Laundry pods? Powder? Liquid?

[workbasedquestion]

Very boring thread but it's a slow news day...

I usually use Tesco own cheap non bio in liquid form and fabric conditioner. Wondering if 3 in 1 pods are actually any good? I think they work out a little more expensive but would save a lot of space, just wondering if anyone has found them to be much better or worse than the liquids?

Also, is powder and better than liquid detergent?

I do at least 2 clothes loads a day (kids, dogs, animals, sporting uniforms etc).

Many thanks!

Powder is reportedly better for your machine which I can believe as my daughter's carers used to use liquid pods in her brand new machine which eventually began to smell.

I put a deep cleaner through it and then asked the girls to switch to powder. No problems at all since then.

Pods are awful
But are laundry and dishwasher pods safe for the environment? New research suggests they may not be. It turns out that laundry pods' film wrapping—the part that dissolves in the wash—is made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a plastic that isn't biodegradable.

Softner is really bad for your machine, powder at least has cardboard packaging.

I prefer powder as you can adjust your dosage. It also contains bleaches that help keep your drum cleaner (unless it's a powder for colours). Liquids/pods don't contain them

Thank you all, this is good to know. I think I'll alternate between liquid and powder, the pods will be avoided!

Liquid detergents are generally less effective in tests and can gunk up the machine over time. You have zero control over the dose.

I used to use tablets and break them in half for small loads but they no longer seem to appear in shops so I've reverted to boxes of powder instead. No idea why tablets have disappeared from the shelves.

bio powder works best. between the brands is not much difference - they are all much of a muchness. just get the one which's scent you like best.

great thing about powder is that you can adjust the dose according to your needs.

pods of compressed powder tabs have their place. they are great if you use a laundrette or are not able to scoop out powder or measure liquid without spilling it.

Powder or liquid as a back up

Pods are awful -ive had them melt onto my clothes on 3 separate occasions so I never tried them after that.

I bought some pods in Aldi to try out (purple tub) they're ok but I only use them on my workclothes which needs a 60c .

Otherwise powder , though I haven;t seen a colour powder that isn't Lavender [envy <not envy) so I've bought an Ecover liquid for darks

I use the Sainsbury own brand .

<not envy

Ha! fail there !

Powder! Adjust the dose for size of laundry load and also level of soiling and water hardness. Stick it straight in the back of the drum rather than in the drawer - saves cleaning out a gummy drawer and stops any lumps.

Daz powder (that says for whites and colours) doesn't contain bleaches

White vinegar works just as well as fabric conditioner

I use bio powder for whites, towels and dog items. Bio colour liquid for the rest. Usually supermarket brand unless there is a good offer on a brand.
Softener, I tend to use branded. However, I don't use softener on towels, synthetic sports fabrics, or dog items.

For the person, who usesDaz, optical brightness awful, no good.
i use bio d liquid, laundry powdered bleach if needed and stain remover

I use Splosh powder, the dosage is such a tiny scoop and it lasts ages so really economical. I think I get a refill in the post every couple of months and it's around £6 I think. It's non-bio and I just add a scoop of pink stuff/vanish type enzyme powder to whites. Very happy.

Powder here but feels like I’m fighting a losing battle with the manufacturers who seem to be phasing it out - very hard to get bio that isn’t just for whites. DH bought a massive launderette-sized box of Persil Colour online which we are working our way thru.

I use powder. It's much cheaper per wash than liquid or pods and a big box lasts forever.

The recommended dose on the box is way too big. I use half as much as the box recommends.

Always powder as it's the cheapest option and is also better for keeping the machine clean. But I'm finding it harder to find colour powder. Sainsburys and Aldi do their own brands which do the job just fine.

I've stopped using fabric conditioner, initially as a money-saving venture experimenting with white vinegar etc, I gradually realised the fabric conditioner wasn't actually making any difference to my laundry apart from a mild scent.. I've since learned most of it is full of really icky stuff like fats and aquatic life-harming fragrances so I'm really glad I don't use it now - it's a massive industry though and I feel like we've been conditioned into thinking these things are essentials!.

Powder! Adjusted for soiling, water hardness and machine size. We use cloth nappies and powder is what is recommended

I find powder has a much stronger smell which I love! I use Daz

I use powder on whites, towels, bed linens; & liquid on darks & colours. Both Ecover. No problems with machine smelling or junking up.

I usually use liquid like Persil or surf. Used to use Ecover but it damaged my machine apparently, slimy rim.

In the last year I have been a volunteer for sending clothing to Ukraine and whilst most people give lovely things a few don't! If the clothing was in good condition then my friend and I washed it. I bought a large box of powder to use just for that clothing( i'm allergic to it) and I found it got the clothes and stains out whereas the liquid wasn't. So we were able to salvage a lot of clothing especially babies and kids for £4.
I really don't understand why some people think it is acceptable to send clothing that is dirty, torn and awful to people who are in a war torn area. What a disrespectful thing to do and it made our job harder. There are only 5 of us and we have sent a few thousand boxes in the last 10 months and it takes ages to pack everything but we have to check and size each item too. The worst was a filthy towel and a lovely named jacket where the fluffy inside looked like it had been dragged through a muddy field or two. We washed it three times as it was good on the outside and we brushed the lining on the last time. Good to go!
So I would say for cleaning bio powder wins! It was either Ariel or Bold we used.

I use bio powder, but agree with pp, it’s so, so hard to get colour powder now. I used to get it in Tesco, M&S or Waitrose, but the ones near me have all stopped selling it. I think they are more popular in Europe, so maybe it’s due to Brexit.

I didn’t like the Aldi colour version, I felt the clothes smelled musty, and DH thinks the Lidl version smells like urinal cakes .

I found some I think it was Dreft in a random corner shop on holiday (perhaps it had been there for years), but will struggle once that box runs out.

I might try Daz then - what is bad about optical brighteners?

I’m using Bold powder just now because I like the smell! I did use liquid for a few years but find the powder WAY more economical and better for stain removal. My washing machine man reckons powder is better for machines too