Thread Number: 84605
/ Tag: Detergents and Additives
Roma Detergent ... opinions? |
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Post# 1090233   9/22/2020 at 06:38 (1,283 days old) by scoots (Chattanooga TN)   |   | |
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I usually buy Tide 143 oz size at Walmart, but for the longest time I've been eyeing Roma from Mexico. I have a non-HE machine (Top loading washer with stacked dryer) and on a lark I bought a very small bag to try.
I have seen the threads about having a simpler formula and cautions about sudsing, but is there anything else I should know?
When I do bed linens, I fortify the Tide with ammonia to handle the body oils. I have no fine clothing I wear. I'm looking for a more cost effective laundry detergent. Is this going to work?
Thanks - |
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Post# 1090247 , Reply# 1   9/22/2020 at 09:22 (1,283 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)   |   | |
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Post# 1090259 , Reply# 2   9/22/2020 at 11:45 (1,283 days old) by Maytag85 (Sean A806)   |   | |
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Post# 1090424 , Reply# 5   9/23/2020 at 20:09 (1,281 days old) by Gyrafoam (Wytheville, VA)   |   | |
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The Mexican version of Super-Suds. Lots of sudz, not much cleaning action. Maybe if you beat your clothes on a rock it works better. |
Post# 1090433 , Reply# 6   9/23/2020 at 20:50 (1,281 days old) by sfh074 ( )   |   | |
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thanks for the good belly laugh! It lasted for nearly a solid minute. |
Post# 1090447 , Reply# 7   9/23/2020 at 22:22 (1,281 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Remark is not far off the mark....
Many in Mexico and South America still do laundry by hand. Am not speaking of dainty things either, but entire family weekly (or whatever) wash. Thus you don't need detergents with incredible cleaning power; not when you're beating them against a rock, using a washboard, etc... There is a reason why Roma detergent packets feature a woman bent over a wash tub; and it wasn't just an image chosen at random or for nostalgia purposes. In fact when you get right down to it mechanical action accounts for about 75% of energy used to clean laundry. Rest comes from temperature, chemicals, etc.. This is one reason why washing machines with central beaters have much shorter wash cycles than H-axis, and clean using products meant to be diluted in large amounts of water. OTHO H-axis washers have a more gentle mechanical action, but use less water (which means higher concentration of products), however take longer due to lower mechanical energy being employed. |
Post# 1090601 , Reply# 8   9/24/2020 at 23:23 (1,280 days old) by Dermacie (my forever home (Glenshaw, PA))   |   | |
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I have never used it, but I find for the money Tide powder in my opinion is the best value. I buy the big box and I use it on whites and linens and it gets everything clean. It is expensive but I buy it at Costco and it lasts for a long time.
I find when I go cheap I end up having stuff not come clean and re-washing. |
Post# 1090603 , Reply# 9   9/25/2020 at 00:44 (1,280 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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If I'm not mistaken, Roma used to contain STPP which made it an effective detergent. But like many other imported Mexican laundry detergents, it probably is no longer available with that valuable additive.
I have a stash of STPP I got some years back from a chemical supply warehouse. Usually I add a tbs at the start of each fill. And then add an HE powder or liquid so suds can just be seen developing.
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Post# 1090608 , Reply# 10   9/25/2020 at 02:34 (1,280 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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IIRC Foca, Roma, Blanca Nieves, and other Mexican laundry detergents including P&G's Ariel did contain phosphates. That was until things started showing up in USA stores located where phosphates were long since banned. All heck broke loose and that was that.
P&G along with other detergent makers for North American market removed phosphates across the board (or rather border) period. Remember going to K-Mart on Astor Place back when the place had a really great laundry product section. Nearly all the Mexican detergents on offer had phosphates. www.houzz.com/discussions... www.houzz.com/discussions/355943... www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/... |
Post# 1090696 , Reply# 12   9/25/2020 at 16:43 (1,280 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Abrasion is caused by friction, quite simply the rubbing together of surfaces or friction being applied to same.
Front loaders clean by lifting and dropping washing against suds container, but also the friction that comes from items rubbing against each other as they tumble about. In theory H-axis washers are supposed to be more gentle than top loaders with a central beater, but that has slightly changed in recent times. Longer cycles with lower water levels means things are being subjected to more friction than in past. This can be mitigated by wash rhythms and other programming such as increased water levels, but not all cycles have such provisions. Does your washer have a dedicated "dress shirt" cycle? If not you might try washing shirts alone either on "gentle" or "permanent press". Normal "cottons" might work if you decrease load size to give things more room to move about. Maddening thing about many front loaders nowadays is they automatically adjust water usage even within a given cycle. My Miele will use the same five or so gallons of water on "Normal/Cottons" regardless if one washes 11 or six pounds. Thus can get high water level on a wash. The AEG washers OTOH will vary water use to suit weight of load. |
Post# 1090704 , Reply# 13   9/25/2020 at 17:58 (1,279 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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I think everyone who used detergents like Roma and Ariel knows that they became phosphate free a year or so ago, even in California. There seems to be some old stock out and about, but nearly all the stuff I've checked on the shelves this year are phosphate free.
California was a hold-out because our climate is such that phosphate contamination of fresh waterways is not an issue here, like it might be on the wet-summer east coast. So technically it was still possible to use sell and use phosphate laundry detergents here long after it became illegal elsewhere.
I liked Ariel; it cleaned well and had a pleasant aroma. Sort of reminded me of bubble gum.
Oh well.
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Post# 1090720 , Reply# 15   9/25/2020 at 20:05 (1,279 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Truly is amazing what a difference a few decades of technology makes.
AEG washers have total computer control over drum rhythms so the tumble pattern give a bit more cleaning than the Miele's simple "half turn-pause-half-turn-pause".... It was also discovered lower water levels are best for cleaning woolens along with shorter cycles. Less water in drum means less will be absorbed by fabric (wool like linen loves to soak up water), which is a good thing. For dress shirts again tend to prefer "Easy Cares" or Permanent Press cycles. They are generally faster, use higher water levels, and don't spin washing to death. |
Post# 1092143 , Reply# 16   10/5/2020 at 23:28 (1,269 days old) by scoots (Chattanooga TN)   |   | |
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The decision to try Roma was based simply on cost containment. I already use pre-treatment for stain-lift and ammonia for oil-busting, so those elements I think are covering the simpler formulation of the detergent.
I quickly worked through the sample sized bag and I will be buying the full sized bag next. I've been pleased with the result. If there's a snag, I'll let you all know. Remember, my laundry needs are pretty unsophisticated so it may not work for everybody. |
Post# 1092203 , Reply# 17   10/6/2020 at 16:23 (1,269 days old) by kb0nes (Burnsville, MN)   |   | |
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Post# 1092206 , Reply# 18   10/6/2020 at 16:38 (1,269 days old) by mrboilwash (Munich,Germany)   |   | |
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My biggest gripe with those super cheap Mexican powders would be the absence of nonionic surfactants. They`re essential to keep synthetics like polyester or blends of synthetics with cotton clean.
You might get some sort of a build up within a few weeks or maybe you`ll be fine because of the additional ammonia. Time will tell. The good thing is that it seems to contain silicates to protect aluminum washer parts from corrosion and carboxymethyl cellulose as an anti redipositing agent. If I had to pick one of those Mexican powders I`d go with Foca because it has protease listed, the most important enzyme found in laundry detergents. |
Post# 1105293 , Reply# 19   1/20/2021 at 18:40 (1,162 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)   |   | |
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I pulled out an OLD Van Heusen cotton poly shirt and noticed that the edges of cuffs and collar were in perfect shape because of the strength the polyester gives the fabric blend. |
Post# 1106650 , Reply# 20   2/3/2021 at 19:00 (1,148 days old) by Kenmoreguy89 (Valenza Piemonte, Italy- Soon to be US immigrant.)   |   | |
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Roma is a simple synthetic soap plus builders, that is how I would call it.
A basic synth soap more than a "detergent", granted that for detergent today we mean something containing various types of builders plus both surfactants types, oxygen and enzymes, at least one even though many TOL ones contains four or more. Scent is not great, smell like nothing, of course lots of sudsing, but if you use a top loader is not that bothered, though it seems it contains some OBA's as it does have some blue speckles. Many folks in Mexico use the same powder for laundry and dishes kind of like multi-purpose powders you can still find sold in USA too. Blanca Nieves from the same factory is similar but indeed it seems like it contains a violet-reddish OBA's system than blue one. IMO Foca is better, blue powder, and got an enzyme, still lacks oxygen but it gets the job done, for whites or heavily stained it can use help from an additive. But Roma is good stuff. I think that for the cost Roma is a good deal, much more of those big buckets of Kirkland powder or former wind fresh which are multi-purpose powders too but very cheaply formulated, and are even less rich in their formula than Roma. Actually I wonder how they can sell those and have people buying them... They are like 80℅ carbonate and a 20% surfactants, and stop. Those powders have directions to be used for floors and anything else but you wont catch me doing my house floors with those as that soda would take forever to rinse out. Anyway, Roma is 100 times better than those. |
Post# 1106660 , Reply# 21   2/3/2021 at 19:40 (1,148 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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My impression of Roma is that it is too high sudsing to use in an HE washer, such as a front loader and some HE top loaders.
I think it used to contain phosphates, at least as sold in California, which was a plus, but the high sudsing made it off limits for me. Don't know if it still contains phosphates. A few of the Mexican laundry detergents that used to contain phosphates have phased them out. |
Post# 1106663 , Reply# 22   2/3/2021 at 20:41 (1,148 days old) by Kenmoreguy89 (Valenza Piemonte, Italy- Soon to be US immigrant.)   |   | |
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Phosphates are still present for "domesti c" products, meaning the ones sold and distributed within Mexico and or Latin countries.
While the Roma, Foca etc we find in the USA are export versions specially made and,indeed have a bilingual packaging spanish and english while the domestic ones are just in Spanish and does not state "libre de fosfato" La corona factory also makes several other brands besides Foca Rima and Blanca Nieves, but they are products that never made into the big distribution in the United States. Said that, in the early days when these Mexican powdes started being imported in snall quantities mainly in corner latin shops which of course are present in areas where many Latino people lives, they were indeed the real deal, with posphates,but as the time passed they started being imported more and more and gained popularity even among non latino people. Infact today you find these powders sold even in Walmarts Dollar Generals and any other shops in areas with a large Latino %. Perhaps maybe the increment of Latin immigrants in the last decade also have something to do with this increment. But as the import became this large someone at the EPA must have sniiffed something and regulated all these imports to be phosphate free. P&G had to do a similar thing with Ariel formulating a special formula to be sold in USA. Anyway that's why they used to come with phosphates and now don't but in Mexico they still have the dear thing. In the United States now or common sight just like the Mexican softeners like Ensueño or Suavitel that are becoming "famous" brands among any American customer of every heritage. |
Post# 1106674 , Reply# 23   2/4/2021 at 00:09 (1,148 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Perhaps in aid of getting tree huggers off their backs P&G announced years ago they were phasing out phosphates from all laundry products.
This only leaves brands like Roma, Foca, etc... that once contained phosphates across the board, now either do not, or only for certain limited distribution. Issue with latter is simply the ease of transport today that makes all but most tight distribution network easily avoided. All sorts of laundry or cleaning products never sold nor intended for USA market are constantly turning up in shops or online. FleaPay and the like are flooded with Tide from Asian countries that P&G keeps telling people not to buy, but yet seem powerless to stop importation. www.theguardian.com/susta... Phosphates are still used in laundry detergents in parts world where wash day still means either top loading semi or fully automatic machines. This and or things are done by hand. Either way it isn't so much froth being an issue with machines as quality of local water. As P&G along with other detergent makers first discovered long ago phosphates make excellent builders for laundry detergents or cleaning products. Added benefit is they also are relatively inexpensive. |
Post# 1106676 , Reply# 24   2/4/2021 at 00:55 (1,148 days old) by bradfordwhite (central U.S.)   |   | |
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phospates are a danger to water quality, that's why they've been reduced/elimated.
I started using Foca a couple years ago. I do like the smell and sudsing action. I have had no problems with cleaning ability. I usually and other things with it like an oxygen brightener, and/or 20 Mule Borax, and/or bleach, and/or baking soda if appropriate. It comes in a bag and is relatively inexpensive. I divy it up into rigid containers and use a scoop to dispense. |
Post# 1106677 , Reply# 25   2/4/2021 at 01:15 (1,148 days old) by bradfordwhite (central U.S.)   |   | |
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I kept the bag so I'd remember which one to buy.
It has a white fluffy seal on the front which is apparently what the detergent is made of. I don't know.... Either that or if you take a seal from the ocean and wash it in Foca it will wash off all the sea dirt and turn it clean and white? I just don't have time to try that. CLICK HERE TO GO TO bradfordwhite's LINK |
Post# 1106680 , Reply# 26   2/4/2021 at 04:32 (1,148 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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This was the old bag of Foca when it contained phosphates. Not sure if bag was changed when formula went phosphate free.
Would see tons of this old Foca, Blanca Nieves, and Roma detergent at K-mart at Astor Place years ago now. Never bought because knew they were high froth detergents something my Miele washer wouldn't like. s.yimg.com/aah/mex-grocer/foca-l... |
Post# 1106689 , Reply# 27   2/4/2021 at 06:47 (1,148 days old) by Kenmoreguy89 (Valenza Piemonte, Italy- Soon to be US immigrant.)   |   | |
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Post# 1106691 , Reply# 28   2/4/2021 at 07:10 (1,148 days old) by vacerator (Macomb, Michigan)   |   | |
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We used to have locally made Roman bleach here though. No relation to me, haha. I don't think it was an Italian family. Probably Polish, or other eastern European or Balkan name. |
Post# 1106701 , Reply# 29   2/4/2021 at 08:17 (1,148 days old) by Kenmoreguy89 (Valenza Piemonte, Italy- Soon to be US immigrant.)   |   | |
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This is the website of the company that makes these detergent, it started being a soap making factory and are the same that produce zote soap.
Having started as a soap making factory they also sell cooking oil. As you can see the package showed on the website is spanish only and i know that they had two different formulations one for export to North America and the other for the South America. Similarly did Procter and Gamble earlier with Ariel. www.lacorona.com.mx/deter... |
Post# 1106702 , Reply# 30   2/4/2021 at 08:26 (1,148 days old) by Kenmoreguy89 (Valenza Piemonte, Italy- Soon to be US immigrant.)   |   | |
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Truth be told farming was and is the biggest responsible for phosphorus pollution in water.
Detergents of course also played a role, but main responsibility is farming. Also it appears that organic old fashioned farming poses a major risk versus farming using synthetic fertilizers and modern tecniques. I read some articles in the past that said how Amish farming practices had a major impact regarding phosphate pollution. Droppings both animal and human contain a good amount of the stuff. |
Post# 1106703 , Reply# 31   2/4/2021 at 08:40 (1,148 days old) by Kenmoreguy89 (Valenza Piemonte, Italy- Soon to be US immigrant.)   |   | |
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Launderess that is a bag of the first export ones being written in English, about 2005,back then it still had phosphates and there was not a double formula, same for Ariel it was still the oxyanillos one and had phosphates, the war on phosphates was not as strong as it became later when they started phasing out phosphates from dishwasher products as well and in many areas even from institutional formulations.
And imports were not so large as they became later. Today YouTube is full of reviews from people buying the stuff and being pleased. Lots of non Latino people have these Mexican products in their stash. Regarding being too sudsy to be used in a front loader I guess they are, sure Roma and Blanca Nieves are, though if I remember right Foca have directions for front loaders dosification. I never tried myself to use it in one of my front loaders though. I have seen videos of people using it in a Miele, and washing a dog pillow, which is a kind of wash that tends to be quite sudsy itself and surprisingly it appeared not to produce and excessive amount of suds. |
Post# 1106705 , Reply# 32   2/4/2021 at 08:46 (1,148 days old) by Kenmoreguy89 (Valenza Piemonte, Italy- Soon to be US immigrant.)   |   | |
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Post# 1106706 , Reply# 33   2/4/2021 at 08:46 (1,148 days old) by Kenmoreguy89 (Valenza Piemonte, Italy- Soon to be US immigrant.)   |   | |
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Post# 1106792 , Reply# 34   2/4/2021 at 19:32 (1,147 days old) by jamiel (Detroit, Michigan and Palm Springs, CA)   |   | |
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Post# 1106801 , Reply# 35   2/4/2021 at 20:58 (1,147 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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Yes, farming and lawn fertilizers are responsible for a large share of phosphate/water pollution.
That said, it does depend on the local climate. Here in California, most sewage systems empty into the ocean, after thorough treatment, which is already packed with phosphates so it doesn't make much of a difference. And AFAIK, nobody here dumps sewage into the few rivers in the state. We also have a basically dry climate for most of the year, which limits runoff from fields and golf courses into fresh water bodies. Farming phosphates are probably another matter. |
Post# 1106811 , Reply# 36   2/4/2021 at 22:20 (1,147 days old) by bradfordwhite (central U.S.)   |   | |
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The Salton sea comes to mind. Increasingly starved for water it's drying up. As the river bottom is exposed, the sediment is susceptible to the wind picking up decades of field run-off sediments and poisoning the air in the Southland.
It's a problem bigger than all of us here.... CLICK HERE TO GO TO bradfordwhite's LINK
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Post# 1106836 , Reply# 37   2/5/2021 at 07:17 (1,147 days old) by TheSpiritOf76 (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and OZ All Together. )   |   | |
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Ironically. I am as of now, working through a bag of Roma, and have a bag of Foca up next. I have used Roma before. Now let me paint a little bit of backround for contexts. I am a singe person, 1 or two loads a week, and some extras depending, in a top loading, automatic Maytag. I also don't have alot of money, and for me Family Dollar is 3 blocks away from me.
So with all that being said, I don't seem to visibly have problem with Roma, I personally don't see any buildup, or issues with getting clothes clean. I also notice a light pleasant sent too! I know that is a very simplistic way to look at it, but all things considered is that not what is most important, the end result? No disrespect meant to the science and good points made to the chemical aspects. Also, I am on a fixed income so budget is also a factor for someone like my self. I will admit, if I can swing it, I will occasionally treat my self to a box of tide or Cheer (I am a strong powder guy here!), if I can swing it, but here locally to me, a box of Tide is almost $15, and a box of Cheer is almost $10, and even Surf, which I also like is between $7 and $8 roughly. So with that being said, and with the fact that laundry detergent is a basic need for personal hygiene, Some times a small bag of Roma is what is needed. So just another thought from an Average HouseBear!=) |
Post# 1106838 , Reply# 38   2/5/2021 at 07:59 (1,147 days old) by Kenmoreguy89 (Valenza Piemonte, Italy- Soon to be US immigrant.)   |   | |
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Post# 1106854 , Reply# 39   2/5/2021 at 10:05 (1,147 days old) by Kenmoreguy89 (Valenza Piemonte, Italy- Soon to be US immigrant.)   |   | |
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The spirit of 76...
Today's Henkel's Surf after the very recent acquisition of Sun Corp from Henkel is garbage compared to SunCorp one, and both simply incomparable to the good old one from Unilever. I mean for how much they cost... Henkel's surf of today does not have oxygen when one from Suncorp and the Lever one did, that was the "secret" behind the odor removing power it was once known for that in today's formula simply is no longer a thing. Now is builders lotta fillers basic surfactants with a couple enzymes, and lotta brighteners. Not good value IMO. You also need a generous amount. Before Roma I would choose Foca or Blanca Nieves that despite the name is good for darks too and considering that when there is one there is also the other one and the cost pretty much the same then I have no doubts of what I'd pick. Pinol is another good Mexico one I don't hear being mentioned often, and IIRC is enzymatic, and at least it does have some pine oil which is good for very bland disinfecting and deodorizing properties. Considering that in most places powders are vanishing ( and I am a only powder person also) much of the choice falls on the Mexican foreign offers... But there are some others cheap good powders available if you know where to look. Arcoiris is another Mexican powder I tried and even though it doesn't have any enzyme and oxygen outperformed Sun powder, both the ones in the big boxes and 1cup formula from Dollar Tree which were nothing but basic multi-purpose powders,scentless, carbonate laden powders. Horrible. I still need to try out How Sun does after Henkel's acquisition. And I know that in dollar tree shops they replaced the Sun with another brand, Ultra clean IIRC, that got very good reviews online and that by how the power looks like it seems to be good stuff. Much more than Sun was. In dollar tree is Eastern United States you fine la's totally awesome powder detergent, and that one is good stuff, not the oxy additive, but the powder detergent that is on even mentioned in the la's TA website but it does exist. Didn't have the opportunity to try the new ultra clean from Dollar tree yet. |
Post# 1106855 , Reply# 40   2/5/2021 at 10:08 (1,147 days old) by Kenmoreguy89 (Valenza Piemonte, Italy- Soon to be US immigrant.)   |   | |
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Post# 1106856 , Reply# 41   2/5/2021 at 10:10 (1,147 days old) by Kenmoreguy89 (Valenza Piemonte, Italy- Soon to be US immigrant.)   |   | |
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Post# 1106858 , Reply# 42   2/5/2021 at 10:14 (1,147 days old) by Kenmoreguy89 (Valenza Piemonte, Italy- Soon to be US immigrant.)   |   | |
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Post# 1106904 , Reply# 43   2/5/2021 at 14:48 (1,147 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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My usual detergent in the Neptune 7500 these days is a tbs of STPP and then enough Kirkland Ultra HE Liquid to produce just visible suds. However I don't usually use STPP on things like bath towels. The liquid is more than enough. Sometimes it's best to let the load wash for a few minutes before adding any liquid.
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Post# 1107098 , Reply# 44   2/7/2021 at 08:00 (1,145 days old) by Kenmoreguy89 (Valenza Piemonte, Italy- Soon to be US immigrant.)   |   | |
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I like to try everything, and I do try everything.
Now am trying out some german powder I got on eBay, listing is for a big pack of 7.5kg plus 4 bags of 5kg each. I purchased four lots as it had a good price shipping wise. But... I think I will sell the 100kg more I got as I'm not that impressed, and it's the first detergent that smells better when it's dry but when in water scent disappears. It also appears to be cut with salt.
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