Disappointing!

My fam and you certainly have different results from same detergents.

I've been having good luck with 365 powder detergent. Perhaps we use it differently?

At first I followed the dosing directions on 365's label and found in my top load-full fill washer, that was not enough product for my machine. I use more now. I also do a lengthy pre-wash/soak that gets drained and spun out before I proceed into a main wash on 95% of wash loads. Not sure if it's our water chemistry or if our dirt is really that bad, but laundry here needs to have this pre-wash/soak process to have respectable outcomes.

I also have learned to be friends with Oxi-clean. It didn't help one bit in my crummy front loaders (nothing did) and was not a fan-could not see the benefit, but in my SQ, it's a good addition, and I think many folks here know my alliance with Borax in pre-wash/soak cycles. Those additives (I believe) ramp up good laundry outcomes for us.

I wish you had better results mxk3.

Are you able to use Tide powder? It will likely work better for you. That has an activator whereas, I assume the 365 does not. I find if there is no activator, a long soak time is a good practice.

Yea...I'm not pre-soaking a load of laundry unless there's staining that needs to be treated (fresh on my mind after Thanksgiving dinner and red wine and coffee stains...). IMO a good laundry detergent cleans well enough so it's not needed. I'm not looking for blindingly white whites here -- but I do expect there won't be obvious dirt left on clothes after running them through a cycle with any detergent I use. BTW -- this was not a cold water wash, it was hot. Which, in my case is actually warm but still -- no excuse for there to be dirt left on items that were not heavily soiled.

Hard NO to the Tide. Absolutely not. Too harsh for my allergies and sensitive skin. I was swayed by the board not too long ago with the free & clear stuff, whatever the actual name of that Tide product is, and I noticed fading. Might have been OBs in there opposed to actual fading IDK, but who knows if/when they changed ingredients from the time other posters raved about it. Regardless, I'm now forever sworn off Tide.

I wanted to try Ecover powder, but the only place I could find it is A*z; I could stomach the price for the product but not the shipping so I decided to pass for now. Maybe it's available from some far-flung website, so if anyone knows please post.

So, today I ordered the Miele UltraColor. I've read it has a scent but it doesn't linger on clothes, so I'm going to try it. The UltraColor has no OBs, according to the spec sheet. I looked at the Miele Sensitive Skin, but that one has OBs so that's a hard pass for me. I'll report back on the UltraColor after I've given it a try.

ETA: The water could definitely be the difference why some products work well for some but not others. I have softened well water.

That Miele UltraColor is said to be for "color and black clothes" but who knows? Persil Free & Sensitive (liquid) works very well and is much cheaper per load (17 vs 77 cents per load, claimed). I don't know if it has any "OBs" but here's the ingredients list.

"I don't know if it has any "OBs" but here's the ingredients list."

Yep, it does -- the disodium something-something disulfonate is an optical brightener. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

Our box of Miele Ultra Color is several years old. There is a mild, lovely scent but it's not offensive like the mainstream laundry products'. Still, it makes me itch, so it sits there.....

Disappointed to hear this, as I’m considering 365 Free and Clear powder to replace discontinued Biokleen Premium powder that my wife uses. What washing machine and what cycle and settings did you use for those loads?

suburbanmd,

Me too. I have such pleasing results with the 365. I do use more product than the package directs now, and I use Oxi-clean in whites loads. I also do a proper soak and drain and spin before a main hot wash.

I just washed a full load of our greasy, grimy, dirty, yucky kitchen and cleaning rags. Spotless. Odorless. One would think I keep these hard working rags hanging around for decoration.

Scratches head.

But I remember when members here were over the moon with liquid Persil and all that they said it did for their laundry. When I bought a bottle, all it did was stink up the laundry with it's heavy perfume and leave the funk of the dirty launrdy behind...moral or the story, results vary, I suppose.

Yep, what works for one might not work for another...such is life. It's worth giving it a try, Whole Foods has a relatively generous return policy with receipt, you've got nothing to lose.

I was using the Biokleen and really, really liked it. Why did the fools discontinue it?!?

SEA SEA: "liquid Persil...all it did was stink up the laundry with it's heavy perfume"

Persil Free & Sensitive doesn't contain perfume.

mxk3 z5b_MI: "I was using the Biokleen"

Walmart sells this brand. But in CR's tests, all sheet detergents performed poorly, some no better than plain water.

I have been using Seventh Generation Sensitive Skin Free and Clear successfully for a while now. It has enzymes and no optical brighteners or scent. I use it on all my colors and darks. Last time Meijer's had it on sale and I bought 2 bottles.

I’ve been using a sheet detergent along with baking soda for about six packs so far. My machine is a SQ top loader and I’ve been happy with the performance of the sheets. Just my opinion, but after looking at dozens reviews on Amazon, most aren’t complaining.

I use teh 7th Generation liquid, it's decent. I still want a powder detergent for certain things, though, and unfortunately 7th Generation is another complany that DC'd their powder detergent.

"unfortunately 7th Generation is another complany that DC'd their powder detergent"

The Seventh Generation packs contain powder.

I received the Miele UltraColor this week and used it on a couple non-clothes loads (table linens, towels). Too early to comment on fading, but so far so good -- no scent was left on the items and they came out clean.

For anyone looking to replace Biokleen powder, I’ve found Defunkify (that’s really the brand’s name) to be excellent.

^^ Thanks for the rec. I looked at the ingredients for the powder, and it has no optical brighteners. I'll have to look into it if the Miele doesn't end up working out. Where did you get it? (local vs on-line)

Your local stores may carry it, but it’s also available on Amazon.