Washing Powder - Which one Works

[ccarcher]

On our last trip in August we had a real struggle finding a washing powder and or bleach combintion that actually got the clothes clean

Appears to be no whiter than white in the US

Eventually I think we found some combination of powder / detergent and bleach that kind of worked, but have forgotten what it was

Anyone got any recomendations of which one they use and have had success with

Perhaps Americans just keep buying more clothes as they are so cheap and dont bother washing them

[colufan]

I always take washing powder tablets with me from home.

[Scotsmomma]

I really don't think their powders up to much....or is it the machines? Even though I always wash everything before we come home....I still end up washing it again when I get back :confused2

[ccarcher]

No I think everyone has this problem in that they just dont appear to get stains out or clothes clean

Maybe its to do with the water (dont think so)

but I do remember that the detergents all seemed to mention adding bleach to them

whereas in the UK (not that I am an expert when it comes to washing) most of our powders combine all various items

Must be someone who can recomend a powder / combination that does a half reasonable job

[Dream Orlando]

Hi

I always use Tide liquid. Any stains I pre-treat with a squirt of Shout.

I'm not a great fan of the top-loader washers. I found the most effective way to use them is to fill the machine with water and the (liquid) detergent first, then add the laundry.

Kind Regards
Kristina

[Mickeys Mates]

I would take tablets from home personally. you always have space going out!

Also is also a good idea for anyone with delicate skin!!

[shirley]

i bought ARM & HAMMER liquid wash at walmart this year and it was really good. didnt have a problem with stains etc and had a nice smell too. shirley

[lotti]

i personally am going to take my own when we go in may as we have tried several and none do the job as well as ours, and if there is any left ill leave it there as ill need the space in my suitcase for all my shopping. ;)

[Saratoska]

we also take our own. I take the washing tablets and last year got a tip on here about fabric conditional. someone mentioned the comfort balls being on special so took them last year to.

have to agree don't think there washing powder gets the stains out and I hate bleech :omg:

[Fiona]

We always stay in a villa and I actually enjoy doing the washing over there!! I always use Tide liquid which comes with the fabric softener Downy. I like the april fresh fragrance. I do the same thing with stains that I do over here. I put Fairy washing liquid direct onto the stain and leave it about half an hour. If it`s a curry or spaghetti bolognaise stain I`ve been known to leave it on for 24 hours!! You don`t need to rinse the Fairy liquid out before putting the clothes in the machine. You just stick them in and wash as normal. Over here my MIL used to put Vanish on stains, but now she always uses Fairy liquid as it really does work. :-)

[DisneyVik]

I use Tide when I am over there. Seems to be fine but I think the Washing machines over there are not as good.

[Vabeth]

We take liquitabs with us now as the one and only time i used their washing powder it marked some of our clothes so badly they had to be thrown away! :(

[Jaybeez]

Like lots of other people I take my own washing tablets with me, Their stuff never seems to get clothes clean properly.

[tomnj]

I use Tide with bleach and pre-treat if necessary.

For whites Tide with bleach and add Clorox.

[netty]

i bought ARM & HAMMER liquid wash at walmart this year and it was really good. didnt have a problem with stains etc and had a nice smell too. shirley

Same here, I bought that for the first time and it was brilliant, all our clothes were clean! in the past I have used Tide (powder)and it wasnt as good

[Mummymouse]

First time to Disney with family in August & hiring a villa with washer etc.
How easy are the top loaders to use?
If I take my own liquid tabs do I just put one on top like I would in a frontloader?
To be honest, I know I need to DO washing over there (3 kids-2 grubby boys)but am a little scared about it all! :confused2
Any advice???

[Dream Orlando]

Hi Julia

They're really easy to use. Select the load size and water temp., add detergent, fill with water then the clothes.

Alot of the top loaders don't have a fabric softener dispenser, so you have to add it when the dial clicks around to 'rinse'.

Regards
Kristina

[FLGirl-UKNow]

Funny how everyone has a different opinion about this. One of the things I hated the most when I lived in the UK was the washing machines. I thought they were absolutely horrible and it took 3 times longer to get a load done.

Most of our products are now liquid and they have changed them to a 3x's stronger formula so that the bottles aren't as large and heavy.

Most of the machines will recommend that you put the water and soap in first and then add the clothes. I think this is mainly to keep you from putting one load in that should really be two. Don't stuff the machine full.

I grew up on Tide and use that as well. There is a choice on with bleach or not so you just need to check the label. Gain would be my second choice.

[ccarcher]

I think from memory after much trial and effort it was probably Tide we got the best results with last time

I actually love the US top loading machines, especially the ones we saw in Lowes on a last visit which were actually raised up or had like a drawer / storage compartment at the bottom that you could put various bits and pieces in

The sooner these are available in the UK the better

[nala]

We have always bought a bottle of purex (WHITE BOTTLE) and never had any problems getting clothes clean :thumbs-up ,may be a different story now with the babys clothes though :D

[Mishka]

I have a tide pen that gets rid of little marks and its really good. I think I will take my own as DH and DS are so sensitive and last time I bought one for wool clothes but it was a bit naff.

[tiff]

I prefer the American machines too, the level of them is much more convenient to work with than bending down with front loading UK machines. You can also use the top to fold clothes on etc. Love having all that space in the garage, I have a tiny utility room!

[rhondaridge]

I think it is just because the wash cycle is so much shorter that it seems that the products available over there do not work.

I have found that so long as you pretreat all the stains and don't overload the machine the american machines are amazing. OK it has a larger capacity but not that large! Would love to have one here purely for the speed!

I did once consider ripping out everything in my utility room to fit one in but decided against it in the end.

[hiddenmickey94]

We always take Bold 2 in 1 tablets as they have built in fabric conditioners.If using a top loader I find it best to use 4 tablets instead of 2.....

:mickeywal

[tiff]

You can get quick cycle machines here though, I have a Hoover and the shortest cycle is 40 deg and takes 29 minutes. Most of my washing is done on that cycle, I just use a hotter longer cycle if clothes are stained, or whites. Very handy when you come back from a holiday and most of the washing is done in an hour and a half.

[disneymadmom]

OMG! We've stayed in a villa for the past 5 years and weve always shoved the clothes in and the liquid (usually tide) and then chose the settings and turned the machine on..!! :erm:

So what youre all saying is I should be putting the machine on, then add the water, then add the clothes..???

Cant say we've ever encountered any issues with our washing, some tougher stains have come out (chocolate etc...) but mostly its been good.

Help me please ..... I need to learn housekeeping USA style ;)

[Jules R]

The shortest cycle on my US washing machine is just 10 minutes which is great for items that just need a freshen up but I don't think it would get many stains out. We tend to use Purex liquid and have always found it OK but we don't have kids clothes to worry about.

I do like to fact that you can change the length of the wash and the water temperature for each cycle. If I'm washing whites, towels socks etc I always choose the longest wash cycle at the highest temperature.

[JudyC]

I always take some stain remover with me to pre treat any clothes that need it before washing them.

[apollo163]

just gave all our washing to my mum she was the only one allowed to use the washing machine and she sulked if we tried to do it

[Fiona]

OMG! We've stayed in a villa for the past 5 years and weve always shoved the clothes in and the liquid (usually tide) and then chose the settings and turned the machine on..!! :erm:

So what youre all saying is I should be putting the machine on, then add the water, then add the clothes..???

Cant say we've ever encountered any issues with our washing, some tougher stains have come out (chocolate etc...) but mostly its been good.

Help me please ..... I need to learn housekeeping USA style ;)

We always stay in a villa and I wash the clothes the same way as you. I shove them all in, pour Tide liquid on the top, switch the machine on and that`s it. They`ve always washed fine, so I`ll be carrying on doing it that way. It`s so easy. :)

[deana1000]

I take my Bold 2 in 1 tablets as I find their powder doesn't make the washing smell fresh.

Deana

[WindwardGal]

I love the top loaders and have one here too along with the US drier!
I do take tablets with me as we only use fairy ( allergies) but Ariel is available over there. I often buy it for using to wash the bedding.