I wouldn't think Borax would be needed if using STPP.

Ammonia is my go to for darks. Great odor removal and it's cheap. No worries about fading.

Well I just ordered some of the Persil Megaperls Color from Amazon to use on darks and colors....especially the cottons, which seem to fade the most. I will see if I need a booster with it. I do like Borax and am still waiting on my order of STPP. Aamassther, do you put the ammonia directly on the stinky items or add to the entire wash?

I use about 1/4-1/2 cup in the entire wash. Persil and ammonia have been a mainstay in my laundry room for years.

Can't tolerate the smell of ammonia, lemon or otherwise. In my old house, the laundry area is in the kitchen which is next to the living room. I would have to leave for the day.LOL. Borax is my go to for odors and water conditioning.

In my experience, when i used Borax, it faded my colors noticeably. I do use ammonia though, and I have good luck as long as I use only a quarter to a half cup as you say, aamassther.

Ellendp

Oh no! (About the Borax) I used to use oxi in almost every load until I noticed my gray towels turning strange colors from fading. So I switched to Borax. Maybe I will just use the STPP with darks and colors.

Yes Lisa Oxi is a bleach it will fade. As for Borax fading..well its alkaline so if clothes are not colorfast, and even if they are it could cause fading. This is why liquid detergent is more gentle causing less fading on colors and darks, its neutral, not alkaline. Same with ammonia, very alkaline and although its a great oil remover I wouldn't recommend it in every load.

If your having a problem with odors assess your laundry, don't wash heavily soiled things with light soils. Try a prewash with heavily soiled or sweaty clothes. ..take gym/work out clothes for example. .full of sweat..expecially a FL'er that uses little water that wash water will be full of sweat and no matter how hot the water or how good the detergent if the water is laden in sweat those soils are going to remain in the fibers causing odors. Two shorter washes are more beneficial than one long wash when it comes to this.

It's not that entire loads are stinking, it's that I occasionally notice the smell of BO in the armpit of a shirt or two of my son's tshirts after washing. I have two teenage boys who play sports, so there's stinky shirts and stinky socks. I would say most of their tshirts are colored or dark. I had been using Tide Ultra Stain with some Borax. Now this was PRE-new washing machine. I had a he top loading Samsung. I have moderately hard water. I got my new Electrolux set this week. I've vowed to give laundry more of my attention. Sooooo....I ordered STPP and the Persil megaperls for colors. Maybe the combination of those two plus the new washer will do the trick. I do wash their colors/darks in warm. No more oxi...maybe only for soaking baseball pants! I also read in one of the threads that someone sprays vinegar on the armpits before washing...

And maybe I'll add a prewash. My new machine has a setting for that I believe.

Lisa I use Borax on every load and have never had a fading problem. My dark clothes are same as new. You have a FL now, so you probably wont use as much as with a TL.