Surely there's a good washing powder out there somewhere?

[HMArsey]

I prefer powder to liquid, as I find liquid makes the machine smell.

Stains are coming out (except washable pads, I'm not expecting miracles with that abattoir level of carnage ), but odours are not.

Any suggestions? I've tried Bio-D, and added their nappy soak stuff. I've tried Splosh's biological powder. What next?

I'm not bothered about smelling like washing powder, I just want something that's up to the challenge of sporty armpits and an unreliable pelvic floor.

Violets?

Thanks. I'd never heard of that brand, but now I've looked it up I don't think I can justify the price.

Would adding soda crystals do anything?

Ecover are ok. Used it years ago and was ok

Soda crystals work well one.

Soap nuts?

Don't want to sound daft but is there a reason for not using fairy?

Also, do you speak the pads in cold water with salt before washing? It works really well.

Good question absolute, I had presumed that ‘eco’ products are better for the environment than mainstream ones. Am I wrong? Also, is there anything wrong by default with biological powder? I know Ecover do a biological one.

I tried soap nuts and didn’t find they cleaned very well, maybe I should give them another go.

I’m a bit lazy with soaking, I’m afraid, I just put pads on a rinse cycle then wash them.

I think if you are going for an eco product you just have to accept that you will have some staining. I use Lidl formil bio powder which is pretty cheap and gets my washable pads really clean, I soak them and do a short cold rinse cycle first though.

Yes, the staining is fine on pads, I’m not bothered by it. The thread is about finding an eco powder that gets odours out.

I haven't found a powder of any eco/non-eco variety that removes body odour time after time. I'm aware it's non-eco,but I use an anti bacterial liquid in the fabric softener drawer every so often and finds that works. Is there an eco equivalent?

ecover bio is great.
try occassionally washing at a higher temperature and try to use the long eco cycles. they are both better for the fabric as well as using less water and electricity.

Ecover is owned by a not very nice company now btw. Kind of negates their eco friendly credentials. I just use Aldi 2 in one powder. Leaping bunny certified and comes in a cardboard box.

That’s why I really want Splosh and Bio D to work, they’re UK companies with eco credentials.

Maybe the anti bac liquid is unavoidable, grr.

First I’ll have a go at adding soda crystals to the Bio D and see what that does, at least that’s a cheap experiment!

Have you tried running a boil wash with bicarbonate and white vinegar to get rid of the smell? I do mine once a month and use Smol ( works out really cheap), but they are liquid and you say you prefer powder.

I’m not sure the fabric would cope with boiling. It’s certain areas of the clothes, not the washer, that smell.

Ooh, I love the Smol packaging! It’s not clear on their website how you actually buy anything, is it subscription only? If it’s actually going to work to get the stink out of the clothes maybe I should give liquid tablet things a go, and do the monthly maintenance wash instead.

Honestly, by the time you've washed and washed and tried this brand and that brand ...just buy a box of ariel bio for the pads and gym kit.

We use smol for both washing and dishwasher stuff.

I wash sweaty armpit teenage sports kits with Splosh powder and a blob of their stain remover under the pits of tops as they go in. Everything comes out smelling fresh, and it’s been brilliant at removing all stains so far.

Would the ecover oxy bleach be worth a go? Or the bio D oxy bleach?

I have not yet found eco laundry products that a) I can afford and b) work well enough for me. So I'm just sticking to the mainstream products for now.

Very apt username for this thread neverending. I’d worry about using anything with bleach in the name on dark or coloured clothes. Have you tried those?

a vinegar spray (half and half vinegar & water in a spray bottle) works well with underarm smells.
another thought - are you/is dc washing properly with soap?

Yep, a good scrub with bar soap every day. Never had this problem before going eco with laundry stuff.

How long after spraying do you put the clothes into the machine?

@hmarsey haha, yes, laundry is taking over my life.

I haven't actually tried them, so I'm not sure how they'd be on coloured clothes.

I'm popping back in to say that, thanks to @Blueuggboots, we are now using Smol for both laundry and dishwashing, and are having good results! We've stuck with Splosh for sprays, toilet cleaner and floor cleaner.

Home made washing powder works for me. Basically Borax, Soda Crystals and grated soap (5 cups Borax, 4 cups soda and 1 cup soap) that I make in bulk with cheap olive oil soap from Amazon, Borax from Ebay and supermarket soda crystals.

I mix and store in a container with a scoop. After i've mixed it, I add some bio washing powder for the perfume, brighteners and enzymes, but you don't have too. For dish cloths, tea towels and the like, I use half an half home-made with bio washing powder. Everything else has the home-made powder.

You can add essential oils, but I don't bother.