<p>Have been using liquid laundry detergent for most of my adult life, now I see encapsulated detergent on the market and am thinking of trying. What is good? Will it be better than the liquid?</p>
<p>I think no. Seems more expensive too. Love Gain. At Costco the powdered is a good deal and we’ve never had issues with residue from the granules.</p>
<p>Our washer does much better with liquid laundry detergents. So does our dishwasher.</p>
<p>Best thing I’ve found - with any detergent - for sports clothes or other stale smelling laundry, add a splash of Simple Green.</p>
<p>Tide HE with Bleach Alternative is the best I’ve used for stains, but it’s not for people with very sensitive skin. I’ll sometimes do the sheets and towels with All. A scoop of OxiClean does a great job brightening when you add it to a white load.</p>
<p>I think Tide Total Care is best for keeping colors vibrant, even in warm water. I would not use pods. For example, I have a front loader and the recommended amounts are way above what you actually need - because they’re trying to sell detergent! It’s like the old shampoo instructions of shampoo, rinse, repeat … sells more shampoo. </p>
<p>Orange Blast - or equivalent - is necessary for grease stains. </p>
<p>I really like doing laundry. I find it soothing.</p>
<p>Lergnom…please post your address. I’ve got a back log of laundry that I’d be happy to send you. Laundry makes me agitated! The putting away is the worst part…</p>
<p>Plumber suggested that we use any laundry detergent labeled HE–said it would be better for the septic system. Plumber also suggested using much less detergent than the manufacturer suggests. Don’t know if it’s actually better for the septic, but I switched. I buy whatever liquid detergent is on sale at the grocery store when I’m shopping.</p>
<p>If you have problems with your front-loader becoming musty and smelly, the liquid pods are the way to go. You pop them right in with the clothes, so the detergent doesn’t run through the dispenser and gunk up everything. I’ve been using All Free and Clear pods and have noticed a big improvement.</p>
<p>I’ve heard that Tide is very harsh. I use Arm and Hammer and have been very happy with it. I also add Oxyclean to everything but dark colors. I agree that the recommended amounts are too much. </p>
<p>If you have “bio” stains, treat them with Nature’s Miracle, an enzyme cleaner that is sold in pet stores.</p>
<p>I only use All (a few times I have used similar fragrance-free products) - I love it, because it’s no perfumes or dyes added.</p>
<p>I am devoted to Tide, in any form. I use HE powder in my front loader.</p>
<p>I am very sensitive to scented detergent so I’ve experimented and found Arm and Hammer to be the best. It’s also far less expensive than some of the others. For many stains I’ve had good luck with Shout, but I read about Orange Blast here and though I couldn’t find IT, I found something similar at Wal Mart-just orange oils and no chemicals. It has even removed old, previously washed and dried stains without problem. Best $2 I’ve ever spent.</p>
<p>Funny story about the pods-friends of ours got them for their son when he started college. Since he had never done laundry in his life, had no idea what to do with the pods-thought maybe he should open them? He had to call home and ask…</p>
<p>I’ve cut the amount I use in the front loader to a few teaspoons, maybe a tablespoon. It doesn’t need more.</p>
<p>I still have a top loader. I use Tide powder that I buy at Costco. I switched back to powder since I found that my children made a mess with the liquid.
My MIL who is a clean fanatic uses liquid All.
I think the pods are good for college students or those in an apartment who have to don’t have a in apartment unit. Much less mess and much easier to just grab a few pods versus carrying down the entire jug.</p>
<p>I schlep to a laundromat with my granny cart. I use powdered detergent–Tide with Bleach Alternative for whites and whatever can stand hot water, Costco powder for the rest, since I can put it in plastic containers and it’s much less heavy or bulky than carrying detergent bottles. I use more than a tablespoon but less than the indicated amount. The laundromat has huge machines, all front-loaders so I use HE when I can find it. Also a scoop of store-brand Oxyclean equivalent. I use liquid fabric softener–I bought a double-bottle pack from Costco a couple of years ago and still using it. I put it in an old, much smaller Downy bottle.</p>
<p>I suspect a lot of rituals I indulge in have no real merit, but I do so because it feels good. Using liquid detergent is one such thing - my collars get stained, and I have this belief that pouring a bit of detergent along the stain, soaking it a few minutes and then washing makes a difference. I’m sure if I tried an experiment and just poured the detergent in the washer, there wouldn’t be any visible difference, but this makes me feel I did a good job…</p>
<p>Consumer reports top-rated the Costco pods, so I just switched to them from the Tide HE pods with our front-loader. They seem to work fine, but then we don’t have muddy kid clothes any more. I’m willing to pay a bit more for pods to not have messy liquid bottles to deal with, and my top-loader (an early generation Whirlpool) never did well with powder.</p>
<p>The best detergent for you depends on the hardness of your water, your machine and your particular laundry.</p>
<p>I am becoming more and more frugal ( sometimes shocking myself ) I had been a long term Tide user , but tried Wisk…all in liquid form because I have a front loader. I have gone back to Tide, not just because it cleans our clothes better , but also it is more concentrated so in the long run, it is less expensive to use than others.</p>
<p>I don’t like the strong scent of Tide. I like All Free and Clear - no color or scent, but Stop and Shop is the only grocery that sells it around here, and I only shop there occasionally, so I’ve been buying Arm and Hammer pods too. I recently had the septic pumped (routine every two years), and the guy said that he could see undissolved white powder - asked about the detergent I use - said that liquid detergent breaks down more quickly and powders can be a problem.</p>