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Laundry detergents
Posted by Jenna
Laundry detergents December 07, 2014 01:05AM |
Registered: 16 years ago Posts: 1,979 |
What is you favoured laundry powder/liquid, and why? What kind of washing machine do you have?
I'm having problems with my washing not coming out clean, and there could be several factors at play here. So I'm going to start with changing detergent first, as that is the easiest and cheapest option.
I have a 7.5kg front load Panasonic machine that is about 5y old. I used to be able to wash my white super king size sheets (top and bottom and 4 pillowcases) all at once no problem. Now if I do that some parts of the sheets come out yellow-y and not clean looking or smelling. So now I wash the top and bottom sheets seperately (pain in the neck) and still the results can be so-so. Same with general clothes, just don't smell clean.
I have been using Persil sensitive powder for a long time as I don't like the smell of most other powder and I thought that Persil was a reliable brand.
The other complicating factor is that a year ago we moved to a house with bore water, and unfortunately it is pretty much water in name only. It is very hard, has a very high iron content - so my whites are all slowly turning yellow and we have awful scale problems) and I can't cook with it as it turns pasta and potatoes all glue-y, very weird, and I can't even water my potted plants with it because after a while the mineral content binds to the roots and they get all sad looking.
I've tried adding washing soda with the laundry powder to help combat the hardness, but no real difference there.
So... back to the powder/detergent.. what do you use?
I'm having problems with my washing not coming out clean, and there could be several factors at play here. So I'm going to start with changing detergent first, as that is the easiest and cheapest option.
I have a 7.5kg front load Panasonic machine that is about 5y old. I used to be able to wash my white super king size sheets (top and bottom and 4 pillowcases) all at once no problem. Now if I do that some parts of the sheets come out yellow-y and not clean looking or smelling. So now I wash the top and bottom sheets seperately (pain in the neck) and still the results can be so-so. Same with general clothes, just don't smell clean.
I have been using Persil sensitive powder for a long time as I don't like the smell of most other powder and I thought that Persil was a reliable brand.
The other complicating factor is that a year ago we moved to a house with bore water, and unfortunately it is pretty much water in name only. It is very hard, has a very high iron content - so my whites are all slowly turning yellow and we have awful scale problems) and I can't cook with it as it turns pasta and potatoes all glue-y, very weird, and I can't even water my potted plants with it because after a while the mineral content binds to the roots and they get all sad looking.
I've tried adding washing soda with the laundry powder to help combat the hardness, but no real difference there.
So... back to the powder/detergent.. what do you use?
Re: Laundry detergents December 07, 2014 09:31PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 1,990 |
Personally I don't have a favourite, go with what is on special usually but must admit I de prefer liquid because sometimes the powder doesn't completely break down & on a dark wash it can leave white streaks. They come off when dry with a brush but a pain.
I would say it is the boar water causing your problem & I don't have an answer but there are so many clever people on the site whim will be able to help I am sure.
To help make them smell nice I wonder if you gave the machine a wash by putting a cup of white vinegar into the machine & fill as usual with water no clothes just let it do a wash that helps a lot but not sure with your type of water.
I would say it is the boar water causing your problem & I don't have an answer but there are so many clever people on the site whim will be able to help I am sure.
To help make them smell nice I wonder if you gave the machine a wash by putting a cup of white vinegar into the machine & fill as usual with water no clothes just let it do a wash that helps a lot but not sure with your type of water.
Re: Laundry detergents December 07, 2014 09:56PM |
Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 5,388 |
My machine started smelling Jenna - well it didn't start possessing olfactory sensations - but the clothes never came out clean smelling. I had an Indesit front loader and it was between 5 and 6 years old. However we are on town water. I used home made detergent, so switched to Persil Front Loader liquid - no change. Then I tried solutions found on the net for cleaning front loaders. Initially I tried vinegar, then a vinegar and baking soda solution - twice. No change. So I put it down to the machine - and I was right as eventually it started screwing up the commands. So a new machine it was.
However I am not sure if a new machine will solve your problems with bore water? Although if everything was washing and smelling okay on bore water before, and this has just started - maybe the machine is entering death mode??? Have you tried googling bore water/washing machine problems?
Just a hint if you go down the new machine road..... I have a friend who owns a retail appliance store and there are two brands that should not be purchased as one has the most returns (S---u-g) and the other - a customer has been waiting for parts to come from Europe for over a year now (D- L---hi). That pertains to front loaders as that is what I was researching
However I am not sure if a new machine will solve your problems with bore water? Although if everything was washing and smelling okay on bore water before, and this has just started - maybe the machine is entering death mode??? Have you tried googling bore water/washing machine problems?
Just a hint if you go down the new machine road..... I have a friend who owns a retail appliance store and there are two brands that should not be purchased as one has the most returns (S---u-g) and the other - a customer has been waiting for parts to come from Europe for over a year now (D- L---hi). That pertains to front loaders as that is what I was researching
Re: Laundry detergents December 07, 2014 10:12PM |
Registered: 16 years ago Posts: 1,979 |
Thank you both. I went out and bought 4 different types of detergent yesterday and will try them all over the next couple of weeks to see if any of them make a difference. I don't hold out much hope though. I do regularly run a "tub wash" cycle with vinegar and occasionally bleach (not with the vinegar!) to try and keep all the pipes clear and minimise muck buildup.
I had hoped to get more than 5 years out of this machine, sigh. I've been doing a bit of research in the last few days and going by reivews it seems that, surprisingly, an F&P front loader seems to get the best reviews (at least on www.productreview.com.au) by a long margin. Aside from fridges, it was the first overwhelmingly positive review I'd seen of an F&P product in a while. I had already decided against Samsung, LG, Electrolux etc, and even the new Bosch models seem to not be as well reviewed as even a few years ago when I was last looking. If I do get a new machine it'll be down to the F&P that gets good reviews, but is "only" 8.5kg, or another Panasonic that gets almost as good reviews and is 10kg. I do a lot of washing so a larger capacity is an exciting thought.
However, the last thing I really want to do is shell out $1500 at this time of year, so I'll persevere with different detergents and see if anything improves. I'm honestly reluctant to even look into getting it repaired as last time I did that, it was $250 just for a diagnostic that showed the need for a $600 repair. Since the mechanics all seem to work right (spins, rinses, no funny noises), I suspect if there is a problem it is something in the computer and that'll never be a cheap fix.
The water could well be a factor, problem is I can't remember exactly when I first noticed the problem.. shortly after moving here, or just a few months ago! We'll install rain water tanks at some point, but given the enormous cost it'll be a wee while yet.
I had hoped to get more than 5 years out of this machine, sigh. I've been doing a bit of research in the last few days and going by reivews it seems that, surprisingly, an F&P front loader seems to get the best reviews (at least on www.productreview.com.au) by a long margin. Aside from fridges, it was the first overwhelmingly positive review I'd seen of an F&P product in a while. I had already decided against Samsung, LG, Electrolux etc, and even the new Bosch models seem to not be as well reviewed as even a few years ago when I was last looking. If I do get a new machine it'll be down to the F&P that gets good reviews, but is "only" 8.5kg, or another Panasonic that gets almost as good reviews and is 10kg. I do a lot of washing so a larger capacity is an exciting thought.
However, the last thing I really want to do is shell out $1500 at this time of year, so I'll persevere with different detergents and see if anything improves. I'm honestly reluctant to even look into getting it repaired as last time I did that, it was $250 just for a diagnostic that showed the need for a $600 repair. Since the mechanics all seem to work right (spins, rinses, no funny noises), I suspect if there is a problem it is something in the computer and that'll never be a cheap fix.
The water could well be a factor, problem is I can't remember exactly when I first noticed the problem.. shortly after moving here, or just a few months ago! We'll install rain water tanks at some point, but given the enormous cost it'll be a wee while yet.
Re: Laundry detergents December 07, 2014 10:33PM |
Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 5,388 |
You are correct regarding your assumptions regarding Bosch.... there are two factories. One in China and one in Germany. The Chinese manufactured models are cheaper as they will use cheaper componentry - ie plastic as opposed to stainless steel type of thing (but do not get good reviews). I only found out about the two manufacturing points when researching front loaders, and wonder if it extends to their other appliances. I was limited in my choice as due to space constraints, I wanted a combined washer/dryer
Re: Laundry detergents December 07, 2014 11:30PM |
Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 5,699 |
Just a long shot, but what temperature do you use to wash Jenna? If you are using cold or warm water washes I wondered if you do an experiment using hot water only to see if there's an improvement and maybe add another half amount of washing powder. I know exactly what bore water is like, it is just so harsh, yellowy and yuck and I'm lucky enough not to have to use it. There are bound to be water conditioners you can add to the washing water - but in either case (using hot water only or buying a water conditioner) if they were to be a solution are going add to the cost of washing.
Regards,
Dawn.
Regards,
Dawn.
Re: Laundry detergents December 08, 2014 01:42AM |
Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 2,935 |
I was going to ask the same question as Dawn. Mostly I use cold water but an electrician friend told me to put a hot wash through at least once a month. Not just to keep the clothes clean but also to help keep the mechanism in good order.
Several years ago we were on the Isle of Skye and I noticed that all the bed linen was yellow. It wasn't that their whites had yellowed but that they were purchased in the colour yellow. A look at the colour of the "peat water" told me why. I am not suggesting you go down this path, although it would be tempting.
My washing machine is a top loader model and as well as taking Bruce's advice re the hot water I do sometimes put through a cleaning product that I purchase from the supermarket.
I use liquid laundry detergent for dark clothes and a powder detergent (bought from Mitre 10) for most other items.
I have just remembered my sister was living in a very rural area and they had a special filter installed, not just for the laundry but for all water used within the home.
Several years ago we were on the Isle of Skye and I noticed that all the bed linen was yellow. It wasn't that their whites had yellowed but that they were purchased in the colour yellow. A look at the colour of the "peat water" told me why. I am not suggesting you go down this path, although it would be tempting.
My washing machine is a top loader model and as well as taking Bruce's advice re the hot water I do sometimes put through a cleaning product that I purchase from the supermarket.
I use liquid laundry detergent for dark clothes and a powder detergent (bought from Mitre 10) for most other items.
I have just remembered my sister was living in a very rural area and they had a special filter installed, not just for the laundry but for all water used within the home.
Re: Laundry detergents December 08, 2014 04:53AM |
Registered: 16 years ago Posts: 1,979 |
I'll give washing in hot a go.. I usually do 30C for clothes and 40C for towels, sheets and tea towels. The tub clean cycle I do every couple of months is a looong 90C cycle that should hopefully be keeping the machine in good order. Perhaps I'll do that cycle more often though.
That is rather amusing about the yellow sheets. I love white sheets and towels because they have always been so easy to keep clean, until this house that is! Perhaps next time I buy new ones I'll go for light mushroom or something inoffensive like that. I just bought an entire houseful of white towels last year though, sigh. It's more the smell and feeling of unclean that is bothering me rather than the colour right now. I can deal with not bright white so long as they don't smell when they're supposed to be clean!!
Marnie - we've looked at various filtering systems, but to treat all the aspects of our water (hardness, iron, silica and clay) we'd need 3 different filter systems in addition to the standard cartridge filter and UV light we currently have, and even even then it wouldn't take care of it all. Given all that was going to cost nearly 2/3 as much 2 x 30,000 rain water tanks and their installation, we've decided we'll save for the water tanks as they'll give us much better quality water and very little in ongoing maintenance (all the filtering systems would have about combined $1400/yr in maintenance), and with 60,000L we shouldn't run out very often! Just is going to be a while unless we win lotto
Irene, do you know of any way to tell the Bosch models that are still manufactured in Germany? I'm not in love with them, just curious. My mother went out today and bought for herself the F&P machine I was looking into so it'll be interesting to see what her experience with it is.
That is rather amusing about the yellow sheets. I love white sheets and towels because they have always been so easy to keep clean, until this house that is! Perhaps next time I buy new ones I'll go for light mushroom or something inoffensive like that. I just bought an entire houseful of white towels last year though, sigh. It's more the smell and feeling of unclean that is bothering me rather than the colour right now. I can deal with not bright white so long as they don't smell when they're supposed to be clean!!
Marnie - we've looked at various filtering systems, but to treat all the aspects of our water (hardness, iron, silica and clay) we'd need 3 different filter systems in addition to the standard cartridge filter and UV light we currently have, and even even then it wouldn't take care of it all. Given all that was going to cost nearly 2/3 as much 2 x 30,000 rain water tanks and their installation, we've decided we'll save for the water tanks as they'll give us much better quality water and very little in ongoing maintenance (all the filtering systems would have about combined $1400/yr in maintenance), and with 60,000L we shouldn't run out very often! Just is going to be a while unless we win lotto
Irene, do you know of any way to tell the Bosch models that are still manufactured in Germany? I'm not in love with them, just curious. My mother went out today and bought for herself the F&P machine I was looking into so it'll be interesting to see what her experience with it is.
Re: Laundry detergents December 08, 2014 05:34AM |
Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 2,935 |
Good heavens, Jenna! I had no idea the filtering systems cost that much. They had their own farm and both her husband and his father were very adept at all things engineering, probably saving a lot of $$ in that area.
Something else I forgot to say was do you leave your machine door open when it's not in use? I leave my top loader lid open as a matter of course.
You have probably seen this site but I'll add the link just in case.
[front-load-washer-review.toptenreviews.com]
Something else I forgot to say was do you leave your machine door open when it's not in use? I leave my top loader lid open as a matter of course.
You have probably seen this site but I'll add the link just in case.
[front-load-washer-review.toptenreviews.com]
Re: Laundry detergents December 08, 2014 05:39AM |
Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 5,388 |
Re: Laundry detergents December 08, 2014 08:51AM |
Registered: 9 years ago Posts: 455 |
Hi Jenna, just a couple of thoughts from here in Adelaide. When I bought my Bosch about 6 years ago (and it's a German one), I rang the manufacturer's help line and asked what brand of powder to use, and they said Omo. And just a thought - have you cleaned the filter on the machine itself? I wonder if there could be a build up of 'ick' in it. Good luck - sounds challenging!
Re: Laundry detergents January 21, 2015 10:28AM |
Registered: 9 years ago Posts: 4 |
Apparently it's just a matter of time when washing's gonna be easier and nice and...healthier?
Crystal Wash 2.0: Detergent free washing goes high-tech!
by Kaustubh Katdare
Crystal Wash is an amazing and an effective way to do your laundry without using any detergents, chemicals or perfumes. The system uses Bio Ceramics that raise the pH level of water in the washing machine to 8.5+; which makes the water molecules shrink to a size that lets the dirt particles, stains and soils to be soaked free in a natural way. But that's not all! The Bio Ceramics also create Hydrogen Peroxide which acts as a natural disinfectant and deodorant for your clothes. The Crystal Wash system not only saves you some serious money on detergents and deodorants; but also lets you go green with every wash.
The Bio Ceramics collect dirt from the laundry and therefore, need to be recharged every 30 days (or about every 30 laundry loads) so that they maintain their effectiveness. Recharging is simple - all you need to do is expose them to natural sunlight for a few hours. Now that's all good, right? But the team at Crystal Wash wanted to go high-tech. Wouldn't it be nice if there was an app to keep you informed about the quality of your washes and that the Bio Ceramics need a recharge? That's what the Crystal Wash team aims to do with the version 2.0.
[www.crazyengineers.com]
[www.androidheadlines.com]
[www.scienceclarified.com]
Crystal Wash 2.0: Detergent free washing goes high-tech!
by Kaustubh Katdare
Crystal Wash is an amazing and an effective way to do your laundry without using any detergents, chemicals or perfumes. The system uses Bio Ceramics that raise the pH level of water in the washing machine to 8.5+; which makes the water molecules shrink to a size that lets the dirt particles, stains and soils to be soaked free in a natural way. But that's not all! The Bio Ceramics also create Hydrogen Peroxide which acts as a natural disinfectant and deodorant for your clothes. The Crystal Wash system not only saves you some serious money on detergents and deodorants; but also lets you go green with every wash.
The Bio Ceramics collect dirt from the laundry and therefore, need to be recharged every 30 days (or about every 30 laundry loads) so that they maintain their effectiveness. Recharging is simple - all you need to do is expose them to natural sunlight for a few hours. Now that's all good, right? But the team at Crystal Wash wanted to go high-tech. Wouldn't it be nice if there was an app to keep you informed about the quality of your washes and that the Bio Ceramics need a recharge? That's what the Crystal Wash team aims to do with the version 2.0.
[www.crazyengineers.com]
[www.androidheadlines.com]
[www.scienceclarified.com]
Re: Laundry detergents January 27, 2015 07:13AM |
Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 2,630 |
Re: Laundry detergents January 27, 2015 11:19AM |
Registered: 16 years ago Posts: 1,979 |
Hi Zeetra, I'm >< close to buying a new machine. I've tried about 6 different detergents, all my washes are at least 30C and I do sheets at 60C so mine isn't a cold water issue either. I must say though, I've had very good stain removal results with the large bottle of Dynamo liquid that The Warehouse parallel imports from Malaysia. I think it is $20 for 3L, so not all that much cheaper than regular Dynamo available in supermarkets, but really does seem to do a better job of cleaning. Whatever I do about the machine I'll probably stick with that product.
The last thing I'm doing is using a packet of Ceraclean washing machine cleaner. I put it through the machine at 2pm today and it is soaking over night tonight. I've put this off because you can't put that stuff into a septic tank (which we have) so I've had to rig up alternate draining arrangements. Just a pain, really.
I'll let you know how I get along, but this is the last thing I'll try and then it is a new machine. I've narrowed it down to two options, just trying to decide between the two and it is hard.
Frustrating thing is that the fridge has decided to pack up in the last 10 days too. The top shelves are 8C and the lower shelves are freezing things. Can't moan too much as it is 12-13y old, just the timing is painful - on top of only 2.5w ago making a large spend for the property and then these two things come along right after. Wince.
I'd suggest giving the Ceraclean cleaner a go, it certainly can't hurt and if you're regularly washing greasy clothes you may well have a build up of gunk in there, It is in a grey box at the supermarket near the other laundry products.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/2015 11:23AM by Jenna.
The last thing I'm doing is using a packet of Ceraclean washing machine cleaner. I put it through the machine at 2pm today and it is soaking over night tonight. I've put this off because you can't put that stuff into a septic tank (which we have) so I've had to rig up alternate draining arrangements. Just a pain, really.
I'll let you know how I get along, but this is the last thing I'll try and then it is a new machine. I've narrowed it down to two options, just trying to decide between the two and it is hard.
Frustrating thing is that the fridge has decided to pack up in the last 10 days too. The top shelves are 8C and the lower shelves are freezing things. Can't moan too much as it is 12-13y old, just the timing is painful - on top of only 2.5w ago making a large spend for the property and then these two things come along right after. Wince.
I'd suggest giving the Ceraclean cleaner a go, it certainly can't hurt and if you're regularly washing greasy clothes you may well have a build up of gunk in there, It is in a grey box at the supermarket near the other laundry products.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/2015 11:23AM by Jenna.
Re: Laundry detergents January 28, 2015 12:33AM |
Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 2,935 |
I hadn't thought to mention this before and might have missed if someone else did but do you add your softener to a dispenser within the machine? Once I used to pour some into the special section at the start of loading it. To clean out the horrible grey "gunk" it left within the tube section was not very pleasant and it was easy to overlook. It would build up.
I was uneasy about the cleanliness of the machine when I saw this a couple of times and from then on I decided I would just add any fabric softener plus my usual squirt of white vinegar manually at the last rinse. It only takes a few seconds to do it this way and wonder if it may help.
Next time I am at The Warehouse I will look out for the liquid detergent.
Cheers,
Marnie
ps Sorry about the fridge, sometimes I think the gremlins are out to get us.
I was uneasy about the cleanliness of the machine when I saw this a couple of times and from then on I decided I would just add any fabric softener plus my usual squirt of white vinegar manually at the last rinse. It only takes a few seconds to do it this way and wonder if it may help.
Next time I am at The Warehouse I will look out for the liquid detergent.
Cheers,
Marnie
ps Sorry about the fridge, sometimes I think the gremlins are out to get us.
Re: Laundry detergents January 30, 2015 01:15AM |
Registered: 9 years ago Posts: 622 |
Jenna did the ceraclean work? I used a washing powder that had fabric softener in it and my skin developed an itchy rash.I changed my washing powder to persil sensitive but i still have the rash.My Dr put the rash down to the washing powder but i feel that i need to clean the machine out some how. My machine is only plumbed into a cold wash so i have to try some other way of cleaning it and i have not heard of ceraclean.
Re: Laundry detergents January 30, 2015 04:36AM |
Registered: 16 years ago Posts: 1,979 |
Hi Marylew - I'm unsure of the results yet with regard my smell problem, but I imagine it did do a good job of cleaning the inside of the machine. I think it is fairly toxic stuff -- but sometimes you need such a thing. It does recommend using hot water with it, so perhaps if you tried it you could fill your machine with a few buckets of hot water?
Here is a link so you know what to look for -- you'll need to scroll to the bottom of the page.
[www.ceraclen.co.nz]
Here is a link so you know what to look for -- you'll need to scroll to the bottom of the page.
[www.ceraclen.co.nz]
Re: Laundry detergents January 30, 2015 10:37AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 634 |
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