Laundry detergent reviews

It is interesting. I wonder if it is a solubility issue (not all the powder has fully dissolved) or that fillers are creeping back into powders.

It is also interesting that there is one products which is $0.17/wash which makes the recommended list. Another from the same retailer at $0.19/wash which is around $0.10 less than any others recommended.

$0.10 may not seem much per wash, but over a year this adds up to a small nest egg (say 4 washes per week, that over a year) or a $20 saving.

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So we purchased the Dynamo Professional Oxi Plus as recommended by the latest laundry detergent comparison for our old Asko front loader. Only 7 kg load so not a big one.
Following the recommended dosing just ends up in a drum filled with suds and almost no washing happening. To stop this we have to use about a quarter of the recommended dose on the bottle. Have not done check of how well this actually washes but disappointed that Choice is recommending a Front loader detergent that is clearly not low sudsing.
No discussion of this issue in the review or recommendation for different dosing in the review or on the container for different size machines or front loaders.
Please include this information in the next review or as an addendum

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Hi @trevhoare, welcome to the community.

The product labelling indicates that it is suitable for both front and top loading washing machines.

I wonder if:

  1. there is a problem with the particular batch of washing powder which had resulted in excessive suds: or
  2. the water you are using is very soft (low in total dissolved solids), making the detergent sud up more than it should. Rainwater in rural areas and some ground/surface waters can have very low TDS increasing sud formation. Choice, being based in Sydney, would use the Sydney reticulated water supply which may be significantly harder than the water that you use at you particular washing location.

Maybe @MattSteen from Choice might be able to clarify further.

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We have been using it for some months in our Bosch top loader after switching from Radiant liquid and we have no problems whatsoever.

We only use enough to fill the dispenser to around 2 to 3mm deep.

Cairns water is extremely soft.

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Hi @trevhoare

CHOICE have often recommended using half the dose indicated on the containers. They also on the online review site do have a link to their recommendations about washing powders/liquids at the top of the page.

From their recommendations is the following (there are other useful hints at the linked page):

“ How much laundry detergent should I use?

Depending on which laundry detergent you choose, you may be able to use half (yes, half!) the recommended dose and still get a great wash, saving yourself money and giving the environment a bit of a break. In the past we’ve tested top performing laundry detergents and they performed just as well on all stains at half the recommended dose, while others performed well at half the dose on several types of stains.

While we can’t test every dose variation, treat the dosing scoop or cap more like a polite suggestion and experiment with your detergent – you may find you can use a lot less than you think and still get a wash you are happy with.”

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Yeo, rainwater - very soft.
Still some recognition of this issue in the review would be informative…
I might be naive but I think the chances of a different batch are small with modern computerised manufacturing processes.

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OK. thanks Graham, perhaps I have not read all the advice. Still the container cap gets hard to use accurately when you are using 1/4 of the recommended dose because of small machine, soft water, Front loader… Especially when the product is very viscous. Feel like I should dilute the product x 2 or x 3 to enable accurate dosing for light wash VS my dirty work clothes with my soft water.
Or, manufacturers could produce a proper low suds front loader product. There are now many more front loaders around because of their stackability and water economy so you’d think there would be a good market for it.

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We use a medicine cup to measure our liquid, but I really prefer the powder that is Costco’s brand one. I await the call to supply a tub of it to CHOICE for their next test. It is multipurpose and can be used on floors, walls, oil spills :smiley:

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Welcome to the forum.

I have moved your post to this existing thread as your comments relate to the review of laundry detergents.

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Perusing the latest tests I note more liquid products appear nearly every review, indicating market trends, and @MattSteen includes a few comments in the buyer guide about how well they work.

My LG front loader is only a few years old and warns about liquids if one regularly uses more than minimal time delay starts, because they can slightly gel before the cycle starts and build up over time. The manual recommends only using powder. Have liquids moved beyond that in the last year or two?

Everyone who reads their owner manual might notice that if it applies; as for the rest it might be good to call it out?

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I remain a dedicated user of washing powders rather than liquids. I use Tub Clean cycles regularly to help ensure reduction of undissolved powder and other residues remaining in the system.

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We are the same. They are easier/cleaner to handle and easier to measure and get proportions right. We buy in bulk so it is also easier to store and dispense.

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I have been a BioZet user for decades, and I never use the recommended quantity, itss too much. This month though, I switched to Earth Choice liquid (australian made and owned) and I hate it. The plastic of the bottle is too thin, and is too squeezy-squishy, and its really hard to grip it to pour out. I’ll be reverting to Biozet when I run out of EC. I also got EC for the dishes. Same issue with the container.

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Hi there, thanks for tagging me - Sorry I haven’t answered sooner.

We don’t note the suds levels for the washes, just performance results post rinse. So I can’t verify whether there are a lot of suds or not. I use this one at home and it’s got suds, but not a lot - but then I only use a half dose as most of my work is office based.

The testing does standardise the hardness (45-55ppm), so it might react to a difference in that (more suds the softer the water).

It could be a batch problem - we did chat to Dynamo about our secondary batch testing and they haven’t changed formula, but I couldn’t say for sure about a potential batch issue.

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We have been using the EC laundry powder for years with good results, typically half the standard scoop for a full load. Less for part loads. Having tried the liquid version it does not go as far as the powder. Powders are also easier to measure. (Top loader, warm wash with rainwater from a concrete tank.)

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In a study of washing machine powders Fab scored pretty highly on Choice’s recommendations list, so I bought a packet of Fab. I’ve just today tried it out and find that half my shirts have come out of the wash with white smears/streaks on them. Obviously there’s an insoluble ingredient, probably added to make the powder go further. So - it isn’t such a good Choice after all! My previous product, Bosisto, didn’t leave white smears like Fab apparently does.

Hi @gimlet, I merged your topic with the one on the review(s).

Perhaps @MattSteen would like to comment; others switching detergents might also be interested in your experience, as well as Matt’s response.

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Bosisito’s Sensitive Clothes Wash Powder has the ingredients:

  • Sodium Carbonate
  • Sodium Metasilicate
  • Sodium Tripolyphosphate
  • Citric
  • Acid Anhydrous
  • Eucalyptus Oil

These are the ingredients for FAB

image

It is also worth noting that the solubility of powdered detergents can be affected by temperature, salts/hardness of the water and amount of agitation. If you also pour the powder directly onto clothes, there is a risk that it may be caught up in the clothes and fail to full dissolve.

The only ingredient in the FAB which isn’t readily soluble is sodium aluminosilicate (possibly used as an anticaking agent).

It is a little concerning that Bosisto’s uses Sodium Tripolyphosphate. It is known to contributes to phosphorus in waste water increasing the likelihood of environmental problems such as algae blooms. There are non-phosphorus alternatives.

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Try using half the recommended amount and dissolve it in hot water before adding to the wash. There are no insoluble ingredients but not all dissolve immediately especially in cold water at this time of year when tap water is colder.

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Thanks for your replies everyone.

I’m no chemist phb, so I’m afraid the list of ingredients doesn’t mean much to me. But if Bosisto is using something harmful to the environment then it certainly is time to switch brands.

I don’t much care for the idea of having to dissolve the soap in hot water before use; it rather defeat the point of having an “automatic” washing machine. Also, my machine has a central column into which I pour the powder, and the machine disperses the powder appropriately.

However, I take your point everyone, about cold water not dissolving the powder properly. I will try using a little less powder, even though one scoop is the minimum recommended (It’s a big scoop!), and I’ll set the machine to wash in warm water rather than cold, and see what happens.

Thanks again folks.

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