Laundry gel - what am I doing wrong ?

[DPotter]

Would welcome any suggestions as to what I'm dong wrong with my laundry gel capsules / thingies.

I always find that one / several leak and stick to the others - leaving a congealed mess in the bottom of the bag. At the end of the end, I have to scoop out the gloop to add to the washing machine.

The bag is in the drawer under the sink alongside the bag of capsules for the dish washer. Nothing is stored on top of the bag to crush the capsules.
The photo is looking down into the current bag - there's about 10 in there all stuck to each other. They can't be pulled apart without splitting them.

Help! Any ideas ?

I use powder. Doesn't gunk up the machine, not melt properly etc. It

Is it near heat and melting?

Use powder. It's so much better.
It's proven to be better for your machine and keep it cleaner.
Dirty machine leaves streaks on clothes. Honestly just use powder.

Or it is getting wet used to have a similar problem and they are nw store in a cupboard no where water

You need powder
Washing machine repair man hates the capsules
He says they gunk up the machine

The pods are getting damp and partially dissolving and sticking together. Either try a properly sealed box or move them

Don't capsules come in a kid proof box? I have a few that I use just for intense washes. Normally I just use wash liquid and way less than they say to use because a little is enough

Only if they're not used in a 40 wash. No matter what the packaging says they don't dissolve at 30!

OP, They're getting wet. I decant mine into a large tin and store that in a cupboard and it isn't an issue anymore since I started doing that.

OP, I’m glad it’s not just me - I have bought the capsules in the past, and they always do this. My washing machine repair man said they are awful and gunk up the insides of the machine, so I am happy to use big box powder which I buy online so I don’t have to lug it home.

Don’t decant them from their box?

They're being handled with damp or wet hands.

This happens to us when we put it in the cupboard next to the dishwasher. The heat from the dishwasher melts them,because that's what they're designed to do. You need to put them in a cupboard that doesn't get warm

The thing is some of the boxes are so childproof they are also adult-proof. I stopped buying Persil after having to cut through the cardboard box in order to open it. At least Ariel come in bags where you can snip the top off.

But powder is much more convenient: you control the amount you use, it doesn’t gunk your washing machine and you don’t waste time on the assault course with child-proof packaging or pulling apart stuck capsules. Just get a measuring scoop and it’s just as fast as bunging a capsule into the machine.

Not all capsules come in a box though so I'm guessing OP kept them in the bag they came in

Not all do. If you look at OPs photo the bag says they are Ariel pods.

I prefer powder with the occasional liquid wash for dark sportswear. I have to put pods in a laundry bag in the machine when I use them or they end up becoming a congealed mess in the rubber seal of the door.

It does look like they're getting damp or warm somehow

I've also switched to powder, it really is so much better. My machine smells much fresher than it did when I was using liquid and it's much cheaper

Why pay so much for each laundry load ? Surely nobody finds it that exhausting to put a scoop of powder in the machine?

I use liquid and less than the manufacturer says you need as well. But I do think powder is probably better overall.

I had the same issue with storing capsules and they don't dissolve properly at 30 degrees either, you need to use at least 40 which is irritating.

Could you put a silica gel sachet into the bag? That might help? A dessicant basically, to absorb the water in the air so the cellulose outside doesn't deliquesce.

Thanks everyone

To clarify - I haven't decanted them from a box - they came in the bag. My regular supermarket used to stock the capsules in boxes but stopped doing so. I just assumed this was how the capsule thingies were packaged now.

The drawer is next to the dishwasher so could be getting warmer leading to melting so that's a good point. Yet the dishwasher capsules, stored in the same drawer don't melt.

I'd started buying the boxed capsules as a space saving effort over the boxes of powder, storage space being at a premium in my kitchen. Think I'll return to the powder - trip to the supermarket tomorrow!

Thanks again everyone!

Interesting, they are strange things laundry and dishwasher capsules. I don't like the feel of them. I always get Finish tablets for the dishwasher as the capsules do stick together in the bag, but the bag is not see through.

I use powder also, but have a stash of the gel tabs like OPs that I'm slowly getting rid of. Yes 40d wash to melt them or else gunk is the result!

Anyway I wouldn't waste those stuck together capsules. I think I'd put them in a small dish with a lid, stick a sharp knife in each of them and squeeze them out. Then use a spoonful at a time until it's all gone!

I'm no frugal queen and have been known to waste a lot over the years but I think I'd have to get the last drop out of those buggers and not let them win!