I've been using Charlie's for about 6 or 7 years now and haven't had a problem with fading.

I've been using CS only for one month and so far have no problem w/ fading. We have mostly black sheets and my BF has all working t-shirts black.I also wash everything in hot water. Our laundry is soft, smells like new.

I've been using it for over a year now... no noticible fading... actualy I had on black slacks at work the other day that I got about the same time I switched soaps... and a co-worker wanterd to know if they were new since they were 'so black'....

No.. no fading...

I don't get any fading from Charlie's. I do get fading if I add Oxy to any wash.

Thanks everyone for clarifying what I did not know. I didn't realize Oxi would fade clothes. I thought it was advertised to not fade. Good information, thank you.

I have to say...one of the first things I noticed after I had been using Charlie's for about 6 months or so was that all the fading with the Tide Free I had been complaining about for so long stopped altogether. I could buy new things...and after many washings, they continued to look new. It was one of the side benefits that I loved because I wash everything in the hottest water the fabric can tolerate. Now...everything I buy just remains it's original color, no matter how many times I wash it. I've tested the wash water lots of times when I'm washing new things...and I have to tell you, the difference in dye running is simply amazing. Any time I have something red that is new, the first washing with Tide Free the water would be blood red. With Charlie's you can't really tell you've just washed something red for the first time. Just another thing I love about Charlie's.

Didn't I read something about Charlie's Soap not being suitable for non colorfast items?

How does one tell when something isn't colorfast before learning the hard way?

chipshot,

I wash all of my colorfast items in Charlie's soap.

Haven't had to do it in my FL yet, but in my old TL, I always soaked brand new colorfast items in ice cold water with 1 cup of vinegar for a couple of hours in the machine letting it run on a short wash/rinse/spin cycle WITHOUT any detergent after bringing it home the first time. Reds will tinge this water slightly pink, even after the 1st real washing. This method also works well on my husbands hunting clothing, keeping them from fading as quickly after repeated washings originally in 'Forest Floor' washing liquid, now in Charlie's...or is it my imagination?

I felt that CS was actually harder on some of my colored items than my regular powdered detergent over the month or so that I used it. I never use OXY for routine cleaning (nor do I use that infamous fading detergent, Tide HE.)

In particular I found CS hard on items made of organic cotton that are marketed to have more "natural dyes" (whatever that means). For instance, I wear a brand of socks like that and I've never had fading on them (despite years of wear), but that month with CS did alter the colors. (I had some of these socks that weren't washed in CS during the test period and the difference is noticeable to me.)

I think it probably depends on your particular laundry practice (I tend to use hotter water than many people) and what level of fading your are accustomed to seeing as the norm. And I think it would depend, perhaps this is the largest variable, what kind of dyes are on the fabrics.

Since I find CS too stinky to use for routine washing I stopped using it. YMMV, of course.

Molly~

We have been using "infamous" Tide HE for about two months and haven't noticed any fading. Does it happen more at higher or lower temperatures, certain fabrics, or across the board? We wash almost everything in warm and are using vinegar in place of fabric softener.

Just goes to show how things vary so much in laundry. I've been using Tide Free/Sensitive Skin now for what, about 9 months now and the only fading is the dirt and stains that are coming out now that wouldn't come out before! The clothes look much better, feel much softer too. For me it's a noticable improvement.

Cynic, I think that you are right. Use what works best in your water.

Molly,

Charlie's Soap is stinky? I've been using it now for a couple of months, it leaves no odor at all on the clothing. That's one of the things I love about it!

Yes, I find that CS leaves a perceptible solvent-y odor on my clothes. I have always had fairly unstinked-up clothes before, so I notice it perhaps more than users who had previously been using products with added scents. The clothes washed in CS definitely do not smell "just like clothes with no smell" to me. They smell like clothes washed in CS!

For certain types of laundry challenges, I find CS works the best, so I continue to use it for those loads. But for regular, daily wash, I couldn't bear the odor.

I haven't tried the liquid CS, only powder, so perhaps there is a difference. All the CS products I have used: powder, APC and their private-labeled down wash product have the same distinctive smell, and moreover, it's still in the laundry afterward.

It's not a rinsing problem, or I believe, an overdosing problem since I tend to use less than recommended due to my naturally soft water. Also, I asked a number of people to sniff some sample items washed in CS. Not everyone could detect any odor, but of those that could all, without prompting, identified it as like a solvent.

And that makes sense to me given the product history and the fact that it is superlative at breaking up fatty acid molecules, a.k.a. grease spots.

Molly~

I had a big issue with fading. Some navy blue shirts got what looked like white powdery residue, and also looked visibly faded. It wouldn't wash out so we had to throw them away. I then tried later on with some others and the same thing happens. I think it had a lot to do with our very hard water and the charlie's soap together. Not sure why but that is the only one we had that problem with. It was too bad b/c I liked how soft our clothes felt, and several of us have issues with allergies to detergents. We are now in a new house w/ water softener so we may give it a try again. Oh, we used the charlie's soap powder, I'm guessing the liquid would not have done the same thing.

The white powder that was showing up was calcium carbonate precipitating out due to the reaction with the calcium in your water and the sodium carbonate (washing soda) in our product acting as a water softener. You can use TSP, a NON-precipitating water softener to remove those specs along with any detergent, or you can add a phosphoric acid to remove them like CLR.

I wanted to point out to HOWEVER CLAIMS THERE CHARLIE FAN MAY BE WORKING FOR COMPANY TRYING TO RECUR YOU TO SWITCH OVER because A - He/She makes money base on Sales

Such users you have to should would are charliesoap
taylor@charliesoap.com - This email will give a hint that this person is working for the company

No, I don't find that Charlie's causes fading. I find it very gentle on colors.

And NO, I certainly do not work for Charlie's. Employees from other soap brands could be on the board too you know. Why so suspicious?

ummm... I thought we all KNEW Taylor worked for Charlie's... and the input provided by him (her?) is always factual and helpful... with a 'call me' of 'email me' if you want more info... I have NEVER taken their input to be 'sales-y'....

Taylor has always been very up front that he works for Charlie's. He started posting several years ago to answer any questions that anyone had about CS. He's NEVER tried to sale anyone on it, but stickly answered questions. He's also stated numerous times that it may not work for everyone. Right from the start he said that if he was not wanted here he would leave, but most have appreciated answers to their questions.

Yes, indeedy, I thought we all knew Taylor works for Charlie's soap. It's right on his page. At least he doesn't hide it like some spammers have on this board. I appreciate him being up front.

I am not going to hide that I love their product and use it. It may not work for you, but I don't see any reason to be rude and disrespectful to anyone who is being up front about who they are. Remember the Miele guy who denied working for them? If he would have been up front, I'd have admired and respected him for telling us why his product may be better than others.

Denise

eek... simple posting of a chemical reaction.

Don't worry Taylor we gotcha covered. Yes, stick around, you are very helpful, and most of us know you.

I totally second Housekeeping. I use CS liquid and Cheer HE on different loads for performance issues, AND I do smell that solvent smell too. Doesn't bother me.

I also bought a gallon of the All purpose cleaner. Wow, yes, that stuff rocks.

Taylor, don't panic. I always appreciated your comments on this forum. The company you work for (Charlies Soap) is only one of a few companies that actualy have 'customer service". The person I talked to over the phone was very nice and was the reason I switched over to your product. Stay around, alot of us appreciate it.

O.K. I'm using CS for few weeks now so I need to add my 2 cents. From what I observed, the solvent smell is due to not being rinsed out properly. If it is done right, there is NO smell whatsoever. And after drying laundry smells like new.It did hapen to me too and my BF got irritated skin so we learned. We live in Florida and have hard water too.
I'm using scoop in prewash and scoop in main wash, hot or sanitaze and extra rinses w /water plus.
Either scale down on soap or rinse more.

I hope Taylor from CS will read this again.
We have hard water here, above 10.5 gpg. Do you think I should add TSP to my CS?

I went to the hardware store looking for TSP, but all they had was this brand and apparently it is a TSP substitute. Is it the same? It contains no phosphates. I didn't buy it.

If I should be adding TSP to my CS (and if I can find it), how much do I add?

Also, has anyone tried using a water softener, diluted of course, in the final rinse, by putting it in the FS dispenser? Good idea or not?

Janet

TSP substitutes as additives to laundry are, in Charlie's opinion, not all that effective at cleaning water. The phosphate is a non-precipitating reagent that binds up minerals very effectively.

How much you use depends on the hardness of your water. Start with 2 TBSP and work your way up.

Amazon.com has TSP available from many sources.

See? No commercial!

Thank you. I appreciate the advice :-)

i_dig_it

If have local 99 cent only store

White & Purple building you will find TSP in laundry & cleaning aisle

Its Red/Orange box 1.5 IBS

I really really really wanted Charlie's Soap to work for me, but I too found fading. I have used Cheer (I don't know how bad it is, everyone seems to use Tide here) for years and have never had a problem with fading. I am on a well, so we don't get the normal fading that happens over the years like people on city water. They have chlorine added in, which works like a bleach. I love the way clothes smelled and felt using the Charlies, but I have shirts that are 5 years old, washed every few weeks, that still look new. Does anyone have any suggestions as to stopping the fading? It works great on my whites, makes them just beautiful. I may order some more for just them, but I hate having one more thing to clutter my tiny laundry room.
Does anyone know why Charlies would fade and Cheer wouldn't? What would be in Charlies that would fade, but not in Cheer?
S

I'd like to try Cheer HE but haven't seen it in powder form.