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Laundry Detergent Discussion

I do not presoak, ever.

When there is a spot/stain/dirt (and I wash a LOT of baseball pants).

Oily or food stain = Drop of dish soap on it, then into the hamper.
Grass/dirt stains = wet the fabric, rub with a bar of soap (any brand, doesn't matter), then into hamper.
Blood = immediate cold water wash with above-mentioned bar of soap. Then rub affected area with soap, let sit for a while, rinse, and repeat until the stain is gone. Is important to get at while still wet, though.

It helps if you have a washboard-type thing. I have an actual washboard, but before I had it, I used a grooved plastic ramp from a TechDeck toy set to scrub on :giggles:
 
I would LOVE to say that we are "deal loyal" but I honestly am not happy with anything but Tide or Gain.

I am all about saving money but I was not happy when I had the All stockpiled. I found I had to use more of it.

I did recently switch back to powder and found that to clean better.

JMO that is all ;)
 
Tazznum1 said:
Wish I had a stockpile of free or less than .50. I buy ajax, a&h and Dynamo when it's cheaper than $1.50 a bottle on sale at shoprite. Then I buy like 8 bottles. So I do have a stockpile of that price.
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Part of my stockpile is free Purex from Walgreens and another part is Wisk that was like .98 at CVS. So what's the story Tazz? Do you not have a Walgreen's or a CVS by you? :bee:

You want me to get you one? :snicker:
 
I love Wisk Fresh Boost and Tide febreeze or sport the best for really soiled or smelly clothes. Since those are hardly ever a good buy, I usually use whatever I have gotten cheap and a little of the "good stuff" for an extra boost.

For stains, I always use regular Dawn dish liquid and a little scrub brush that has been swiped through water. That gets out most everything with very little effort. I have tried other dish liquid, but they don't work as well.
 
I am loyal to Purex-free and clear if original isn't available or Tide-cold water or original. I have a bottle of ALL downstairs that's been sitting there for years because I hate the smell of it. And I must use the Downy Ball. :) I don't like all those other added scents. I've tried all the other brands or off labels and I just can't stand it.
 
I have an assortment of All, Tide and Purex....I start to get nervous if my stash gets below 16 bottles. I'm also working on the Purex packets and still have some of the Purex all in one sheets for DS17...he goes off to college next year.
 
I had been using dye-free Purex and still have some from the sale last year when they were on sale for $1.88 and used $1.00 off Qs.
 
Barb09 said:
I wonder if Tide really smells better.....or if we all just remember it from childhood when it was the only one our moms bought.

I too LOVE the smell of Tide.
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I've been trying to think if we ever used Tide. :giggles:

I remember a mega box of powdered laundry detergent from Sears. Guess my family was always cheap.
 
I never considered us brand loyal *UNTIL* I started cloth diapering with Lily. We use Sun. It is the only supermarket detergent I've found that doesn't comprimise the soakability (yes, I just made up a word) of her diapers. Anything that has phosphates or added softeners messes up diapers.

Lily is also very, very allergic to Tide. The other nice thing about Sun is that it is cheap, cheap, cheap. Frankly, my laundry secret is Dawn dish soap. It gets out anything.

I also don't understand the whole thing with adding water to soaps, detergents, or shampoos. If you want to stretch it, couldn't you just simply use half as much? That isn't about this thread, just a general perplextion.
 
They add water just to rinse out the end of the bottle, I think.

Anyway, when I used cloth diapers with Big (oh, those many years ago when he had neverending yeast...), I just made sure not to use fabric softener. That kills the absorbent properties of any fabric.

I don't use Tide, there is something in it that doesn't agree with me. But I do sell it at my garage sales!

:lol:
 
Really? You have garage sales also? I thought that was just Sati. (Not trying to be disrespectful, honestly asking)
 
Roze, the methods I have to manufacture money are endless...

:lol:
 
I add water to Downy cuz DH and DD13 ALWAYS overfills the **** Downy Ball! So, yes, I'm a water downer cuz I'm not the only one who does the laundry.
 
I like Tide the best. I can't stand any detergent that smells like Febreeze. Yuck, it gives me a headache.
 
jonnysmomma said:
1 bar Fels-Naptha or Dr Brommer's castile soap, grated(I find the finer the grate, the better)
1 cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
1 cup Borax
1/2 cup OxiClean

Mix ingredients in a gallon size baggie or ice cream bucket. Use 1-2 tablespoons per load, depending on size or dirtiness.

You could also use Ivory bar soap or whatever you have. I have used both Fels-Naptha and the Dr Bronners and love both!
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I do a similar one, but liquid.

1/3 bar Fels Naptha soap (or Ivory)
1/2 C washing soda
1/2 C borax powder

You will need approx a 2 gal size container with a lid (I use a bucket, no lid). Grate the bar of soap and put into a sauce pan. Add 6 cups of water and heat until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and borax and stir until disolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups of hot water into the bucket (or container) add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will turn into a gel consistancy. Use 1/2 cup per load.

You can then pour it into used detergent bottles to make pouring it easier.

And obviously if you leave it in an open bucket, keep small kids away. :)

It smells lemony.
 
Do the homemade soaps bubble very much? I'm wondering if they can be used in HE washers?
 
canadia said:
Do the homemade soaps bubble very much? I'm wondering if they can be used in HE washers?
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Hmmmm.................I dunno. I just put it in and close the lid. :9:
 
i did not read all the posts, as usual, just putting in my 2 cents. i used to only use tide with bleach and in powder form for all my whites. and tide liquid. after i became less rich, i switched to jewel brand for he liquids. and a friend told me to use xtra. i now use only xtra, and am quite pleased. i still prefer tide with bleach powder for my bright whites. arm and hammer and purex totally wipe out the colors in my clothes bigtime. i wash in warm water to hopefully kill more germs. i wish i could do cold water wash, but cannot.
 
RozeCakes said:
I never considered us brand loyal *UNTIL* I started cloth diapering with Lily. We use Sun. It is the only supermarket detergent I've found that doesn't comprimise the soakability (yes, I just made up a word) of her diapers. Anything that has phosphates or added softeners messes up diapers.

Lily is also very, very allergic to Tide. The other nice thing about Sun is that it is cheap, cheap, cheap. Frankly, my laundry secret is Dawn dish soap. It gets out anything.

I also don't understand the whole thing with adding water to soaps, detergents, or shampoos. If you want to stretch it, couldn't you just simply use half as much? That isn't about this thread, just a general perplextion.
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i swear by dawn liquid as well as fels naptha and a scrub brush. powerhouse makes an awesome stain remover as well. i use it on pet stains too.
 
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