Laundry Detergents
Parent Q&A
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Detergents for Front-Loading Washers
2001
The front-loaders do need low-suds detergents and the only brand I know is Tide HE. The only place I have been able to buy that particular kind of Tide is the Super Kmart in Oakland, off 880, near High Street. Lorraine
I wanted to post some additional information about soaps for front-loading washers. I read the owner's manual for my new Maytag (something I almost never do) and found that Maytag recommends using HE detergents by either Wisk or Tide. Costco's detergent is not mentioned. Target carries both,, and the Wisk is a little cheaper than the Tide, ounce per ounce. I also want to add that I just got my water bill, and I estimate we cut consumption by half with the new washer. Maria
Trader Joe's sells low sudsing detergent for your front loading machine. It comes in two sizes in a blue box. Ruth
Environment-friendly detergents
We use Bio-Kleen products for environmental/health reasons. At the laundromat, my inner child turns jealous of the white tsunamis taking over other people's washers. Should I use more soap? Fighting off an inferiority complex, the skeptical adult in me reasons that's probably just what the marketers of those other brands want me to think: that if there's no foam, there's no cleaning power. Lest I risk getting on the proverbial soap box, I'm tired of advertising that plays to our fears, especially as parents (one major brand was recently running a campaign in the dingy lighting of BART stations on how much bacteria gets on your clothes every day). Suffice it to say, our laundry gets clean, and we didn't have to wash our newborn's things with a separate product. Bio-Kleen's Bac-Out also works well on soiled diapers. Available at the Berkeley/El Cerrito Natural Groceries, Wild Oats, Whole Foods and the like. End of commercial. Erin
With respect to the question about laundry detergent: I would HIGHLY recommend Soapworks brand detergent. (Soapworks also makes body soaps, dishwasher liquid, etc.) Soapworks is a locally owned company that specializes in products that are completely biodegradable and very gentle for sensitive skin. My son had a skin allergy that plagued him for several years when he was little, requiring numerous trips to the dermotologist and using medicines that I would rather not have used on his young skin. When I switched to Soapworks, all of his allergies cleared up immediately. We've been using their products religiously ever since. You can get Soapworks directly from the website, or at Trader Joe's. Lori
I like to twist off the caps at the store and smell them if I'm trying a new brand or scent! I've been using Arm&Hammer with Oxi-Clean, "fresh scent" for years and I like it. I think it works pretty good, but for tough stains try Spray n' Wash stain remover.
What qualifies as a "good smell" is so personal! I can't STAND the smell of most detergents with fragrance, and yet I've also found that the supposedly "free and clear" types (especially the ones advertised as "natural") often smell bad to me. So I second the advice to take the cap off in the store and get a good whiff before you buy. Only you know what sort of smell is acceptable to you. For whatever it's worth, I use the Arm & Hammer with a blue cap; I forget the name of the scent exactly but it's something non-perfumey, like "fresh breeze".
As for a musty smell when a load sits in the washer too long, that can happen no matter what kind of detergent you use. It helps if you crack the door of the washer open (or for a top-loader, lift/prop the lid) after the load is done, so that even if you don't shift it to the dryer right away the wet clothes are getting *some* fresh air! Also make sure the door gasket gets cleaned regularly! And if that fails, well, you wouldn't be the first person to find it necessary to re-wash a wet load occasionally.
I use the scent-free Seventh Generation tabs, and add plain white vinegar for the rinse cycle (in place of fabric softener). We wash smelly workout clothes and dog beds, and it works fine (serious smelly loads require hot hot water).
Tide has the best cleaning of any laundry detergent. It’s Proctor & Gamble’s flagship brand and they constantly innovate to keep improving it. The powder, liquids and pods have different scents, so it’s just a matter of trial and error to find a scent that you like.
Give Persil a try. Most detergents are too scented for me but I like this one. It also brightens and cleans really well. You can find it at Target and Amazon (and probably other major retailers).
If your clothes come out smelling "not good" or musty right now, scented laundry detergent won't fix the problem. Moldy/musty smells linger and are hard to get rid of. Every one else will be able to smell it except you.
You may need to actually clean your washing machine (google it), then run the clothes with a strong odor killer like borax or washing soda.
Sorry, I know that isn't the answer you were looking for.
As someone who can routinely smell the laundry detergent scent from peoples clothes from 5 feet away, and get a headache from it, I beg you (and whoever else is reading) not to go overboard with laundry scents. The trend in the detergent market seems to be toward stronger and longer-lasting scents (and they brag about it in their ads!), but please be aware that your "pleasing scent" may be having a negative impact on the people around you. I don't expect the whole world to go scent free, but choose something with a strength that doesn't force the scent on those around you.
Anything but Tide. That stuff smells so strongly that it makes me sneeze.
I do feel your pain, I used to like that laundry smell as well, but if you read about fragrances you'll find that the scents that are appealing are also pretty toxic, on your skin and your family. One solution we use (after our scent free detergent) is to buy lavender sachets or other natural oil scented packets for the dryer - your clothes will never smell 'freshly laundered' without using chemicals, but you'll be doing your family and the earth a favor - all those scent chemicals go right into the wastewater system too!
I use Method Laundry Detergent Packs (pods) in Ginger Mango and really like the smell, supplemented with OxyClean when things are stained. It would likely still smell bad if you left it in the washer too long, though - I don't know that there's a solution for that.
I would absolutely not try to cover up a musty smell. If your clothes smell musty, something is wrong and you need to do something about it, not cover it up.
I would start with cleaning your washing machine. And then going forward run it in a manner that you can take out the clothes as soon as it is done and actually do that.
We use scent free Seventh Gen. Just a Tsp + 1/4-1/2 c borax (or baking soda). And white vinegar as freshener. Cleans super well and keeps the front loader from getting mildewy. To me scents are unnecessary chemical exposure. If your laundry smells stinky it’s not getting clean.