<p>I use Method liquid also. For many years I used Tide free and clear. I remember the powder soap leaving weird residue on jeans many years ago. I miss some things, but not powdered laundry detergent.</p>
<p>I used to end up with little bits of powder still in the mating. I’m on team liquid.</p>
<p>Good thing you started this thread OP.
I didn’t realize my detergent had so many surfactants.
I’m going to switch to something that is higher rated for the environment.</p>
<p>Got my septic pumped last week and I was told that powdered detergents aren’t good for septic systems.</p>
<p>
I should hope your detergent has surfactants; that’s what gets your clothes clean.</p>
<p>I never had any particular problem doing my laundry with powder or liquid. I’ve lately been using the Costco liquid, and completely forgot about powder! 25 years ago, a friend who was trying to economize, said that she missed “Liquid Tide and Downy.” I haven’t used fabric softener for years, and nobody seems to care. I really have to check my supermarket aisles. So many things are gone. For instance, distilled water. I use regular tap water to iron now, but that isn’t how I was raised, haha.</p>
<p>From talking to the repair people, they say it’s because people don’t wash on hot much so the powder often doesn’t dissolve and builds up until there’s a problem. They discourage it and people spread that around. </p>
<p>I hate the liquid stuff. It is much heavier to drag down the hall to the laundry room in my apt building. When I was in Minneapolis last weekend, I swung by Trader Joe’s and picked up two boxes of their laundry detergent.</p>
<p>What I miss is the tablet version of powdered detergent. Light weight, no measuring, lots less mess. Tide used to have a great version that came packed snugly in a carton. I loved that stuff. :(</p>
<p>I still use powder. I buy the powdered Tide at Costco. Way back in the day we used to have a problem with the powder not dissolving but haven’t had that issue in years. I hate the mess liquid makes. I like the pods but I’m to economical. My kids use pods but they have to go to a laundry room or laundry mat. </p>
<p>@happymomof1
Tide has the pods. You could grab a few to take with you down to the laundry room. That’s what many college students do…so they don’t have to drag a box or bottle with them.</p>
<p>There are other brands that use pods as well. I think Gain has some, and I think Sams Club and/or Costco has a version.</p>
<p>I still use Gain powdered detergent (original scent), but now that it’s been mentioned, the liquid detergent certainly has been taking over the detergent aisle. Just like k-cups have taken over the coffee aisle (and maybe the tea aisle, too, since I noticed yesterday that there didn’t seem to be as much of the regular tea). </p>
<p>
Check the water aisle in your supermarket. I get my distilled water in Publix all the time. It’s right in there with the other bottled water.</p>
<p>My vote is for powdered unscented.</p>
<p>My machine requires HE detergent. Haven’t used powdered in years. .It clumped up too much.</p>
<p>@patsmom:I’ll check again. Thanks.</p>
<p>The question is how much “cleaning power” we really need. if you don’t have little kids, most laundry can be done with less agent, maybe something environmentlly friendlier, and save the big boost detergents for real messes.</p>
<p>Most times, you don’t need the amount of detergent the mfr recommends. And some of my uber-concerned friends swear by Seventh Generation.</p>
<p>Most detergents are now formulated to work in cold water, too. Most of our laundry doesn’t need hot. If you’re worried about some germ killing properties, there’s still the dryer.</p>
<p>Personally, I use the powdered Oxiclean from Costco. I never really read the ‘ingredients’ list so don’t know what it includes or doesn’t. I have an HD washer, but have no problems with the powder or clumping. I also like it because I don’t have to lift & pour, I just scoop it out very easily. I wash whites on the hot setting and usually add an extra rinse cycle. How’s that for TMI? ;)</p>
<p>I use liquid Tide for HE. Sometimes I add Oxyclean powder for heavily soiled/stained items. </p>
<p>I bought my D a large container of pods for college. The first time she does laundry, she texts me that I bought the wrong detergent. Apparently, the machines at her school have a grate over the soap dispenser so they only take liquids and her detergent is “useless.” When I told her to put the pod inside the machine, she replied “with the clothes?” Sometimes I wonder…</p>
<p>Germs- the dryer won’t do anything more than the washer. Unlike decades ago dryers now use a lower heat that won’t ruin fabrics as much. </p>
<p>My wife supplements the liquid with 20 Mule Team Borax (powder). I originally bought the stuff to kill ants (it works great for that purpose) but she tried adding it to the wash and really liked it, so she keeps buying it. Can be hard to find at times. </p>