Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
patann_gw

Your two favorite detergents?

Pat z6 MI
12 years ago

I posted a similar question in 2009, but I only asked for powder detergents. The question this year is:

WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT 2 VERY FAVORITE LAUNDRY DETERGENTS, WHETHER POWDER OR LIQUID?

Pat

Comments (27)

  • sshrivastava
    12 years ago

    Tide Total Care
    Persil Megaperls
    Vaska

    Sorry, that's three, but I can't limit myself to two! :)

  • nerdyshopper
    12 years ago

    Plain old powdered Tide with Bleach. Powdered Tide HE with bleach.

  • larsi_gw
    12 years ago

    Tide Total Care he liquid
    Tide with a Touch of Downy he liquid
    Persil Color Gel

    If SStava gets to list three, then so do I!! ;)

  • Pat z6 MI
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    So far, you are making it difficult for me to go Tide-less. I will definitely use Tide Total Care on spouse's darks, maybe spouse's everything. But I'm going to try non-Tide on my things for a while to see if the enzymes are the culprits of my sensitivities. I do realize, SStava, that more rinsing might be the answer here.

    More replies, please.

    Pat

  • izeve
    12 years ago

    Ultra Sears Plus Stain Fighting Formula
    Vaska
    Cheer Powder

  • mysteryclock
    12 years ago

    Ultra Tide HE, Ultra Tide HE with Bleach and Vaska (for wool / silk / other delicates)

  • herring_maven
    12 years ago

    patann: WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT 2 VERY FAVORITE LAUNDRY DETERGENTS, WHETHER POWDER OR LIQUID?

    1. Biokleen All Temperature citrus laundry liquid (enzyme free). Cleans at least as well in warm or hot as any detergent that we ever have used.

    2. Biokleen Cold Water Formula liquid (contains enzymes). Cleans as well as the All Temperature in warm or hot water, but a bit better in cold water.

    Neither is advertised as hypo-allergenic, but both are effectively hypo-allergenic. Both are very concentrated (HE 3X), and therefore very economical. They not only get our laundry very clean, but they leave a very small footprint on the environment as a bonus. (We do supplement with a scoop of 20 Mule Team Borax in each load of laundry.)

    Here is a link that might be useful: (good stuff)

  • stbonner
    12 years ago

    Tide Total Care he
    Tide with bleach alternative he (liquid)
    Vaska for wool and silk

  • svs128
    12 years ago

    Vaska for delicate, sheets and most my clothes
    Method (unscented) for the boys clothes (DH, DS and DS)

    My Mom uses Bikleen and loves it. The price is extremely reasonable in my area.

  • larsi_gw
    12 years ago

    I wish BioKleen worked for me. I've tried it several times, both powder & liquid. It did not remove daily stains from my son's school clothes, and left our laundry feeling a little rough and scractchy. It also left the inside of our stainless wash drum murky and coated looking! Also, the smell was very odd, and clothes did not smell fresh (I admit, that I like scented laundry).

  • dualref
    12 years ago

    Mexican Detergent FOCA

    Persil Bio

    Vaska

  • annie1971
    12 years ago

    I use Charlie's soap on everything.
    Oxyclean, pre wash on stains.
    Oxyclean powder in the wash.
    Don't own bleach; don't use liquid detergent

  • liriodendron
    12 years ago

    Cheer regular powder for everything (almost);

    Except Perwol powder for woven woolens and Eucalan for knitted woolens;

    And Downe for all down-filled items (comforters, pillow, vests, jackets and booties.

    Never use F/S; rarely use bleach (2-3X per year); moderate use of STTP @75 loads/year; occasional use of sodium percarbonate @50 loads/year.

    I have an absurdly large stash of specialty products, I should thin them out.

    L.

  • jenblossom32
    12 years ago

    Tide He w/ Febreze (purple cap)
    Powder Tide HE w/Bleach

  • wildchild
    12 years ago

    Just one: Sears Free

    Doesn't stink, HE, gets even my machinist DH's clothes clean. I have a front load Samsung and use around a 1/2 scoop per load.

    I don't use additives except for regular Clorox liquid bleach in linens. All my linens are white.

    People overthink this stuff...detergent, water temp and bleach...no stink, clean clothes and no moldy washers.

  • mara_2008
    12 years ago

    Well, it depends on what I'm washing, and I have more than two. :)

    Tide HE powder w/bleach for white cottons and towels

    Tide TotalCare HE for knits, delicates, fine washables

    ERA HE for jeans, T-shirts, work clothes, sheets, comforters

  • westvillager
    12 years ago

    Mara is my hero, as I can't possibly choose just two. I keep a staple of six (even mix of liquids and powders) depending on the fabric. Take that, all-purpose detergent makers!

  • 3katz4me
    12 years ago

    Just one for me too - Sears.

  • worthy
    12 years ago

    Purex 2x and Arm and Hammer 2x.

    Additives: Pine Sol in all but hot water, oxygen bleaches, occasional chlorine for spot whitening (or when I want to ruin my favourite clothes).

  • dalmadarling
    12 years ago

    Tide Free & Clear - the only one that doesn't upset my sensitive skin but also actually cleans my clothes!

  • vala55
    12 years ago

    I am the odd one out AGAIN! I gave up Tide and a lot of other brand name products. I use one of the least expensive brands for laundry that my store offers. The same with dish washing products and I haven't noticed any difference at all. I gave up my Crest for the .85 tooth paste on the hygienists advice.

    I am having problems with fragrances and I cannot find a bleach or bleach alternative without fragrance. I use 1/4th cup of reg. bleach once a month on my white sheets and double rinse them. That doesn't seem to bother my eyes when I go to bed and it is maintaining the whiteness of my sheets.

  • Cavimum
    12 years ago

    "I am having problems with fragrances and I cannot find a bleach or bleach alternative without fragrance."

    Try the Ecover brand of oxygen bleach (powder form). No fragrance that I can detect, and no fillers.

    Have you tried the Sears Ultra Free & Clear laundry detergent? It has an oxygen bleach and no fragrance.

  • herring_maven
    12 years ago

    vala55: "I am having problems with fragrances and I cannot find a bleach or bleach alternative without fragrance."

    Ecover. It is 100% sodium percarbonate, no additives or fragrances. (It comes in a cardboard box and sodium percarbonate is hygroscopic; so decant it to a plastic container -- preferably one with a tight-fitting lid -- if the air in your laundry room is humid, or you will have a very soggy box.) You also can purchase sodium percarbonate in bulk (use your favorite search engine), but you probably want to try it first in small doses before you invest a lot of money in a large supply.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Ecover Non-Chlorine Bleach

  • happymomof2kids
    12 years ago

    I am going to go by brand since I have a couple in each brand.

    Tide He powder
    Henkel Persil powder
    (still trying out different brands for delicates like silk and wool)
    Fabric Softener...Downy Unscented with Lavendar Essential oil added to it. (Thank you, sshrivastava. The essential oil did the trick :D )

  • joaniepoanie
    12 years ago

    Since sears doesn't seem to make anything with the Sears/Kenmore name......does anyone know who makes their detergent?

  • mara_2008
    12 years ago

    @ joaniepoanie

    IIRC, the Sears Ultra Wash detergents are made by a company called DeSoto. I'm not familiar with it, don't know where it is located.

    The link below links the Sears detergent I have. I get good results in hot or warm wash water, not so much in cold or cool. However, the info at this website says it is formulated for all wash temps. Some people here have said it has faded some of their laundry (maybe dark fabrics, not sure), while some people here really, really like it a lot.

    I've always bought it at half-price when it was on sale at the local Sears appliance store. It is also available at Sears mall stores and online. The price is definitely very reasonable.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Sears Ultra Wash Stain Fighting detergent