Washing machine - powder or liquid?

stockhausen

stockhausen

stockhausen

Capodecina
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I had the door seal replaced on my washing machine yesterday. For some time, my whites had been coming out less than white. I had already used a cleaner (the outrageously expensive Dr. Beckmann Original Service-it) but it hadn't made any difference so I got in a washing machine repairer (aka Engineer) to check out the machine.

He advised that I should stop using a liquid and change to a powder detergent. The rationale was that there is less/no bleach in liquid detergent since it settles out and you end up at some point using neat bleach to wash your clothes. surprisingly enough, Googling doesn't really clarify the issue.


Can anyone who actually understands either washing machines or detergent manufacture comment please?

Dimple? I do realise that a washing machine isn't a gas cooker ;)
 
Powder acts as an abrasive and shortens the life of your clothes, thats what an engineer told me once, so make of that what you will.

Me? I use the time honoured method of stale urine for cleaning and rice water for starching :p
 
Sounds like the washing machine repairman was really saying he didn't have clue what was going on. Time to get a new washing machine imo.
 
I get better results from those liquid blob things.

Just don't do what I once did in my student days - that was to put a dark blue sheet into the same wash with a load of white shirts. The shirts came out light blue lol :p
 
hand wash only is the answer, making sure you get your nails into the gusset,

worst, 'i dont use Daz' thread ever
 
I was told by an repair man to use Powder but for other reasons. Looking at whitegoods forum liquid contains no bleach...

This is on the service cycle but still explains it contains no bleach...

http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/help/...-machine-a-washer-dryer-maintenance-wash.html

You will need a good brand powder or tablets to do this. Liquids, liquid tabs or Colour detergent is of no use at all for a maintenance wash and they will not clean the insides of the washer properly as they contain no bleach or bleaching agents. It is the bleach in the detergent that will kill the bacteria and that is a huge part of this process and the primary reason for carrying out a maintenance wash.

A link on why powder is the way to go...

http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/help/...es-brighter-colours-all-about-detergents.html

I did that research after having a stale smelling machine that left grey sludge on our clothes. It was the liquid I was using. It doesn't dissolve as well into the water as power and especially at lower temps they all bang on about.

:)
 
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I use powder.

Then of course scrub your work shirts in the bath with some good old soap flakes. Works a treat.
 
Just look at the ingredients. I've never seen liquid detergent that contains bleaching agents - I believe that both non-bio and detergent for colours don't contain them either. Biological powder is the only detergent that should contain bleaching agents.

These bleaching agents help you get your whites white - they also make your colours fade, hence you should use colour powder for coloured items.

You can buy a product known as Oxy, or other names, in pound shops and most supermarkets. I believe these can contain upto 15% of bleaching agents. I personally only recommend these combined with biological soap powder.

You probably want to clean your washer out, by the sounds of things. An empty 95c wash with Ariel biological soap powder, and a generous glug of white vinegar in the softner compartment, should do the trick. Lots of people imagine their washer will smell like a chippy when using vinegar - if anything, it freshens it without the odour of vinegar!
 
If the engineer replaced the door seal because your whites didn't come out white you were ripped off to be blunt.

Liquid detergent do not contain bleach, as a result the natural bacteria in the water isn't killed off and results a black looking mould in the seal.

Powder based detergents do contain bleach, the caveat to this is the "Colour" based powder detergents, these do not contain bleach.

The easiest way to remove the mould is to performance a "maintenance wash"

Once a month, add a small capful of regular bleach directly into the drum and put the machine on a 95' wash.

For heavily soiled seals we recommend that you do this once a day for a week, then once a month there on in.
 
darael said:
You probably want to clean your washer out, by the sounds of things. An empty 95c wash with Ariel biological soap powder, and a generous glug of white vinegar in the softner compartment, should do the trick. Lots of people imagine their washer will smell like a chippy when using vinegar - if anything, it freshens it without the odour of vinegar!
Click to expand...

This, worked a treat when cleaning my washing machine out a few months back when it made my clothes smell funky.
 
I thought that powder was the powerful cleaning agent, liquid just makes your clothes smell nicer? (therefore using both poder, and a cap full of liquid in a wash).
 
Why not just run some bleach through on a hot cycle every now and again to keep your machine clear? Works for me.

Then use whatever works/is cheapest for your actual washing.
 
darael said:
Just look at the ingredients. I've never seen liquid detergent that contains bleaching agents - I believe that both non-bio and detergent for colours don't contain them either. Biological powder is the only detergent that should contain bleaching agents.

These bleaching agents help you get your whites white - they also make your colours fade, hence you should use colour powder for coloured items.

You can buy a product known as Oxy, or other names, in pound shops and most supermarkets. I believe these can contain upto 15% of bleaching agents. I personally only recommend these combined with biological soap powder.

You probably want to clean your washer out, by the sounds of things. An empty 95c wash with Ariel biological soap powder, and a generous glug of white vinegar in the softner compartment, should do the trick. Lots of people imagine their washer will smell like a chippy when using vinegar - if anything, it freshens it without the odour of vinegar!
Click to expand...
Good clear, concise and helpful post - thanks :)

As it happens, I gather that Which? magazine recommend the use of powder rather than liquid (Which?)

Again, thanks for your post.
 
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