Biological or Non-Bio, liquid or powder. What do you use and why? Is one better than the other?

[Suddengeekgirl]

I have always used a non-bio powder. Because that's what my mum used when I lived at home.

I sort of assumed that it was good for sensitive skin but I don't know why!

Can you tell me what you use and why?

Fwiw I use aldi non-bio and no fabric conditioner (often irritated by the strong smells). Our washing comes out clean and washer drawer isn't full of slimey gunk.

I used non-bio for yrs because I was told to then I started using bio and... Voila! Agreed fine with all of us.

So we use colour bio powder: almost everything.
Liquid regular bio: because liquid was the smallest amount of deterg for whites I could buy.
Ecover for DWR items.

My dad has sensitive skin & skin problems in one of the countries that doesn't have non-bio: he wouldn't bother but my step mum makes a point of buying sensitive skin detergent for him.

Own brand non - bio powder most of the time, but occasionally swap to non - bio liquid. I used to keep a box of bio powder in case of illness or cat accidents too.

I used to use persil non-bio, but realised that it didn't rinse very well, which irritated my skin more. Fairy is loaded with strong perfume, so a definite no go. Clothes have irritated my skin less since using Ariel gel. I did use the M&S gel, but the changed the formulation and it started to foam too much for my washer.

Oh - and I do use fabric softener, but only a half dose. We have horribly hard water and DS1 actually complains that his clothes are uncomfortable when I leave it out. I use either the surcare or M&S pure ones (I think they're identical, tbh). They leave no scent at all.

Ariel colour liquid, which is bio. The Ariel colour powder irritates the DCs skin. I use the liquid for clothes,bedding, whites, jeans, delicates unless they are wool (for wool I use co op delicates washing liquid) and its great - fresh fragrance and removes stains first time, pretty much every time, without fading our clothes.

For towels, DHs clothes and my pants I used to use Fairy non bio liquid on a 60 wash (again the powder irritates) - but recently, I have found that it isn't rinsing well, very foamy at the end of the wash, and with a left over smell like as if it hasn't washed properly, which was ok when the towels were dried, then when we used them after a shower they were stinking! I tried adding napisan, didn't make any difference, nor did soda crystals, nor extra rinsing. So I started washing those things with the same Ariel colour liquid, and the smell has disappeared, no ones complained of itchy bollocks an irritation yet.

I use Ecover softener, the yellow one. Smells fresh with natural ingredients, I cannot stand the smell of lenor or comfort, it smells like old dead fridges to me! Since I stopped using comfort softener, I haven't had any mould or residue in my drawer at all. I did however have some sludgy marks on a whites wash recently - wonder if that was the liquid then? It went away after I cleaned out the bottom filter, threw in 2 scoops of vanish oxi white stuff and put it on 95 degrees.

I likes laundry

Is anyone using Persil Bio powder?
I bought some recently instead of Waitrose liquid bio ( to use on white bedding because it was looking grey) and the smell of Persil is incredibly strong. I could smell the perfume all round the house. I won't use it for undies in case it irritates.

any comments?

I am using it just now with no issues

Ariel bio powder everytime

Smells clean and fresh without overpowering- I don't use fabric softener as I hate the smell of it and feel of it on clothes.

8rabbit123* Interesting about putting the powder in the drum; . Is there some benefit to this?

I've recently started using Lidl washing powder, which is called Formil. I use the Bio colour one (purple box). I've found it really good, and have just bought my second box. It's very reasonable too. I find this combined with a squirt of vanish on stains is really effective. Managed to wash a big blob of chocolate ice cream off dd2's white cardigan the other day! I use Comfort Pure fabric conditioner.

Daz tablets for whites-done at 40' usually
Ariel actilift for colours (40') and darks (30')
also use Ariel strain remover liquid in most washes
Gold orchid Lenor softner atm but also love the yellow and blue ones.
Guilty of doing half washes and using double doses to make sure it all smells nice

I use Persil Bio but less than the recommended amount. The smell is strong but I find it fades quite quickly. I tend not to put the clothes away until teh day after washing so they are not so scented.

Splosh bio-liquid.

Bio because it works better at lower temps.
Liquid because it is simpler, and just make it up from sachets of concentrate.
Splosh because if eco-credentials.

Also run regular 90deg maintenance washes.

luckily none of us have sensitive skin, so whatever is on offer or any old stuff will do! Prefer liquid to powder.Am presently using stuff from the 99p shop-got grass stains out of DD's jeans, so thumbs up from me!
If you look on the boxes of a lot of this washing stuff,it will say 'produced in the UK for Tesco/Sainsbury's/Asda'.....I can't imagine there are separate factories for branded and non-branded stuff so I think they are made in the same places as Persil etc. I compare the ingredients too and there's not a lot of difference.Our clothes are never really mucky so I find the cheap and cheerful is just as good as the more expensive.

I've got Persil Bio on the go at the moment. I usually buy any of the original bio powders (the ones that don't have stupid scents).

It does smell strong in the box, but it rinses out very well and barely leaves any scent on the clothes.

Just a heads up, those using both bio and colour liquid, you're wasting your money. There is no difference between the 2 at all. The whole point of colour detergent is that it doesn't include oxi bleach, but no liquid detergents do.

hooker29, they are made in different places by different companies and with different ingredients.

Ariel, Daz, Bold & Fairy are all Proctor and Gamble.

Persil & Surf are Unilever.

A lot of the store brands are made by McBride & Jeyes.

Bio for everything as the kids have sensitive skin. Non bio is a weird British thing. It contains more irritants than bio. I don't think you can buy non bio in most countries.

I used to use whatever is on offer. But now I use Costco's own brand. It doesn't specify if it's bio or not, but it lasts my family of 5 four+ months and only costs around £15. According to the tub you can also use it to wash floors and walls and clean up oil spills

Rabbit123 Persan is another manufacturer for store branded stuff according to DS2

I mostly use bio, but of course non-bio for wool or silk. There are also some man-made fibres which will be attacked by the proteases in bio so it's a good idea to check the wash label of anything which isn't 100% cotton.

I use non bio, usually persil, no fabric conditioner. I itch badly if I use bio (although it took me ages to figure out the cause!) and I hate the smell of most fabric conditioners anyway.

Fairy tablets for everything here. Just alter the wash temp.
I buy in bulk when on offer.
Am going to try Splosh though.

I'm curious about the people who say non bio is a British peculiarity - what is used elsewhere for protein fibres? Do they have to handwash all their wool in soap?

Rabbit123 whilst no liquids contain bleach, there is a slight difference between bio liquid and book colour liquid. The bio contains optical brighteners, whereas the colour of course does not. However, when Aries launched their new Pods, both bio and colour versions contains optical brighteners??

Rabbit rabbit rabbit!!! How do you know all this?

I used to work for Unilever