melissel Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 I bought Charlie's liquid and powder to try them out, with the highest of hopes. So far, I've been kind of disappointed :( My very first wash, I could still smell stinky armpit smell when I took the clothes out of the dryer. I thought it must be a fluke or something, but it happened again with another load of undershirts too. I'm not seeing stains or oil spots coming out any better than with other detergents. And yesterday, I discovered I'd left a load of clothes in the washer for a few days :ack2: :blushing: I washed it twice more with Charlie's and it still stank. I had to wash a third time with my old, leftover Seventh Gen detergent to get the load fresh again. Am I doing something wrong? I've been using the liquid until now. Is the powder more effective? Are my standards just too high for a natural product? I know my Seventh Gen dishwasher liquid doesn't do such a hot job either, but I use it anyway because I hate that we can taste the leftover soap from the conventional stuff. Maybe I should lower my expectations. TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 First, you are not going to get the "fresh" chemical smell with natural that you do with regular detergents. Many of us are so used to the chemical scents, that we don't really know what "normal" is. Secondly, I have never used Charlies or 7th Gen. I have traded in my "homemade" (though still chemically laden) soap for ECOS (all natural, wonderful, and smells good). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 Yes, I was disappointed with it, too. I started using Bi-o-kleen last month and I am very happy with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted May 9, 2008 Author Share Posted May 9, 2008 First, you are not going to get the "fresh" chemical smell with natural that you do with regular detergents. Many of us are so used to the chemical scents, that we don't really know what "normal" is. Secondly, I have never used Charlies or 7th Gen. I have traded in my "homemade" (though still chemically laden) soap for ECOS (all natural, wonderful, and smells good). Actually, I'm not looking for that "fresh" smell *barf* But you just reminded me of another reason I was bummed--my SIL gave me a bunch of hand-me-down clothes that reeked of perfumey detergent, and after two washes in Charlie's, I can still smell the perfumey smell. I guess it just makes me wonder about the efficacy :( And I do like ECOS, but now I can't find it anywhere. We bought it Costco the one time I saw it there, but never saw it again. Argh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted May 9, 2008 Author Share Posted May 9, 2008 Yes, I was disappointed with it, too. I started using Bi-o-kleen last month and I am very happy with it. Thanks, I keep forgetting about Bi-O-Kleen. Is it hugely expensive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 Thanks, I keep forgetting about Bi-O-Kleen. Is it hugely expensive? I don't think so. I paid around $9.00 for 52 loads. But I have a front loader so you use half the amount. I just found through Azure Standard I can buy over 1,000 loads for $60.00! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 ECOS is sold online also. I'm not much of an online buyer, but this is one thing that I think I would buy online. Right now we get it at Costco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j.griff Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 I've never tried it, because I seriously have doubted that it would actually work. I think my idea of clean laundry is very different from some other peoples idea. :D I did the homemade detergent, and it didn't seem to do anything- the clothes looked dingey after a wash with it :tongue_smilie: so I felt like I wasted more time and money making that, then I would have if I'd just bought something "real". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elbac Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 I think sometimes differences in water can greatly change the effectiveness of some cleaners. I would have to wonder though, in reference to your still very perfumey smelling laundry - going from memory of what I remember reading on Charlie's website - it may take more than a couple of washes to get rid of that. I believe Charlie's even recommends running a load or two of nothing just to clear all the residual gunk that's built up in the washer. I'd be murdering the science behind it, but something to do with how typical cleaners bond to fabric - therefore being more pron to trap odors, both good and bad. I would think it's likely going to take more than two washes to get rid of all the residual gunk in the clothing too. I've used Charlie's for a while now and have been very, very pleased. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmegan Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 I think sometimes differences in water can greatly change the effectiveness of some cleaners. I would have to wonder though, in reference to your still very perfumey smelling laundry - going from memory of what I remember reading on Charlie's website - it may take more than a couple of washes to get rid of that. I believe Charlie's even recommends running a load or two of nothing just to clear all the residual gunk that's built up in the washer. I'd be murdering the science behind it, but something to do with how typical cleaners bond to fabric - therefore being more pron to trap odors, both good and bad. I would think it's likely going to take more than two washes to get rid of all the residual gunk in the clothing too. I've used Charlie's for a while now and have been very, very pleased. I also like Charlie's Soap, but I agree that it might have something to do with my water? I do also pre-treat stains. From their website: 1. Why is it necessary to clean out the machine with two scoops of Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder on the first use? Most detergents leave perfumes (cover scents), brighteners, and/or fabric softeners on your clothes that can cause chemical allergies. These additives are designed to stick like glue (how else could they leave all those things behind?), and therefore stick to your washing machine as well. Even detergent manufacturers that claim to not include these additives really do because their detergents don't really clean at all, but cover up that fact with these masking additives. Amazing! Two scoops of our powder, along with some old towels or shop rags, will be more than enough to loosen these deposits. No problem. After this first load, shake the towels and your machine should be properly prepped for use. It may also be necessary to wash your garments twice to remove old detergent residue from them. Very hard water can leave irritating residues on your clothes even with Charlie's Soap. Adding a small bit of CLR® (the soap scum and rust cleaner) to your wash on occasion will dissolve these built up residues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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