Tesco Value Washing Powder/Fabric conditioner

BitterAndTwisted

Is the powder not dissolving properly because you're using a "quick wash" or a half load? I suspect that both of these programmes either don't use enough water or aren't long enough to dissolve the powder.

After having had a read about "quick washes" on the ukwhitegoods site I can see that those programmes aren't any good over the long-term for getting or keeping clothes properly clean.

Pitlanepiglet

I am also of the view that short, low temp washes can be problematic. When I was lodging away during the week I used a very modern Bosch machine on a quick wash (40 mins) but I couldn't use my normal big box powder in it as it didn't dissolve and I got clothes with washing powder stuck to them (not white marks, actual undissolved powder). I switched to liquid detergent there to solve the problem but I'm not a fan of liquids generally.

Our old Zanussi machine has stopped taking in enough water so I have to top it up with a bucket - I've now realised that there is something really satisfying about seeing clothes sloshing around in enough water that they are actually washing properly. I know modern machines are much more efficient but I do wonder how well they can wash without much water in them?

To keep on topic, I mixed a bag of T. value powder with my Costco big box of powder and the machine is taking the Costco powder but until I add additional water it is leaving the blue spotty Tesco stuff behind. Even with an insufficient fill it used to take all of the powder so it's definitely the powder - mine is a couple of months old though so it's possible they've changed it again since.

System

I do at least 70% of my wash loads on a cold wash and found it best to switch to detergent as no matter what powder i used it didnt dissolve properly in the wash. However, for those of you who do use a heated wash. Have you thought of adding the powder to the drum instead of the drawer? I never put anything in the drawer of my washing machine. Mind you, i havent used fabric softener for years so i dont know how you'd get over that hurdle.

It has to be said though, i dont have mucky youngsters and our clothes dont get really dirty.

pigpen

pigpen wrote: »

is the tesco powder any better at dissolving yet

I need to buy some today but if it is still clogging in the drawer I'm getting something different..

Cheers all xx

Someone must have bought it in the last few weeks!

Pitlanepiglet

pigpen wrote: »

Someone must have bought it in the last few weeks!

Sounds like we're all still chipping the last one out of our powder drawers!

I'd probably buy it and try it and if it's no good ring and complain and ask for a refund. Just don't do what I did and cut it with a huge box of decent powder, I'm going to be using the stuff for ever!

BitterAndTwisted

If it's not flushing down out of the drawer I'd just put in in the drum and use a programme that's long enough for the powder to dissolve properly.

I don't have any of these problems myself as I use "gloop" and very good it is too, even on a cold wash

uolypool

I bought some asda smartprice powder as the ebay seller I usually buy from didn't have any:mad: Well I agree that it doesnt smell as nice as "better brands" but that doesnt bother me as it comes in smelling line dried at the mo. My daughter has a JLS yellow hoodie _pale_:silenced:;) which has had a pen stain on that I couldnt shift no matter what I have tried. I washed it this morning in asda powder with a teaspoon of soda crystals and the pen mark has gone:eek:.I was shocked to say the least.So am happy to continue using this till the ebay seller gets some more in. I put 2 tablespoon full in the draw and it went down fine no powder left.

pigpen

Pitlanepiglet wrote: »

Sounds like we're all still chipping the last one out of our powder drawers!

I'd probably buy it and try it and if it's no good ring and complain and ask for a refund. Just don't do what I did and cut it with a huge box of decent powder, I'm going to be using the stuff for ever!

I thought I had 2 bag still to use but i can't find them so must have used them.. lol.. my kitchen is a tip.

I was just putting the scoop in the drum but I don't like doing that.. I may just try something else and hope it doesn't set off anyones eczema.. that kind of rules out everything...

I tried gloop years ago it was rubbish everything went a murky grey so I went back to proper powder again and my washing once more became colours.. it must have left a horrible residue, pus the oily staining from the essential oils I put in the first lot... it also made the insides of my machine murky and the drum cloudy so goodness knows what was left on the clothes and no I did not use too much..

BitterAndTwisted

The gloop I made included borax which appears to act as a stain-remover. If there was a horrible residue in your machine pigpen I'd be tempted to think it might have been caused by incomplete rinsing. For stained whites like tea-towels I sometimes add a couple of dessert-spoonfuls of Napisan but these are washed in cold water too and come out of the machine quite clean. I haven't bothered with any essential oils as I'm not fond of over-perfumed clothing as I fear it would clash with my scented toiletries etcetera.