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mara_2008

Please help - I need info on Woolite Complete

mara_2008
12 years ago

I have a dc who will soon go off to college. I don't know for sure yet if the washers (communal laundry room) are HE or traditional -- I'm guessing the latter.

My dc knows how to do laundry. But he will be very busy, with a full course load and extracurricular travel too. It seems to me that powder detergent might not be as practical to lug back and forth to the laundry room as liquid detergent. And liquid seems to dissolve better in cold water washes. He has some clothes which require a cold-water wash.

I'm hoping some of you here have used Woolite Complete. I haven't; I've only used regular Woolite (and Woolite for Darks when I could find it in HE formula).

I noticed that the bottle of WC I saw at the store is labelled for both HE and 'standard' washers. Does this mean my ds would use the same amount of detergent for either, or does the 'dosage' vary?

Also, would the Woolite Complete get jeans really clean? He is not too hard on clothes as a rule, but of course anything can happen in the course of a day. I'm also concerned about him being able to get his white cotton T-shirts, socks, and undies really clean (realizing he may need to use some OxyClean and wash them in hot water).

I really like the idea of WC, assuming it will get everything clean, as it would simplify laundry so much for him, just using one detergent for everything.

Here's hoping I can get some feedback on this. TIA!

Comments (14)

  • sparky823
    12 years ago

    Why not just go with Tide Total Care HE for the first time. If the machines are regular models the HE will still work fine, then next time buy the reg. Total Care. This way it cleans his whites and all the colors/darks well also.

    I have used Woolite but not the Complete version. JMO

  • Cavimum
    12 years ago

    I have used ALL F&C for several years, and it is labeled HE --- the *only* version on the market, and it only gives one dose, whether for HE or regular, apparently like the WC. All F&C tends to suds up a bit in my new FL (so does Persil!) and I've had to reduce the dose. Depending on which brand & type HE machine your child will deal with, YMMV.

  • livebetter
    12 years ago

    Looking at my bottle of Woolite Complete; it does not give different dosing for HE vs traditional TL.

    It says medium load fill between lines 2 and 3. Hand wash line 1.

    It says, "Woolite Complete Detergent is the perfect balance between cleaning and caring for all fabrics and all colors. It won't cause fading or shape loss, keeping colors vibrant and clothes looking like new longer. Suitable for all your washing machine washables."

    I really like WC. I use it for things like hubbies dress shirts, bedding, towels. It's good for fine cotton linens as it does not contain enzymes or brighteners.

    Not sure what kind of soil your dc will need to tackle. For everyday stuff it's perfectly fine.

    Just thinking about lugging stuff to the laundry though ... another option might be even smaller packaging to make travel to the laundry easier.

    I find the Method detergent cleans very well (even though it's green). It comes in a small pump bottle which can't be easier. No mess - no fuss. For both HE and TL machines.

    This is my mother's new favorite. She said it's so easy to use and she loves the way it cleans and smells. It does contain enzymes and brighteners which do help clean stains better and keep things like whites and colors bright.

    There is also a product called Dropps. Individual pouches of detergent. I've read a lot of people who sent their kids to school with them for ease of use.

    http://www.dropps.com/

    I've used these too and they work. They are more like WC in that they do not contain enzymes or brighteners.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Method Laundry

  • livebetter
    12 years ago

    @mara_2008, go to Amazon to read lots of reviews of the Dropps. Many reviewers talk about kids in college and how great they are for dorm life.

  • Cavimum
    12 years ago

    @livebetter - how strong is the scent of WC? If you're using it, it must be rather mild?

  • livebetter
    12 years ago

    I find it quite mild. Milder than the version for darks or colors. I bought mine in a large jug at Costco (Canada).

  • asolo
    12 years ago

    "My dc knows how to do laundry."

    Good. Stop.

    I don't even know what a "dc" is but I'm thinking this thing sounds like hovering-mother syndrome.

    Suspect his priority list of things to be considered does not have "moms advice about laundry detergent" high on the column.

    Suggest not worrying about this.

  • Cavimum
    12 years ago

    @asolo - been there, done that, survived it. It's a mom thing, and she's having a "mom moment." This too shall pass.
    BTW, DC would be 'dear child.'

    @mara - seriously, I would say don't spend a lot of time worrying about it. If liquid spills, it is heck to clean up. Powders can be swept or vacuumed up. Which is heavier to haul per cubic foot?

    Our son had been doing his own laundry for years, before he went off to college. The two years he lived in the dorm, the laundry room was in the building next door. His clothes survived and I don't remember what I sent him off with, but he probably purchased the cheapest detergent he could find on his student budget to cut corners and leave more $ for other things. The university students always got great student discounts from the local GoodWill store where he attended, on top of sale day prices, and he was quite proud of his purchased tee-shirt collection of sorority formals, local power & light company, save-the-seals, etc., usually bought for 50 cents. This, after all the nice clothes he had. Gah. (rolls eyes)
    ;o)

  • asolo
    12 years ago

    @ Cavimum....thank you....I really had nothing other than suspicion to go on.

    Do stick by my opinion, however. I remember my beginning college days (talking late sixties, here) and the laundry-room thing.....which was basically all the guys making fun of their mothers and the advice that was forced upon them. No caring mother deserves it.....but it comes.

  • Cavimum
    12 years ago

    @asolo - our son acquired such a collection of tee shirts, that he did laundry once a month at college. He'd wash clothes when the laundry room was empty, and fill every washer. I'm so glad I didn't have to witness it. LOL

  • livebetter
    12 years ago

    Ah kids ... sigh ... and for this I gave up world travel? ;)

    I would still check out those Dropps things.

  • mara_2008
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    LOL, asolo! No need for drama, I just assumed posters would know common 'Net abbreviations, and I'm hoping to find a liquid detergent (since powder spills so easily once the box is opened) which will clean all types of laundry well. DS (dear son) is good at doing laundry but has never needed to buy detergent.

    livebetter, thanks so much for the details about Woolite Complete. I'm not sure if it would suffice for every type of laundry, so I'll keep looking. :)

  • itguy08
    12 years ago

    Aaah, I remember college laundry. Put the stuff in the washer and then into the dryer. Use the cheapest stuff you could find and dry them until they were bone dry.

    Then it was off to the laundrimat after college. Take the large front loaders and fill them up. Or a bunch of smaller top loaders. Then into the dryer and dry them until they were bone dry.

    How far I've come to actually care about it, sort things, use different detergents, fabric softeners, etc....

  • flowersnow
    12 years ago

    Itguy08....so,so true!

    Just as an FYI....method and drops are both items that Terracycle collects. School and nonprofit can send them in for money. Check with your local school to see if they have joined Terracycle. Can email me at flowers_now@yahoo if you need more information.