whats everyone favorite detergent

[goblue]

i like tide but mostly buy environmentally sound detergents (method,Seventh generation,full circle)

i do like oxyclean it works great. got stains out i never thought. its work the extra buck over bleech and is yes a environmentally friendly pick

 

[frigilux]

After spending a couple of years experimenting with many brands of detergent from all over the place, here's what I now keep in my laundry cupboard:

1. Tide 2X With ColorClean Bleach (liquid; both HE and regular versions)

2. SA8 With Bioquest (powder)

3. Tide Coldwater (powder)

4. Cheer For Dark Colors or Woolite For Dark Colors

 

[jeffg]

Whites/light colored towels/underwear/other cottons: 3/4 c. Tide Free powder + 1 T. Charlie's Laundry Powder + 1 T. STPP

If heavily stained, Tide with Bleach

Darks: Woolite for Darks

Synthetics: regular Woolite

Cashmere/silks: Perwoll Wool & Silk

 

[whitekingd]

I just recently started using Oxydol Detergent and Snowy All Fabric Bleach, when needed. This combo took out set in stains that Tide and Biz didn't get out. I am impressed. I use Woolite for cold water items, Suavitel Fabric Softener, and, of course, Mrs. Stewart's Liquid Bluing for the whites!

 

[kirbykid63]

I like the mexican detergents

I think my favorite detergents are Foca and Ariel, one quarter cup in my sister in law's kenmore front loader and the cloths always get bright and clean.I dont experience any over sudsing using this amount.

Richard

 

[ptcruiser51]

Oxydol!

A fan of all things 50s, this still works as well as it did in my Aunt Mary's Maytag wringer (with the 'belly button' switch). I use the 'with color safe bleach' type and have never had a disappointment. For nasty-a$$ stains I soak in Oxy-Clean for a long time (overnight is best). Seldom use Clorox. For anything really weird, I use the Chem-Dry bomb (like for carpets), C-D is owned by Home Depot, so I'm a little slanted there.

Environmentally safe? I hear that, but remember I live in NJ!

 

[nmaineman36]

This is a good thread....for me its..drum roll please...
1) Persil MegaPearls
2) Persil PowerGel Universal.
3) Persil Universal powder
4) Tide HE Powder
5) Omo Powder
6) Stop and Shop Liquid HE Detergent
7) Tide w/Bleach Powder
8) Canadian Sunlight HE Powder
9) Miele Ultra white HE Powder
10) SA8 Powder
I used to love SA8 but after buying some very recently it doesnt clean as well anymore. I think they reformulated it...they should have left it alone. Also as you can see I loves me some Persil. I bought the Persil PowerGel Green gel and love the scent and the way it cleans. Rinses well and does a fantastic job. Its been awhile since I went to Canada and got the Sunlight HE stuff...that cleans well too. I also used to get Javex2 powder but I dont know if they still make it.
My 5 cents.

 

[neptuneguy27]

My Favorites are....

1) Persil Universal Powder
2) Persil Color
3) Persil Megapearls Color
4) Cheer with Colorguard
5) Gain
6) Daz
7) Tide HE

Like Maineman, I love Persil and use it for pretty much all my white and colored laundry. Smells great and rinses clean in my Epic. I do keep on hand some Biz for prewashing and presoaking and that works quite well.

Chris

 

[goblue]

sa8 a great detergent i think its better then tide but its EXPENSIVE and amway a shifty company.

 

[vintagesearch]

my faves:
DETERGENTS
tide with febreze citrus and light
tide he
gain
kirkland signature ultra (free and clear)
all free and clear
purex
pathmark heavy duty detergent (yes it generic but works)
duane reade detergent (yes i swear it works)

FABRIC SOFTENERS/CONDITIONERS

suavitel fresh dew or field of flowers or baby soft
downy with febreze citrus and light or clean breeze
gain island fresh
downy (99 cent mexican version)
cuddle soft mountain spring (generic)
pathmark april fresh
purex stapuf
nice n fluffy mountain spring

 

[dixieland]

-GAIN POWDER (original scent)
-FRESH START (the powder in a bottle!)

Fabric Softener:
-TARGET BRAND (regular scent)
-CUDDLE SOFT (regular scent)
-DOWNY FREE

 

[jeffg]

Downy Ultra Free here as well (just for socks)

 

[frigilux]

Mike---OK, so I'm not the only one who noticed a change in SA8's cleaning ability! I just got a new box and it is not removing stains like the three boxes I had before it. I think you're right; They must have reformulated. Something has definitely changed with SA8; I'm finding tomato and tomato/grease stains are not removed well at all. And tomato stains are probably my most common kitchen stains.

I find liquid Tide 2X With ColorClean Bleach removes more stains thoroughly than new SA8 does. That makes SA8 not worth the price or the hassle of ordering.

Besides, I'm back to using Clorox on all white loads---which for me are sheets, bath linens, kitchen linens and undergarments/socks---so stains are removed well no matter what detergent I'm using.

 

[j2400]

I mostly use the environmentally friendly stuff, like Seventh Generation.

Right now, I'm using a "natural" formulation (or so they claim) of Arm and Hammer. When this bottle runs out, who knows? I haven't had any problem, but I have poor brand loyalty. I buy what's convenient and cheap, and I tend to buy new choices when possible just to try something new. You know you are getting old when trying a new laundry detergent truly excites you!

I have some sentiment for Cheer and Fresh Start, since those were the brands I remember my mother using. Cheer was also the very first brand of detergent I ever bought.

 

[twinniefan]

My choices

Hello people,
Here are my choices,
1.Persil non bio-(very hard to get in Australia,but not impossible.).
2.Surf range-powder and liquid-(works ok and reasonably priced usually.).
3.Henkel's German Persil-(unfortunately cannot get anymore.).
4. Radiant liquid.
5.Dynamo with a dash of Sard stain remover-(can be a bit messy as it is a thick liquid, but do not overdose and usually ok.)
6. Country Homestead lavender wool wash for woollens.

 

[~sudsshane]

My Favs-

Detergents:

Tide with Bleach Powder
Fresh Start
Tide HE Powder
Foca
Roma
Fab Powder

Fabric Softeners:

Final Touch
Non-Concentrated Downy- April Fresh scent.

 

[sudsmaster]

One uses a varity of soaps and detergents for different purposes;

1) Grated Ivory Soap with a dash of STPP for towels and linens that you want to have that somewhat undefinable softeness and hand feel.

2) Sears Ultra Plus HE powder with 33% STPP for everyday colors (shirts, jeans, et). Works really well on very dirty/oily work clothes.

3) Safeway Ultra Free HE liquid for those days when I don't want to bother with grated soap for the bath towels. It seems to give the softest results of non-soap detergents.

4) Persil powder for use in the Miele for "sanitizing" hot washes (150F to 170F) for tidy whities and kitchen towels.

5) Sears Ultra Plus He with Oxyclean powder, usually as is, sometimes with added STPP, sometimes for sheets or whites or towels or whatever. Works ok in the Neptune up to 130F. A little over sudsy in the Miele at 150F and above.

6) Sears Ultra Plus HE with Color safe bleach and 33% STPP for bed sheets, linens, whites up to 130F.

 

[jeffg]

Rich, 33% STPP sounds like a lot (commercial detergents that use it are 6-12%). Have you run into color running or fading with the higher amounts?

 

[sudsmaster]

Jeff,

You may be confusing phosphorus content of 6-12% with phophate content of 33%. As I recall, 33% STPP is about 8% phosphorus content. That's because phosphorus isn't the only atom in an STPP molecule. It also has sodium and oxygen.

Here's the chem math:

STPP formula: Na5P3O10

Mol wts: Na (23), P (31), O (16).

Total wet of one mole of STPP: 368 g.

Portion that is P: 93g.

93/368=.252

.252x33=8.3

Thus, a 33% STPP mix contains 8.3% Phosphorus by weight.

 

[jeffg]

Rich, that makes total sense. Thanks!

 

[laundromat]

Liquid or powdered Gain with Bleach

 

[gyrafoam]

Viva for heavy duty dirty/greasy stuff. Whites I intend to bleach whith Clorox.

Foca for colored/mixed stuff and whites needing bluing.

Paloma is perfect for towels (leaves the fragrance of the old Cashmere Bouquet bars of soap) Wonderful!

 

[tuthill]

TIDE

The smell just gets me, it's like being 5 again.

 

[gyrafoam]

Dude you are 'trippin. Tide doesn't smell like it did when I was 5. The formulae has changed too much.NO PHOSPHATES. Isn't even high-sudzing anymore. How long ago were you five?
The old Tide smelled just like "Gray Flannel" cologne..

 

[vintagesearch]

i remember the smell tide had in the late 80's and early 90's it did have a cologne type of smell i remember the "clothesline fresh" scent they used to have also the "lemon" one too! ahhh the good old days

 

[launderess]

Rankings Are In No Particular Order:

Tide "Pro-Line" In Wash Stain Remover (MSDS says it is the same as Tide detergent)

Persil Sensitive (only bought a case because one received a good deal, otherwise probably wouldn't have bothered).

Wisk Tablets - Discontiuned but still have some left in my stash. Really love the fresh scent. Should have bought the job lot when they were at a local close-out store.

Vintage Biz "Bleach" - Though advertised as an activated oxygen bleach, works well enough with nothing else added, though do often add one tablespoon of STPP. Great for linens and or items with bit of a whiff to them.

Caldrea Detergent - "White Clover" scent. Smells lovely and cleans fine linens well.

Kruessler (sp?) European Professional Laundry Detergent - Coloured version. Great detergent for colours, darks, and or items that have dye run problems. No OBAs,bleaches, or heavy dose of sodium carbonate. Can also be used with whites with same excellent results. Sort of like Persil for colours, though without the heavy scent.

Vintage Fels Naptha Soap - When all else fails, Fels will shift anything from ink stains to lipstick. Too high sudsing to use on it's own in my Miele washer, but fun in the Hoover twin tub.

Vintage Kirkman's Borax Soap - Nice good laundry soap, similar to Fels in cleaning ability, but does not contain naptha, or harsh builders, there for good for colours.

Honourable Mentions:

Vintage La France "Bluing" - Stuff is Ok, but honestly don't see what all the fuss is about. Don't use it often, have only about 10 or so boxes in my stash, so don't want have it go all at once.

Bleachette Bluing - Tradional dolly bag blue. Great to run white shirts, linens and such though a bluing rinse every now and then to rid them of the dreaded yellow.

Mrs. Stewarts Bluing - (aka ink). Most certianly for top loading washing machines, or tub rinsing. If not well mixed with water will leave stains and streaks that are impossible to remove.

Satina Ironing Aid - Oh sweet mystery of life, at last I've found you! Great when mixing up boiled starch, gives laundry a smooth gloss and makes ironing easier.

 

[gorenje]

Hello people,
well this is a thread I really like, since I'm a collector of laundry detergents from all over the world.
My detergents for daily use are:

for whites:
Dash (italian) or
Persil (slovenian or original german) or
Dixan (italian) (basicly the same as Persil)

for colors:
Tide he (american) not for long (
Luna (slovenian) http://www.lunasveti.com
or whatever brand as long as it is liquid

for darks and delicates:
woolite or
dreft the web page is only in russian but the bottle is the same http://www.dreft.ru/

 

[jeffg]

I tried Persil and it didn't clean any better than Tide.

So why (at least in the U.S.) does Persil cost six or seven times as much as Tide?

Henkel must be making a killing on this stuff.

 

[launderess]

Tried Persil (the former powdered version in the huge box), and yes, found it cleaned no better than Wisk tablets, so did not bother with a reorder. Again, had not the current boxes been a good offer, probably wouldn't have bothered.

Miele sets the MSRP for Persil in the United States,as the sole importer from Germany. Though one does see other places not affiliated with Miele such as a German online store in Texas that sells Persil and other Henkel detergents including Dato.

Think the price of Persil refects various costs of importing to these shores, and mark-ups along the way. Few places affilated with Miele sell Persil at the low price Miele charges directly. Again one has to figure the mark-ups. Doubt if Henkel makes huge sums on the deal, aside from selling crate loads of product to Miele. Besides Miele probably gets a very favourable rate on Henkel products, seeing they are buying in such large amounts. Oh, do not forget the exchange rate as well.

What one does find is Persil, at least the Megaperls versions and powders, are less reliant on heavy dosages of washing soda than American detergents. This tends to mean easier and cleaner rinsing and softer laundry.

L.

 

[seeitrun2006]

Tide 2x HE original scent

Have used Tide for many years now. It's only detergent that does not cause my wife to have a rash. Everything else does.