# Laundry detergent poll! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 5, 2005, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561 "2005-02-05T19:46:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561/21 "2005-02-06T04:17:23Z")
I’ve got a big bottle of liquid Tide-with-Downy right now. I normally just get what’s on sale, though… as long as it washes things and smells pretty, it doesn’t really matter what I use. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561/22 "2005-02-06T05:03:12Z")
> [@chaoticdonkey](#): > > Do you not wash your whites and colors separately? I’ll wash a new piece of clothing on its own, just in case the colour runs. But generally I don’t separate the whites and colours in my washing. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561/23 "2005-02-06T05:10:44Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I separate darks, lights, and whites. I’ll occasionally bleach my whites. And the non-whites may further be separated into heavy weight (jeans) and lighter weight. And I always wash in cold, except when I bleach - then I use warm. That’s the way I sort mine. Whites/Light colors/Heavy colors. I use liquid Purex, Bounce dryer sheets, and the thick Clorox bleach. Can’t remember the name right now, but the stuff’s nice on the occasional colored sock that gets wrongly sorted. I actually can’t use any “free” products. They give me an itchy rash. The regular products don’t. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561/24 "2005-02-06T13:10:07Z")
> [@Wesley Clark](#): > > I used to use sun. I quit because I thought it didn’t work, but maybe i’m just washing my clothes wrong. I currently use liquid Era. The dorm washers were never **that** good, and it wasn’t until we got our own washer and dryer that I realized how much laundromats contributed to dingy clean clothes. Vlad/Igor ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561/25 "2005-02-06T13:28:19Z")
Right now it is **Purex**. My front loading machine says I need to use Tide HE stuff. The problem is twofold, one is that it is $10-15 a bottle (!) and 2) it has a petrochemical smell. Unless it is Tide with Downy in it. And that is still expensive. I only use liquids. I’ve been turned off of powered soaps for years. Every once in awhile I run the machine on empty with a shot of vineager in it to clear it out. But I really like Arm & Hammer Spring or fresh breeze or somethign like that. It isn’t readily available. My fabric softner is, I am sure, the spanish version of Downy, in a pink bottle with pink liquid. I can only find it at a megastore near where we have a hispanic population, so I stock up. ( as I refuse on principal alone, to buy Downy April Fresh cause It is too expensive but I love the smell.) blah blah blah. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561/26 "2005-02-06T15:29:22Z")
1. I make my own laundry detergent. It’s vegetable-based Castille soap, washing soda and water with some essential oil for fragrance if I’m so inclined. It’s much much better for the environment, better for the clothes and costs pennies per batch. I use white vinegar in the rinse rather than fabric softener – this too is better for the clothes in the long run. 2. I separate whites, lights, darks and blacks, I wash bedlinens, towels and washcloths and socks and underwear in their own loads as well. I have a _system_. Yes, I do have a bit of OCD. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561/27 "2005-02-06T15:49:23Z")
I use Arm and Hammer. It’s never given any of us a rash and it’s cheap. I do a lot of laundry, so that’s a consideration. If I’m doing a load of Aaron’s clothes, I’ll throw in some Oxi-Clean. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561/28 "2005-02-06T15:50:01Z")
> [@LVgeogeek](#): > > I used to use **FreshStart** , but since it is impossible to find now a days I use **Cheer Free** \*. I buy it at Costco so it usually isn’t that pricey > \*no dyes or perfumes I also used to use Fresh Start. I liked the big pourable jug the powder came in. Now I use Tide non-perfumed. I wish my upstairs neighbor did. I get an allergic headache every time she does her laundry (and when she applies body talc, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561/29 "2005-02-06T15:58:49Z")
I’m a soapmaker so I use grated up “goof” bars and things the scent has faded on. The downside is our whites aren’t day-glow white because there’s no flourescing agent, the upside is there’s no detergent reek. On occassions when I have to use store-bought detergent the smell makes me want to gag, even days after. ---
**Author:** ![FaerieBeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FaerieBeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FaerieBeth)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561/30 "2005-02-06T16:12:43Z")
> [@TeaElle](#): > > 1. I make my own laundry detergent. It’s vegetable-based Castille soap, washing soda and water with some essential oil for fragrance if I’m so inclined. It’s much much better for the environment, better for the clothes and costs pennies per batch. I use white vinegar in the rinse rather than fabric softener – this too is better for the clothes in the long run. I am intrigued and wish to subscribe to your newsletter. 😉 Seriously, I’d like to have a recipe for the detergent. My kids are allergy machines, and I have stress hives, so anything all natural would be ever so welcome. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561/31 "2005-02-06T16:27:43Z")
The Australian Consumer Association tested laundry detergents a year or so ago. Unfortunately the brand information will be no use to you but they did have a few general findings. Powders are better than liquid, of their recommended buys only one was a liquid. Detergents with enzymes work better. The cost per wash (for detrergents that scored well) varied from 22 to 70 cents per wash. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561/32 "2005-02-06T19:25:00Z")
> [@FaerieBeth](#): > > My kids are allergy machines, and I have stress hives, so anything all natural would be ever so welcome. In addition to **TeaElle** ’s recipe, you might want to check out the link in my earlier post–the company also sells products that they claim are appropriate for people with allergies and chemical sensitivities. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561/33 "2005-02-06T20:19:18Z")
> [@lel](#): > > I’ve been using Arm & Hammer for years now. It works pretty well (I hope. Nobody’s been saying how my clothes are so dingy.), and doesn’t break the old budget. I use this. My son is allergic to most detergents; we went through a few types before finding one that wouldn’t cause him to break out in hives. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561/34 "2005-02-06T20:57:58Z")
> [@TeaElle](#): > > 1. I make my own laundry detergent. It’s vegetable-based Castille soap, washing soda and water with some essential oil for fragrance if I’m so inclined. I’d also love to have the recipe for that. I’m guessing you’re talking about stuff like Dr. Bronners and Borax for the first two ingredients? As for our laundry, we use All or Era or Purex or Sam’s Choice or whatever’s cheapest when I stock up. And I seperate our laundry into scrubs, reds, lights, whites, darks, and bedding. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561/35 "2005-02-06T21:51:18Z")
Although I believe the color-catcher sheets say you don’t need to separate whites and colors, I still separate. I do whites, blues & blacks, and reds in separate loads. The benefit I see is the whites stay whiter, and the colors stay deeper, more like new for longer. Whites will sometimes have some light grey or beige in with them, or be whites with prints, that’s why I use a sheet with them. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561/36 "2005-02-06T21:59:00Z")
> [@FaerieBeth](#): > > Seriously, I’d like to have a recipe for the detergent. My kids are allergy machines, and I have stress hives, so anything all natural would be ever so welcome. My allergies are extremely sever. I use Tide Free (the one with no dyes or fragrance) and I use half as much. I have also discovered the wonders of Borax! OMG, how did I ever do laundry without it? I’ve had a sweater with a small stain that had been there for five years. One soak in Borax and detergent – stain gone! Makes the detergent so much more effective that I’ve found I don’t need so much anyway. My detergent is lasting longer. Cleanliness better. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561/37 "2005-02-06T22:31:51Z")
Arm & Hammer. I get the 80 load boxes when they are on sale, 2 or 3 at a time, so I always get it cheap and have plenty around. Wife likes it, too. ---
**Author:** ![gfloyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d2c977/32.png) [@gfloyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gfloyd)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561/38 "2005-02-06T22:53:51Z")
I use Purex tabs, as I live in the dorm and they are easier to use than both liquid and powdered stuff. I also only do two loads every other weekend, so it doens’t really matter all that much how much it costs, as I just used up the box I bought in September. The only thing I really can’t stand is Tide. I think it smells icky. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561/39 "2005-02-06T23:25:39Z")
At the moment I’m using Tide because it was on a 2-for-1 sale. Usually I use Arm & Hammer, and I always wait until it’s on sale to buy it. In August Consumer Reports rated Tide with Bleach Alternative as the best detergent. Arm & Hammer Free ranked third overall. Kirkland Signature 38722 from Costco ranked fifth overall and was rated a Best Buy because of its low cost per load, half of A&H. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561/40 "2005-02-07T00:43:15Z")
Do those of you who use Purex like it? I thought of trying it once but feared since it was so inexpensive that they used lower quality detergents so I didn’t risk it (I stuck with sun, the 2nd cheapest detergent at walmart). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-detergent-poll/288561.md?page=3)