Whar is the best laundry detergent?

[Ottakee]

What is your favorite/best option?   We have dirty clothes from dirt, greasy clothes from jobs working with frying oil and dishes, slimed/spit on clothes from my work with special needs kids.   I am a huge bargain Hunter but I want CLEAN....even if it is twice the cost of a cheaper one.   I am on city water and have a speed Queen.

[Pawz4me]

Persil or Tide. Nothing else comes close in terms of cleaning power.

(Although when it's just me and DH I sometimes buy Arm & Hammer, because it works fine for normal laundry of white collar worker and a SAHM who isn't into sweaty exercise.)

Edited November 9, 2018 by Pawz4me

[Chris in VA]

I love the  original scented Gain. Tide is too expensive but works GREAT. Here I use Eco-something. It kinda works but nothing is strongly (or even mildly) scented here. 

[mmasc]

We have always used All Free and Clear. However, one of my sons told me that his clothes still stink even after he’s washed them. Unfortunately, it is also the DS that has sensitive skin. I went straight for original Tide to try. It smelled and worked great, BUT, gave DS itchy skin. ? So next we tried Persil and it seems to be the perfect fit of working well and not irritating skin. ??

 

[Selkie]

We use Seventh Generation Free and Clear and it does a good job. I don't like scented laundry detergent because it smells like chemicals to me.

[bolt.]

I use Tide, sensitive / clear / unscented, for cold water.

[Ottakee]

2 hours ago, Indigo Blue said:

. When the towels come out of the dryer, they smell fine. When I take a shower and smell the damp towel, I can tell the towel just isn't clean. So I was going to ask here if anyone had a solution, but I found the above laundry detergent. I didn't know this existed. I would really prefer to use something like BioKleen. I'm skeptical of even perfume-free, dye-free Tide as far as weird mystery chemicals. At this point, I'm willing to compromise because I'm getting tired of towels that don't smell clean. Also, my husband works outdoors, so green detergent just isn't strong enough.

 

And...as an aside.....OP, do you like your Speed Queen? Do you have the new 2018 model?

For towels, it could be too much soap in them and not rinsing well enough.  I would also add just a tiny bit of bleach to my towels and it really helped.

I LOVE my speed queen.  I even moved it with us when we moved a few weeks ago.  Mine though is the 2016 model, I think.

[BlessedMom]

Cheerl

[Rachel]

I prefer Tide. I’ve tried them all and keep coming back to it. 

[sarasue7272]

I prefer tide free and clear. For stinky towels, put vinegar in your softener spot. Set a timer and dry thoroughly afterwards. A bit of bleach every now and then is probably good for towels, too.

[Corraleno]

As the parent of an extremely large, stinky athlete, who has tried pretty much every detergent around, I think Tide is the best there is when it comes to tough laundry issues like grease, stains, sweat, and general stinkiness.

(That said, I don't use Tide on my own clothes, unless something is really stained or dirty. Mostly I use Mrs Meyer's lavender detergent for my own laundry, but I know that would not even make a dent in DS's laundry.)

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Amway SA-8 is the best, most economical, filler-free, lightly scented laundry detergent.  I've use it for over 30 years.  At times, I've run out, or been visiting somewhere, and tried different detergents, but I am always so happy to get back to my SA-8.  Tide and Gain both have a very strong perfume smell that gets sour with time.  The free and clear options leave the clean clothes feeling and smelling dirty.  Both leave a residue on the clothes that I can feel when I am putting them in the dryer.  

SA-8 has a very light, fresh scent, and rinses completely out of the clothes because you only use less than 1/4 cup per load, and there are no fillers.  The clothes come out of the washer looking bright, smelling fresh, and feeling squeaky clean.  For occasional grease streaks or grass stains, I pretreat with either a solvent based prewash (for grease) or an enzyme based prewash or additive, for organic stains like grass or blood.  

[KungFuPanda]

I like the Costco detergent in the bucket. It works and doesn’t leave a perfumey smell. 

[AmandaVT]

Tide. I've tried everything, but Tide wins for us. I also like adding Oxyclean "white revive" paks to my whites and towel loads. They make a big difference in those.

[Katy]

All Free & Clear with white vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser. I prefer the scent of gain but several family members seem to get itchy from it.  Not as itchy as Tide, but not good either.

I add oxyclean AND bleach to the white cycles.

[Mergath]

Tide Free and Gentle. I've tried all the less expensive ones over the years, and nothing works as well as Tide. I've heard good things about Persil, but the smell of it gives me a headache.

I love the smell of the various Mrs. Meyers detergents, but it just doesn't get our clothes clean enough. Especially my husband's filthy, oily work clothes.

Edited November 10, 2018 by Mergath

[KidsHappen]

Tide. When I was young I tried many different brands because I didn't want to use what my mom used (Tide) but even with that bias I eventually discovered that Tide just works better than anything else. All of my children also use Tide after doing their own experiments.

[umsami]

We have kids who sweat...a lot.  Stinky, yucky sweat.  For us, the best is the Tide Sport with Febreeze.  For the adults, we could make do with Kirkland or probably any other brand...but for them, we need the de-stinkifying aspect of the Febreeze.  Makes a huge difference. 

[Ottakee]

Thanks.  It looks like Tide it is.  Now to figure out exactly which "formula" Tide .

[Ellie]

I've been using Amway laundry products for over 40 years. I plan to always use Amway laundry products. :-)

[PinkTulip]

Tide with bleach powder. This stuff has seen me through 4 teenage boys - I’ll never  use anything else!

[Pen]

Fragrance free. Body odor doesn’t give me migraines or close to anaphylactic experiences. Fragrance chemicals products do. 

I have found a combination of borax plus a free and clear detergent plus if necessary some oxiclean gets things clean and doesn’t add fragrance to laundry. 

[Chris in VA]

3 hours ago, texasmom33 said:

I’m totally intrigued by the vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser trick. I add borax a lot with our normal detergent (Sam’s brand liquid) but I’m going to give this a go. Especially with dog blankets. Stinky dog is a hard scent to remove, even with my SQ on heavy cycle with another rinse. Wondering if vinegar will do the trick. 

I don't have my fabric softener here and need some extra rinse power, plus I-ve been trying to keep our clothes smelling clean (soap isn't highly scented), so I've been adding about an eighth cup of vinegar and a cup of water to my machine. Works well!

[laundrycrisis]

I’ve recently switched and I’m really impressed. Surf powder from WalMart combined with a little Persil proclean liquid. It’s working great.  Also direct treatment with Persil liquid is getting out spots that Grandma’s magic and spray and wash didn’t get out. 

[Pawz4me]

5 hours ago, texasmom33 said:

I’m totally intrigued by the vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser trick. I add borax a lot with our normal detergent (Sam’s brand liquid) but I’m going to give this a go. Especially with dog blankets. Stinky dog is a hard scent to remove, even with my SQ on heavy cycle with another rinse. Wondering if vinegar will do the trick. 

The very best thing I've ever found for odors (in this case DS22's very stinky workout clothes) is adding just a bit of original Pine Sol to the wash. It's an antibacterial.

[Lizzie in Ma]

We love this one https://www.amazon.com/Nellies-All-Natural-Non-Toxic-Powdered-Detergent/dp/B00M39VE0G

I add white vinegar to the wash as well.

[trulycrabby]

For towels, dog blankets, and hot yoga cloth mats, I add pine sol to the wash.

For workout gear and performance fabrics, I use HEX performance free and clear pods.

 

[DawnM]

We use Kirkland brand Tide Alternative and use 1/2 the amount recommended.  Kirkland (Costco) brand is rated very high by Consumer Reports and I honestly don't see a difference between that and Tide.  

I use half because I read that most washing machine companies say that soap manufacturers recommend using double what is actually needed to sell more.  

I have not noticed a difference in the clothing being any less clean with half the amount.

I stock up on Kirkland when it goes on sale for $12 per container.  I get (roughly) 200-250 load out of it.  Each load is around 5-7 cents.  https://www.costco.com/Kirkland-Signature-Ultra-Clean-Liquid-Laundry-Detergent-HE-194-fl.-oz%2c-126-Loads.product.100382745.html

[Pawz4me]

25 minutes ago, DawnM said:

We use Kirkland brand Tide Alternative and use 1/2 the amount recommended.  Kirkland (Costco) brand is rated very high by Consumer Reports and I honestly don't see a difference between that and Tide.  

I use half because I read that most washing machine companies say that soap manufacturers recommend using double what is actually needed to sell more.  

I have not noticed a difference in the clothing being any less clean with half the amount.

I stock up on Kirkland when it goes on sale for $12 per container.  I get (roughly) 200-250 load out of it.  Each load is around 5-7 cents.  https://www.costco.com/Kirkland-Signature-Ultra-Clean-Liquid-Laundry-Detergent-HE-194-fl.-oz%2c-126-Loads.product.100382745.html

I think the bolded is probably true. I never use more than two tablespoons of detergent, as I've found that more is detrimental. I use one of those Pyrex shot glass measuring "cups" to make sure I don't use too much.

 

2 minutes ago, texasmom33 said:

Do you just pour some in with the clothes and detergent at the start of the wash? And is a bit like a tablespoon or like 1/4 cup-ish? 

Yes, I put it in with the detergent at the start. For a biggish load I'd go with about 1/4 of a cup. Honestly, it's something I don't measure--just a goodly "glug" of it. 

[Momto6inIN]

For the love of all things holy, thank you soooooooooo much to all of you who recommended vinegar in the softener dispenser!!!!!!!

My laundry smells so much better now. Both DS's socks and my pregnancy activated armpits were driving me crazy but the vinegar really helps. Seriously a life changer!

[Forget-Me-Not]

Tide. I buy the powdered original scent at Costco. I stock up when it goes on sale. 

[KungFuPanda]

On 11/10/2018 at 12:36 AM, texasmom33 said:

I’m totally intrigued by the vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser trick. I add borax a lot with our normal detergent (Sam’s brand liquid) but I’m going to give this a go. Especially with dog blankets. Stinky dog is a hard scent to remove, even with my SQ on heavy cycle with another rinse. Wondering if vinegar will do the trick. 

 

Ammonia works too.  If anyone doesn’t have a dispenser on their machine, you can put vinegar or ammonia in a downy ball.

 

[klmama]

I use Tide, with Dawn dish soap for stains.  

[Pippen]

On 11/9/2018 at 10:09 AM, mmasc said:

We have always used All Free and Clear. However, one of my sons told me that his clothes still stink even after he’s washed them. Unfortunately, it is also the DS that has sensitive skin. I went straight for original Tide to try. It smelled and worked great, BUT, gave DS itchy skin. ? So next we tried Persil and it seems to be the perfect fit of working well and not irritating skin. ??

 

We used All basically for all of my life and a few years ago I switched to Tide Free  for the same reason.