Laundry detergent-pods,liquid or powder?

[MsMiaWallace]

Which do you use? I buy pods but trying to save money.
Is it more cost effective to buy liquid or powder nowadays?
At least with pods you know it's the actual amount of washes you get.

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@TheMoth

This is probably just psychological, but is powder as good if you have sensitive skin? I'm on the fairy pods.

My GP told me to try non bio as two of my children have eczema. But in my experience it makes no difference - bio, non bio, powder, liquid, pods....

After years of using various expensive liquids, pods, tablets etc, I've just returned to using good old Daz and wonder why I stopped. Amazing cleaning and lovely fresh, clean scent, it is excellent with the very hard water we have. Also very cheap. Will stick to that from now on. Also works very well with cold washes.

When mine had eczema it was using Surcare that made a difference. Fairy non bio irritated them.

Both those powders contain bleaches though

Noted @dementedpixie

@JimMorrisonsleathertrousers

I must admit I do love pods. But I think powder is the most economical.

I do however have trouble finding powder that is a) suitable for colours (as most of them contain oxy bleaching agents) and b) is ecologically friendly.

Daz is good for colours and whites. Also cold washing the darks protects the colour very well.

According to Which? Almat bio washing powder is the best powder on the market, closely followed by Sainsbury’s bio, then Sainsbury’s non bio, then Tesco bio, then Ariel. Waitrose own brand doesn’t get good reviews. One of the don’t buys is Fairy non bio, which I use. Oh well

It looks like I will be reviewing what I buy when I run out. I always put it straight into the drum as well.

This is probably just psychological, but is powder as good if you have sensitive skin?

Yes @TheMoth. I found that DD’s eczema disappeared when I started using powder. The bleach in the powder killed off the mould in my washer, and the resulting stinky smell. It must have been the mould in the machine that triggered the eczema. It isn’t the enzymes that trigger reactions, but the perfume, so look for an unperfumed powder

Can bio powder be used on darks or will it bleach the clothes slightly ?

@userxx

Can bio powder be used on darks or will it bleach the clothes slightly ?

Bio and no bio powders usually contain oxy bleaching agents which can wear out colours after a while.

Powders that are suitable for colours don't contain that ingredient.

As I have learned today all powders contain bleach, but if you have stubborn stains and only need to wash in bio the once then it shouldn't be a problem. Or you could use a stain remover before washing.

Ignore my last post.
It should read most powders contain bleach.

@userxx

Can bio powder be used on darks or will it bleach the clothes slightly ?

look for powder labelled for 'colour'

the regular stuff contains a tiny amount of blue dye that makes whites appear brighter.

for my black jeans I use a colour liquid or shampoo. and only a little amount, about half the recommended dose.

one thing to think about: if you use the very short programmes, they often don't rinse very well. that can leave white powder residue on the fabric.

Got it 👍.

Powder. You can choose how much to put in. I always get more than the stated number of washes out of a box and I'm not mean with the amount.

I usually also keep a small bottle of liquid for the odd occasions I want to do a cold wash.

I prefer powder. I think it's more economical and does a much better job, plus it keeps the machine cleaner.

Daz for whites and colours doesn't contain bleaches now. Or try one labelled for colours. The other powders contain bleaches that help keep the drum cleaner and get stains out

Both bio and non bio will have bleaches. Bio has enzymes to break down organic stains (biological action)

Powder - pods don't dissolve properly at lower temperatures and will sit on clothing like a runny snot

@TheMoth

This is probably just psychological, but is powder as good if you have sensitive skin? I'm on the fairy pods.

Powder should be better, the pods are very very concentrated so you'll get a high dose whatever you put in. If you use powder or liquid you can reduce the dose to the minimum that you actually need.

@SoupDragon

So annoying when they get stuck in the door. I always put them at back of the drum before the laundry but they find a way to get wedges in there. So do the colour run sheets

I put the colour run sheets in a net laundry bag. When tablets first came out, you had to put those on a little net bag too - I bet this would stop pods ending up in the door seal.

I switched from tablets to powder a little while ago.

This is a really good point and I'd forgotten that about tablets. I will try this, thank you.

I try to put my pods at the back on top of the washing and this seems to give the best result in terms of not getting trapped but sometimes it happens anyway.

Powder here too ( I;m using Sainsbury own brand Bio/Non Bio/Colour depending on the wash )
Astonish powser and a scoop of soda crystals
I have some liquid soap for delicates/jumpers (same brand as the crystals)

Like pp's, I was advised by a washing machine engineer to always use powder after my ma nine became smelly and rank when I went through a phase of using liquid. I now only use liquid directly on to stubborn stains to loosen them before washing , but otherwise its non-bio powder, a scoop or two of soda crystals and either a small dose of napisan (whites) or a capful of zoflora (everything else). Normally use Costco own non - bio powder - a box lasts me over two years!, but about to start on a box of Persil non- bio as I haven't been to Costco since just before the 2020 lockdown and my tub of their powder is now empty.

I've always used liquid for 50 years and never had a smelly machine. I use Sainsbury's bio or their colour one and put half the suggested amount in the plastic 'cup' straight in the drum. Usually use a 30 or 40 wash for bedding and my washing is always clean with no residue. If I use a colour catcher then I nappy-pin to an item so it doesn't disappear.

@MsMiaWallace I use Ariel powder. I tried a cheaper version before but didn’t like the smell as much. The amount I use means the powder lasts ages though so I don’t mind spending a little more.

I’ve used powder for 12 years and never felt like it’s faded the colours.

Went to Aldi to buy some bio powder, but the shelf was empty. Loads of other powders there though.

Pods as less messy

With pods you'll always get the occasional one wash when they don't dissolve properly and get stuck to your clothes. They're also too risky to have in the house if you have small children IMO (given that other cheaper alternatives that eliminate their risks are readily available) .