do you use colour detergents or one with bleach? The bleach should be colour safe as its oxygen based but it has brightening agents in too. Am not sure if brightening agents cause colour loss or not.

 

[zanussi_lover]

I use both

I use both kinds, If you use detergent with oxygen bleach on dark colours, they will fade, if you use detergent without oxygen bleach on whites, they will go dingy and grey.

Liquids dont have oxygen bleach which makes them good for darks, but I find they dont keep whites white.

tend to use Liquids on dark colours though, currently using Bold 2in1 Gel, which im very happy with as I like the softening aspect of the detergent which means I dont need to add conditioner.

 

[liberatordeluxe]

@zanussi_lover this a picture of my machine on rinse 4 using Tesco colour gel at 35ml dose as reccommended for normal soil. It has a bath mat and big table cloth in both of which were very dirty. I washed this at 40 C. As you can see after 4 rinses the stuff does not rinse out at all! This is not my machine at fault but the detergent. I never get this with powder or tablets though! The rinse water is always crystal clear with powder and tablets but never liquids except Stergene or Ecover delicate which both rinse 100% away. I wish the detergent manufacturers made a laundry liquid that rinsed properly but i doubt that will ever happen.

 

[hoovermatic]

If you have a mains softener, you can ignore any dosage advice for normal soil. Soft water/light soil is the most you will ever need. The thing with water softeners is that the water is so ridiculously soft that you really need very little detergent at all and it seems alien - I know - I have been through the process but beleive me, you will soon get used to it. I have no idea how much laundry you do on a weekly basis but I NEVER buy large boxes of powder - a small box last me a couple of months.

I have been a big user of Ariel Gel since it came out as I have always been an advocate of low temperature washing having lived in Australia for 5 years and washed in cold water with perfect results. One regular Ariel Gel pack will last me about 3 months. You will only need to fill the dispenser a quarter to a third maximum.

 

[launderess]

Ariel Excel Gel

Can tell you from experience with the "Alpine Frachie" French version that one has to be very stingy with dosage or the Miele does not rinse it out all well. That is with a machine that does five deep rinses, so go figure.

If one used the dosages listed on the packet am quite sure the detergent would never rinse free from laundry.

 

[liberatordeluxe]

@ Launderess Procter and Gamble obviously like to make their detergents difficult to rinse out!!!!! As i have a softner that im still getting used to i have to be careful how much i use too. Am going to go back to powders or tablets as they are easier to rinse out according to some of the comments on here.

 

[launderess]

Well Have No Problems With Liquid Tide

Free and Clear, so it seems to be the Ariel Excell that one has to worry about.

Methinks it may have something to do with high concentration of surfactants in gel and now more concentrated liquid detergents.

Then again vintage Wisk liquid wasn't easy to rinse away either so could be something about liquid detergents after all.