TL, but still it is HE. No, I don't use bleach. It would have been either the cheer powder or the Persil powder - they were light blue, so I might have used either one.

I find the liquids rinse out better for me since I can use less of them. My own results are in line with that study I linked in one thread - with liquids, the amount needed to clean doesn't change in soft vs hard water, but with powders, you need more powder than called for to clean in hard water. (I think they said almost 30% more.) THAT is where I am getting my hard to rinse out problem - I've got to use too much powder. With clothes, the rinse and extra rinse do just fine, but I think the sheets can just get too many creases in them that could hold onto the powder/residue. I know people on here like powder, but I really hate it. I will continue to use it for some loads though and am doing the clean wash every 30 cycles, so I am not worried about build up/mold.

Yes, I am using STPP.

I do have an Oxi dispenser and plenty of oxiclean AND sodium percarbonate, so that may be the way I go (liquid plus oxi), at least until I use up some of these detergents I already have. We also have the Tide Ultra liquid. I haven't used it yet. My husband used it on his work clothes over the weekend. I really need to find out how much he used and make sure he is remembering to use about half the amount we used in the other machine. We have talked about this, but talking about it and remembering to do it are two different things. Only reason I had kept him on the Tide pods - no over dosing!

Pat-I believe that is two separate things all together, but I could be wrong(different companies).

Before I got into my mexican Ariel phase, I used Purex all the time.

Speaking of liquid detergents, anyone use some sort of dispenser? I buy the big bottles of Ultimate Clean at Sam's and have always kept it in the cupboard above the washer, using the built-in dispenser. They changed the bottle a few months ago, making it an inch too long to fit in my cupboard :(

I was wondering if a wall-mount soap dispenser, something like those rectangular stainless steel types found in public restrooms would be a crazy idea? They seem to deliver a measured amount of soap with each pump. I have no idea how much that amount is, but it would be cool if each squirt were an ounce! Two squirts into the cup would be perfect for most loads.

Have you seen http://www.sudspenser.com?

Tide Coldwater--at first I was a skeptic, but once I tried it, I saw that it truly does an amazing job at getting out dirt (i.e. seriously filthy sports uniforms and farming grunge).

Errant, I'm not sure how much the hand soap dispenser would dispense, I would think way less than an ounce,looks like 1/2teaspoon in most public restrooms, but cute idea.

Tried out the Tide Cold Water again. On work clothes. Removed one blouse after washing and hung to dry. It smells great - like the FS I used.

Everything else was dried about half an hour on low. No discernable fragrance left unless you hold them up to your face. And the scent left is... odd. Not sure how to describe it. No clothes in the load were really dirty - I would have worn any of them an additional time without even a second thought. So I'm not sure if it's the Tide or just the combo I picked tonight that isn't meshing well. I don't like the scent, but it's not necessarily what I'd call bad. I'm hoping it fades some, or I might need to rewash the 4 shirts.

Best thing to do with the Tide Cold Water(well several detergents not just that one) is if you use fabric softener to use an unscented one. I have used the Tide CW and it works great. After I read it was as good or better at color retaining as Tide Colorguard I tried it. My Fav for years though has been Cheer powder for colors. The Tide CW is great too though--great cleaner. Used to come in an unscented but then they dropped it.

Tide Color Guard IMO stinks, I have it, a nice bright orange color. Cheer on the other hand is the perfect detergent for darks.IMO.

Mama...Tide ColorGuard is getting on my nerves now to with the scent.

It didn't bother me at first but some fabrics hold the scent more than others and it's not fresh. I know Tide Total Care did not smell like this before they changed the name to ColorGuard.

I have never tried the Color Guard but have used the Total Care. A little loud for me. When I read the article about the comparison it was Total Care then but I just used ColorGuard above because since then name has changed to that as you know. I don't care for the loud stuff. I can't see how anyone stands that Persil cause IMO it is deadly. Sinus headache for sure!

I love the scent of Persil Perls,

George I washed a fleese throw in Tide Color Guard once..the scent seemed to magnify after it dried, it was horriable.

I used to Like Tide Total Care...the scent was never my favourite in the bottle, but pleasant after drying & it left my clothes very soft, smooth and "cared for". P&G, OMG I HATE THEM with a passion, has made it Color Guard now, and the scent is god awful. I am collecting vintage, Original Tide, but trying to not buy any P&G products across the board (and I told them too). LOL

The scent was still there this morning, but just barely. You really have to ball up the material and inhale a few times to get it. Shirt that was hung to dry still smells great and smells like the fabric softener (Downy Infusions in Citrus Spice). I guess that was not the best combo. It wasn't my first time using that FS, so I don't think that caused it. I guess I can try an unscented or no fabric softener next week and that will help me decide if it was the combo or if it is the detergent.

Just a comment regarding mold/scum in toploaders.

If a scum ring develops inside the drum, very likely there's a build-up on the *outside* of the drum, and on the *inside* of the outer tub where it isn't seen. Clothes rubbing on the inner drum during washing/rinsing tends to keep the residue wiped away (thus the scum ring at/above the water line where the clothes don't reach). Exterior of the inner drum and inside of the outer tub is inaccessible to rubbing by the clothes during operation, or by the consumer when wiping out the inner drum unless the machine is disassembled.

I understand and agree Dadoes about mold in top loaders however my SQ is new, I noticed the ring in the drum after the first several loads of laundry.

mamapinky0 - the sodium percarbonate and/or the stpp doesn't keep that scum from forming?

Huh, I never said that..Maylingsmom, if you doubt STPP keeps a washer clean, go over and ask them on AW, don't take my word for it. I'm just learning as I go along.

I'm not sure I know what exactly you are referring to "Huh, I never said that". I was only asking if those products did/didn't help with the scum or ring. Maybe, I should have used the word "ring" instead of "scum." As for me doubting, I am asking about your own personal experience.

Nifty idea, aa62579, but that thing wouldn't fit in the cupboard above my washer, and would look awful attached the wall next to it ;)

My updates - HEB Bravo Plus detergent - used on colored sheets with STPP - on the 4th hottest temp (out of 5). Sheets were not stained, so nothing to report on that function. Used a Gain fabric softener. Seemed to rinse well, did not clash with fabric softener. No complaints - will continue to use on bedding.

Tide Coldwater - Initially I decided it left a funky odor in my clothes. Wasn't sure if it was the detergent or the combo of it and my FS. Suggestions to try out an unscented FS or none at all. Odor was almost entirely removed from clothes by the next day, but I haven't worn any of the shirts to see if body temp reactivates odor. I've worn the pants and can detect no odor in them now. I have, however, decided not to buy an unscented FS at this time. I already have 3 I am rotating between right now (plus hubby has 2 and I have one other one in there that I hate and just need to toss). 6 fabric softeners is enough in the cabinet right now. So, I think I will move this bottle upstairs to the bathroom and designate it for presoaks for my husband's work clothes. I'll see how washing my work clothes on warm with cheer powder works or just use another liquid - either something I already have or maybe another one made for cold water. I know I've seen one by Gain; I'm sure there are others as well.

I still have a full bottle of Tide Total Care HE at home ;) "dress to the sevens" lol

The Cap though, makes it look like a non-ultra formula. Maybe P&G did that on purpose.

I always found Tide Total Care HE to work very well!!! Everything was always very soft, clean and cared for. The scent was and never has been amazing though. While not bad, so not great!!

Well, I'm not crazy thinking there was an odor. I found multiple reviews complaining about it. Tide Coldwater Clean in Fresh Scent.

aa- Sorry to hear that the tide fresh scent isn't working for you. Is the Bravo detergent working well? Let us know what you end up trying and what ends up working for you.

Most store brands (detergent wise) are made by Sun Products (Wisk, All, Sun, Surf, etc)

That Bravo is a home-grown product in Texas. I bet it performs well ;)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uwNXn7PV94w

Only sold in Texas...my bad luck to live in Pa. Lol

I wash everything but towels in cold, to make sure nothing shrinks. If you wash in warm or hot, how do you keep sheets and clothing from shrinking?

I also can't use any scented detergent purely because scents give me horrible headaches, and my boys have eczema. Tide knocks me out! It's the worst offender. I use "natural" detergents, but don't have a favorite. Are there any REALLY great unscented detergents that are OK for eczema?

pippiep, I have found that the dryer causes more shrinkage than warm or hot water. Cold water will not get out body oils, sebum dust/dirt. Uses warmer or hot water <might> help with your boys eczema. I emphaize might. All free and clear is recommended by doctors for people with allergies ect.

pippiep - I personally think Wisk Free and Pure was the best unscented detergent ever, but it is ridiculously hard to find. Not sure if it is ok for eczema, but we loved it. Also, I wash in cold for the same reasons as you. I would love to wash in warm or hot, but I can't risk shrinking or fading any more clothes. I have two girls and the clothes need to be able to last through two kids (super tight budget). I need Mama to bring her queenie and come down here and show me how it's done. haha

Blue...I would love to visit you, what a blast we would have, but only if I can spoil the kids, no doubt your kids would wonder who the strange lady with the hot pink clothespin (peg) in her hair is.LOL.

Love it! I'll start unhooking the LG! :) HAHA!

Pip, listen up here to Mama, do you dry your clothes in a dryer? did you know your dryer probably gets hotter than your hot water. By the way what kind of washer are you using? I would think unless your washing wool your clothes could handle at least warm and most expecially bed sheets. Your washing towels,in warm or hot and believe me their cleaner than sheets. Bodys put off oil, even though you may not have oily skin, your body puts out oil, and sheds dead skin..yucky, nothing short of hot or very warm is going to remove body oils. If that body oil is left in the fabric, it builds up and turns to a stinky wax. Have you ever seen sheets that have yellowish stinky stains? Waxy body oils.

As far as Eczema, I would choose a detergent that you can deal with, i recommend All free powder or Pods as they both have enzymes and in your situation you need some extra rinses to remove every trace of detergent. You don't say if you use Fabric Softener, but I'd imagine that would be irritating to Eczema. anyway the most important factor for the eczema is avoid chemically made fragrance and get those clothes rinsed well. I'm curious what washer you have?

Gonna retract here..Id stay away from powder detergent, that sodium carbonate can be a real pain to rinse out, but all free pods have enzymes and do a pretty good job as does Tide free pods.

I want to say that I heard somewhere that you can do some kind of vinegar soak to help colors retain their dye. Has anyone heard of this? Is it just nonsense? Wouldn't a later washing in warm or hot water undo this?

Soak new clothes in salt water and it will set the color. Vinegar probably does too. I remember when all the "washes" was in style with jeans(acid, stone etc) salesperson told me to soak in vinegar to stop the chemicals from eating on the fabric. I had bought a pair(jeans) and after about 5 washings they were all to pieces. The waistband even washed off. That is when I was told about the vinegar but to stop dye transfer salt water is good(cool water). I carried back the jeans and got an exchange but different finish.

Sparky....the question is...Did they fall apart while you were wearing them, lol..just joking Sparky. Ya cool water and salt. A lot of salt. About a cup I think. Remember back in the day Sparky we were supposed to do a salt bath on red fabrics, otherwise after the first wash we'd end up with pink . Lol

How long do you soak the clothes in the salt bath?

That I don't remember how long lol...but a colorfastness test could be done..also manufactures are supposed to list if dyes arnt colorfast,...if a label says Wash seperatly or wash with like colors you can bet the manufacturer expects the garment to fade or bleed. Those are the things that I'd do a colorfast test on.

I would say soak them for an hour or so. I have soaked some jeans later in life but before that I can just remember my Mama doing it and she used salt. Rinse well after the salt water and hang to dry the first time anyway.

I wore the jeans 4-5 times so yeah they were falling apart as I moved I guess. I never seen anything like them, they were holes and strings by the time I carried them back.

The really old school way to break in the shrink-to-fit Levi 501s was to put them on and wear them into the ocean. It set the dye and helped fit them to your body. I've never tried it but both my parents used to do that before you could get preshrunk jeans. They said people who didn't have a convenient beach used the bathtub but the ocean is better.

I've never had normal clothes shrink or fade much from washing on warm. (Not talking about silk or cashmere or anything really delicate) I have a whole bunch of athletic and outdoor clothing that mostly says cold wash on the tags, and it all gets washed on warm (90F) even merino wool tops, using the appropriate cycle. Stuff holds up fine.

I do wash dark jeans on cold if I'm trying to keep them dark, but that's the only thing.

Just coming back to this -- I missed the posts to me above! I have a Bosch FL now, but the new house has a Samsung HE TL. I don't use fabric softener at all (I'm one that views it as a horrible invention, LOL -- I do use vinegar sometimes). I'd love a SpeedQueen, and was hoping to get one in the new house until we discovered they were leaving their washer/dryer behind. Oh well. (Our buyers requested ours, and I was more than happy to leave them behind.)

I started washing in warm this past week, and realized what my MAIN problem is: I don't sort! I never have. My husband keeps his whites in a separate basket, but everything else gets mixed, and washed on delicate/cold. If I buy something new that's red, it gets washed with jeans and a Shout Color Catcher, but after that, it goes in with the rest of the stuff, washed on cold forevermore.

I'm washing my kids' stuff now on warm, no Color Catcher. I hope it comes out OK! There is a new pair of bright blue corduroy pants in there that were washed on cold with a Color Catcher last week... I hope the color doesn't run!

I'm going to have to start sorting, aren't I.

I do use the dryer, but not for anything that says to line dry or dry clean. I dry everything on low.

Lol..what is the reason for your washing in cold, is it do to fabric fade? Anything that fades should be washed seperatly or with like colors. Perhaps I missed it but do you also wash bedding in cold?

I'm not judging you..just curious and wanting to be helpful.

I wash in cold to make sure nothing bleeds, since I don't sort colors. Lights, darks, everything goes in together. Also to ensure no shrinkage, but bleeding avoidance is 99.9% of the reason.

I do wash bedding in cold... though yesterday I finally tried warm! We do get the icky yellowness after a while, and would like to avoid that (our current sheets are only a few months old and are the BEST I've ever found -- Lands End Oxford sheets).

You probably already know that yellow on the sheets are body oils that turned to wax..I'd soak in hot, not dubbed down hot that many washers give but true hot, like around 140 deg f . With a Good powder detergent. .Tide with bleach powder is great..than a nice hot wash with same detergent. It might take a few washings to get rid of this. Cold water washing causes the body oils to build up and they turn to a hardened wax..

I would try to avoid garments that bleed, since manufacters are required to tell us if the garment is going to bleed the label will say..Wash seperatly or with like colors. Thats your tip it will most likely bleed.

I can also tell you hot water washing isn't the culpret for shrinking, its the dryer, I think they heat somewhere between 130&155 deg. Also I'll say, detergents may work for normal soils in cooler water but detergents won't work in cold depending on what area you live in cold can be very cold. And no detergent on its own will remove body oils/ wax..it requires hot.

Where do you buy Lands End sheets? I had a tip on here awhile back about Targets sheets Threshold preformance...I've bought 6 sets so far, they are wonderful and not pricey. Lol.

These are the Lands End sheets: http://www.landsend.com/products/oxford-sheeting/id_228024

I can't use Tide w/Bleach because of the scent. I can't use anything even remotely scented. I also can't really avoid buying clothing with the "wash separately" instructions, because we all love jeans! :)

We don't have any yellowed sheets now, but now that I'm washing in warm, hopefully it will prevent the oxford sheets from yellowing.

Pip: You might try using some Clorox 2 because it come unscented. That might give everything a boost when you need it.