washing powder

ie laundry detergents.

I use Ariel bio which is now in a gel form but have used it in whichever form it happens to be trending in .
Sometimes buy Bold 2 in 1 . These do have perfumes though so you might try a milder one for babies or an eco one ..To be honest they all do the same job but just different prices and various smells.
I don't like the 30 degree washes they recommend nowadays though , the lowest I do is 40 degrees.

Whatever is on offer in Poundshop ?or Formil ( I think thats the name) from Lidl I can’t see any difference in the different powders or food either come to that, my granddaughter swears she knows if they are Heinz beans or other but she doesn’t
I always wash on 30* and never noticed any difference in cleanness if something is marked i use a vanish bar before it goes in the washing machine

I use Lidl Formil too. Find it works as good as any other. I use Astonish bar if something needs a bit more cleaning, although I try to remove any greasy marks with washing up liquid as they happen.

You have to do a hot wash now and again to degunge the washing machine . I wash most at 40 , things get dull at 30 . I use nonbio powders (mostly Lidl) because OH had eczema and the bios made it flare up . I only notice the smell of washing powders for the first few washes when I change brands , and only use the minimum amount of powder recommended , extra powder just messes the machine and doesn't get things cleaner

"I use nonbio powders (mostly Lidl) because OH had eczema and the bios made it flare up "
That's the thing that concerns me, aggie.
I'll try the bio but if it gives me a rash I'll change back.

I use Sainsbury own Bio washing powder, good results all round.
I changed to this earlier in the year when there was a thread about washing machines and their pongy niffs,I was using a gel or a liquid and it was this causing the problem.
For some delicate things I use Fairy non bio or Surcare.

Another vote for Formil or Almat ( I swear they are the same).

I use Morrisons bio tablets- a lot cheaper than the main brands and they wash well.

I use whatever bio powder’s on offer, but I do like Bold. I too gave up on washing liquids and 30 degree washes when my laundry started smelling worse when it came out than it did going in. After following umpteen machine-cleaning tips I just went back to powder and 40 degrees - problem solved.

I use non-bio still if I’m washing any of the grandsons’ stuff.

And I wash whites separately at 60 degrees plus, with a booster such as Glowhite. I can’t abide dingy whites.

I have used Persil powder non bio) for over 50 years and I'm on my second washing machine. I treated the current machine to a new door seal on it's 25th birthday but only because I wanted one that was cleaner looking, I expect it was clean enough but it looked discoloured. The maintenance man said the machine was in good order as I have never used liquid washing stuff and to keep on doing whatever I am doing and not to buy a modern machine until this one died as they don't make them like that any more. My DM always quoted"if it ain't broke don't fix it" do I won't. She wouldn't have been impressed by me buying the new door seal?

so not do !

jusnoneed Agree about the washing up liquid for grease stains, it's the only thing that works I find. Had a money off coupon for Unilever Neutral liquid so bought some. It has no fragrance so laundry has no fresh smell and if you use it for handwashing it is 'slimy' and takes ages to remove from your hands. I'll stick with Ecover.

I use Persil Small and Mighty Bio or Ariel Bio both in liquid form and have no complaints at all,

Ariel bio is what I use and I find it gets everything very clean.

www.nhs.uk/news/lifestyle-and-exercise/bio-washing-powder-rashes-a-myth/
There seems to be good evidence that biological washing powders do not actually cause skin problems in general, even for babies.

To answer your original question, Fennel - biological detergents contain enzymes that digest stains. The original ones, had ads that featured PacMan like creatures “gobbling up” the stains, but some people got nervous of them, thinking there was something alive in the powder.?

I use whatever DH brings home. As he works in the Co-op he brings me the one that is on offer that week. Lately it's been Ariel liqui-tabs, or Fairy non-violent liquid.

That would be non-bio! Violent washing liquid doesn't beat thinking about! ?

I suppose it beats the crap out of things. (Nappies?)

I use Ariel bio liquid, the one for whites for the whites, and the colours one for colours. I sometimes add a scoop of Vanish stain remover if the load is particularly dirty or particularly large. I wash everything on 30 degrees except towels, they get 40 degrees. I use a fabric softener in the rinse, and hang out in the air to dry whenever possible, otherwise I tumble dry. Everything comes up nice and clean, and fresh.

Bio powders are supposed to be more effective against stains of animal or plant origin (eg blood, plants stains etc). If one bio powder doesn't agree with you, try another. Does your machine have an extra rinse option? Maybe that will help the skin problem.
I use Lidl Formil Colour (powder) for everything and it's not highly perfumed. I also wash regularly at 60℃ for cottons and 40℃ for synthetics, always choosing very low temperature cycles can lead to smelly washing machines.

Synonymous, I too was pleased to have made my washing machine last many years. However, when it finally had to be replaced this year (17 years old), the new one washes so much better than the old one that I regretted not changing it sooner.

It is the temperature that makes the difference, not the detergent. I think washing machines should have a program for a standard wash at 60 degrees. I am sure it would work out more energy efficient than having to put garments through the 30/40 degree wash several times, sprayed and smeared with strong chemicals which are energy intensive in their manufacture and damaging for sensitive skins.

I buy a soap based eco-detergent when I am in France and bring it home. I also supply it to DS and family as DDiL has an auto-immune illness that has caused her to become sensitive to ordinary detergents. My skin is also hyper sensitive.

Fairy Non-Bio gel. Get on really well with it.