I'm curious; why powder? We stayed at a hotel recently and they had powder for the W/D and my kids didn't know what it was!

Perhaps a myth but my understanding is that liquid is more likely to slime up the low water front loaders. Since I've always used powder and never had a mold or odor problem with my FL I'm sticking with it.

I have always used powder, it's always worked great and I've never had any issues. Besides, I like the way it looks in my big glass jar.

We use the Kirkland pods (Costco) with zero problems and clean clothes. I only wash in cold water. No slime, no mold or odor.

eta: sorry didn’t see that you didn’t want pods.

Tide powder works well. They have a Free and Gentle version that is unscented. Ariel powder works well too, but it's a highly scented detergent. This one comes in a plastic bag, so you will need to get plastic bins or glass containers to put the powder in. Then there's Foca, also in a plastic bag. I like the scent of this one, light and fresh. I use them all and have good cleaning results with them, but the smell of Ariel does make my eyes cross.

Interesting. The few times I have used powder, I notice sometimes it does not all dissolve (I only use cold water).

Whoops whoops. I realized you have a front loading washer. No to Foca and Ariel as they generate a lot of suds. I have a top loading washer.

Tide powder is your best bet. Then there is All powder. It's unscented. You can order All powder detergent on Amazon. It's inexpensive and a small box if you wanted to try it out and see if it's a match for you. If it's not, then back to Tide. There's hardly any powders left for sale anymore.

We've used Nellie's Laundry Soap powder detergent for years, the the best part, well, besides the fact that's environmentally sound, fragrance free, non-toxic and made in Canada, is that you can purchase it in a 5 gallon pail, and it lasts for several years, no lugging plastic jugs home from the grocery store, UPS delivers it right to me.

I use Tide HE powder, I mostly use cold water and don’t have problem with residue. I use powder because it doesn’t come in plastic.

I've used Tide for years because it gets the clothes clean but also because the Tide Free really is a true unscented and I have a kid who is skin sensitive as well and he was able to tolerate it.

I use liquid Persil in practically boiling hot water for all my clothing and linens. Never had any problems. Front loading Bosch machines.

We just started using Nellies about a month ago. Works well AND the tin is really cute. 😃

The only laundry detergent that does not worsen my allergies or my daughter’s eczema is HE All clear.

Tide free and clear He liquid. DH has super sensitive skin so we have to go with what doesn't bother him.

I'm surprised about "non-pod" as they make it so easy to use.

We use persil pods or liquid for the most part. I haven't used a powder in so many years.

Annie, I prefer to measure my own soap not use a pre-measured pod. I don't mind them in my dishwasher. Newly married, I worked in an appliance store where their very own in- house Maytag repairman taught me to do laundry. He pointed out the heavy doses of product on literally every laundry product packaging on the market. Not good for clothes, but good for their amount of sales.

I use Tide Original Powder. That, along with Woolite for Darks for my black things and an occasional use of Oxy see me through just about any load of wash. I buy the Tide in bulk at Costco. For decades.

I use Miele Ultra White powder for sheets, towels, and light things. I use All Clear (no fragrance, nothing that will irritate my skin) for other clothes. With the sheets, I also use Mrs. Meyer's lavender scented laundry soap (yes, I wash them twice) because it makes them smell so good! I also have the Miele powder for colors which I use sometimes, too. I am just not wild about the scents of the Miele soaps. I also wash in cold and have no problem with the powder not completely dissolving.

I've been using Nellie's for a few years now with good results, but our laundry is never heavily soiled. I use a combination of temperatures.

I use Tide Unscented Liquid. No pods, like being able to control amount.

Last year during start of the pandemic, we couldn’t get Persil Sensitive laundry soap so I authorized my husband to buy Tide sensitive skin detergent, which the store only had in pods. Eww I hated the feeling of the pods. Each of the 90 times I touched them, it creeped me out. And I had trouble getting the container open (because of my small, stiff hands). I was so happy when we found the Persil again.

ln spite of my dislike of touching them, I tried to get my 90-yo Mum to use the pods, since it would lighter to carry 1-2 to her laundry room. But she resists, for some reason. She also refuses to use the front loading washer at her place. She’s convinced it doesn’t use enough water to get things clean. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I’m just happy she’s still willing and able to do her own laundry. The facility does her sheets and towels, she just washes her personal things.

She did hand me a bag with her casual winter coat in it and ask me to wash it and store it in “your 9 room house.” 😆

Liquid Persil in cold water.

Persil in cold water for me too. I will never use anything else. It cleans well and my clothes smell clean, not scented (which probably means a scent, but I don't care.)

Teh Wind Fresh powder at Sam's Club has always gotten good reviews. Re the pods, I was told repairmen say not to use them in washers or dishwashers because the outer wrapper can clog up the machines.

I use Arm and Hammer liquid with oxyclean. It is much cheaper than Tide and does a better job, IMO. The He liquid is measured out into a dispenser drawer on our washer, that then mixes it with water before letting it into the drum area. You can’t put a pod or powder into the dispenser, and I always find sticky powder when I have bypassed the dispenser and put those types of detergent in the drum.

That's so funny about pods using too much. DH does the laundry, and like so many guys, he's a "more is better" guy. Well he's had our machine overflow more than once over the years because he tends to add more to a big load. So in our case, I use the pods to prevent him from adding "just a little more"!

I wish I could be choosy! I've found one detergent that I'm not allergic to, that's the Persil Sensitive liquid and now I bought a new bottle and it's changed. I haven't tried it yet, keeping my fingers crossed! It used to be a creamy white color but now it's clear, it should be better but you just never know until you try it.

Allergies has me using All Clear-so liquid. Liquid is recommended with septic system we have. I rinse in vinegar--again due to allergies, it removes static from the dyer. I suddenly have an allergic reaction to the dryer cloths . It certainly is a dance between manufacturer recommendations/repair men's advise/stain removal/allergies. The one place one should never look for recommendations is advertising!!

I've used gain lavender powder for 20 years in my top loader, which for a few years has been Speed Queen, never had any issues. I do use hot water for really dirty stuff and Zout for stains.

Interesting how different everyone’s experiences are. Kswl - I’m assuming if you have a dispenser drawer that you have a FL machine but maybe not. Mine has a place for powder and it too rinses into the drum leaving no residual powder. I am going to stick with powder as long as I find a new one that works which it seems will be the case.

I don't care for powdered detergent; I much prefer liquid. I also occasionally use pods. I use All Clear and Free. I do not want my clothes to have a scent. Work clothes (yard work, etc.), linens and towels, and a few other items are always washed in hot water.

That's so funny about pods using too much.

I've never used pods in the washing machine, but I did initially use Finish tablets in my Bosch dishwasher. When I needed a repair guy he told me not to use the tablets. They contain too much detergent. I've been using powdered Cascade for the past 12 years. I rarely have the soap dispenser full. The amount I use is based on soil level.

Another ALL fan. I never paid attention to the price of detergent always bought Tide. One day I noticed how much it cost. I bought ALL instead and it's just as good.

I do add Oxyclean to my pastels & whites. Whites and towels are always washed in hot water.

DW-powdered Cascade along with Lemi Shine.

Another Nellie's fan here. I used to use an organic laundry liquid but switched to Nellie's when I could no longer find it, and did a lot of research. I learned about the potential issues with liquid 2Katz pointed out, and wanted the cleanest formulation I could find. Costco at times carries the giant bucket which I'll eventually get and repack in my tins, but it takes so little of Nellie's for a wash load that it will be a long time before I run out.

My trusted appliance repair person also warned me against liquids, and especially the pods. I only use powders in my washing machine and dishwasher, and only fill at half the amount.

I was looking into Nellie’s tonight. I assume it’s the stuff called laundry soda. Then I came upon Charlie’s which I recall the old laundry forum folks raving about. It also gets very good reviews on Amazon - they seemed legit. I guess I’ll try a couple different things since I need detergent at home and at the lake place.

I always come back to the Miele powders for whites and colors. German Persil powder is ok, but it has more fragrance than I like. The scent of the US version is gag-worthy to me.

I tried Charlie's Soap years ago. Even using hot water, it didn't get clothes clean enough to suit me. It's available in some grocery stores in the Twin Cities, 2katz4me.

Thanks Moxie - maybe I will skip Charlie’s then since your first hand experience was suboptimal.

I have been using Method liquid for years, but it isn't available lately. My upcoming Amazon Subscribe & Save order was cancelled and I looked locally. I really dislike pods after having perfumy dishes come out of my dishwasher. I like controlling the dosing for both laundry and my dishwasher -- and I also like less fragrance. I have bought but not yet tried a Seventh Generation liquid -- Ultra and citrus scent. It got good reviews. WIll give it a try.

2katz, TJ Maxx often has tins of Nellie’s detergent, that’s where I first purchased it, at least 10 years ago. I bought the tins for awhile, then went looking online and discovered the 5 gallon bucket and I was hooked.

And FWIW, my daughter and I have allergies and eczema and Nellie’s has been great, in fact, after a few months of using Nellie’s, I stopped the extra rinse, which I had used faithfully for years, and I’ve never had a reaction.

I use Cheer powder for colors, and Grab Green for whites. Both work great and both are powders. I buy Cheer at either a small grocery near me or Walmart (the only thing I ever buy there.) Grab Green I sometimes find at TJMaxx or Marshalls or order it on line. It is available either as pods or as a powder. It is non-toxic, has a very slight lovely fragrance that disappears quickly, doesn't irrate my skin, and really gives me white, whites.

I had the same experience with Charlie's Soap not getting my clothes clean enough. We use Biokleen powder now and have been happy with it. I don't like liquids, pods or scents.

@2katz, yes I have a front loader. Powder just isn’t a great option, nor are the pods.

@2katz4me, Kowalski's on Grand Ave. has Nellie's. You can check online for a store closer to you. No need to login to just browse rather than order.

Kinda OT, but I am reminded WFM sent a package of cleaning supply samples a few weeks ago, included was a sheet of laundry soap.

I tried it with towels, just to see and it worked fine. Quite surprised, of course towels don't get particularly dirty, but I suspect that product works as well as most of the Ecos ones sold at WFM.

PS They sent a large sample of hand sanitizer too- after all we went through last year it felt amazing to get free hand sanitizer!!