Joe,

The fact that you have seen much talk about different peoples experiences with different brands should suggest that there is no "Best Soap" for all. It depends on water conditions, kind of dirt you have on your clothes, type of machine, water temps, allergies and sensitivities, personal preference, etc.

The Charlies Soap people think it is the greatest. Tide lovers exist, but I would never put it on my clothes. But it works great as a car engine degreaser. Many "natural" brands exist and some are good, but may not be worth the extra cost if there is one. Many of them contain irritating herbal ingredients. I have chemical sensitivities and soft water and I use either All Free and Clear HE liquid or Sears Free HE powder. Both work fine, but I pretreat any stains and don't have really dirty clothes.

The good news is the "soaps" are pretty cheap and you can experiment a little to find which works for you. Most will work OK in normal water, but don't use too much. Less is more if you have a HE machine.

Thanks for the follow up. We live in S. Florida and the water here is "normal" compared to what I have seen throughout our country.

Take care.

Joe

I disagree with the second posting. Persil is a soap desiged for front load laundry and it was tested by the Miele company who strives to be the best in the market in laundry care. They have many different types of laundry soaps such as

Jason,

I understand you are plugging the appliances and products which you sell, but Persil is nothing more than a German garden variety grocery store brand that is sold here for outrageous prices as a "luxury" detergent. It is no better than any number of products which can be purchased domestically and for 1/4 the price.

We are here to share our experiences, not to write marketing copy. Thanks.

umm... and you won't locate persil locally in most areas of the US either... you'll have to order it.... and pay to ship it...

I have 15+ years in the appliance industry and have tested all prodcts. I'm not plugging, just giving you an honest opinion. sshrivastava I don't understand how you can say that about a product you clearly know nothing about. These are my experiences and I'm just giving input. You can get these products most appliance stores with out paying shipping.

jam-you would be more credible if you were here to do something other than plug Miele. Also, kindly read some former posts prior to bashing the knowledge of a long-standing member here.

I what capacity did you test "all" products? What is/was your role in the appliance industry?

I still think Tide is the best laundry detergent out there. They are constantly making improvments and upgrading their product.

I'm a new Charlie's Soap girl...LOVE IT and it's reasonable price. I used to use Tide. All I can suggest is try a few to see what you like.

Because of the many, many positive comments on CS we are going to be the proud new owners of the giant tub. Hopefully you all are right! It was a lot of money for laundry soap. Maybe this should be it's own thread but do you still use fs? I have sheets and liquid still. I don't want to waste it.

angelic_one2002,
how many detergents besides Tide have you personally tried? I have used many different tupes of detergents over the years and I don't like the "new and improved" liquid 2x concentrated Tide HE detergent at all. It is true that P&G makes product changes, but they are not always an improvement IMO. I don't have anything against P&G, in fact, we own some stocks in that company. I have participated in a detergent survey and got two bottles of a NEW Tide detergents for free so I can test and review it. They wanted me to use the recommended amount for those tests. I don't want to ruin my washer or clothes, so I used a lot less and still got some suds and it leaves a fairly strong Tide smell behind on my clothes. I didn't even clean any better than the cheaper Sears detergent that I normally use. When I got the follow-up survey I did let them know that the new Tide doesn't rinse well and that the recommended amount is way too much for my FL and water chemistry.

I guess the Tide powdered detergent is better, but I have no reason to switch as I am happy with my current detergent.

About two years ago I did a side-by-side cleaning comparison between Tide HE (not the 2x) and Persil. I stained identical wash clothes with all kinds of stains, washed them in identical conditions using identical and recommended amounts of each detergent, and guess what? They both looked identical after they came out of the wash. My conclusion at the time? Why pay 4x more for something that cleans the same?

Jason, of course you don't pay shipping separately when you buy Persil at an appliance store... it's already built into the $30+ price tag!

CS is my new love, I'm sticking with it. My clothes are getting softer and brighter with each wash, no sudsing or residue issues. CS is my dream detergent so far, and I can't tell you how much I love that little brown bag! :)

There will be peace in the Middle East and 1¢ a gallon gasoline in the US long before you'll find this group agreeing on one "best" soap! Can't even agree on a washer!! :)

What's best for one is worst for another. Many people in this forum take clothes washing pretty seriously and are unusually defensive about their machines and supplies. Many will use different types of detergents on different items, so that suggests that there isn't any one best.

You really need to try different ones to see what you like (or dislike). Hmmm, not exactly unlike marriage huh? People change detergents... and spouses. So I guess I won't marry a particular brand of detergent either. Don't have to worry about the high cost of divorcing the detergent that way!

The original question was about SOAP, not detergents, unless the original poster uses "soap" to include detergents. The point being, they are not the same thing, although used for the same purpose.

First there was SOAP - derived from natural ingredients. Then came detergents using both natural and synthetic ingredients, especially with their toxic chemicals produced by post-WWII waste and chemical perfumes for that SPRING FRESH scent.

Soap remains biodegradable and doesn't contribute to pollution. Detergent isn't biodegradable and does contribute to pollution. Soap doesn't do as good a job in the laundry in hard water. Detergents clean better in hard water (when used in the appropriate amounts).

My personal preference is Charlie's Soap (going on one year now), thanks to the information posted on this board. Prior to that I occasionally used ALL and normally used homemade SOAP (borax, washing soda and ZOTE or Fels Naptha).

"BEST", as already pointed out, is subjective - as most things are. If there WAS a best, there would not be a need for a whole isle in the grocery store taken up with the stuff. It's about choices.

-Grainlady

FYI. Charlie's Soap, despite its name, is detergent, not soap.

Additionally both detergents and soaps come in biodegradable and non-biodegradable varieties. There are harsh and gentle versions of both. There are naturally-derived versions of both and entirely synthetic versions of both. Chemically speaking, soaps and detergents similarities are greater than their differences.

Fels Naptha makes me sneeze! But, I made some homemade laundry soap, so I'll continue to use it occasionally. I also like to wet the chips that I have leftover from the bar to pretreat spots...sneezing all the way...LOL

So where does one purchase this Charlie's Soap? Can it be bought locally or is strictly mail order? Thanks

Out here in Los Angeles, it's bought by mail order. Give them a call, they are the nicest, most helpful company around! Seriously, they really try and give you info when you call and spend your money. When used correctly, their product lasts a long time!

Whole Foods Market sells Charlie's Soap. If you go to the Charlie's Soap website and key in your zip code, it will tell you if there is a retailer in your area that sells it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Charlie's Soap