I use ECOS which isn't HE per se, but it says you can use it in an HE machine. I just use less than I would in a regular machine. It's all natural so it doesn't contain optical brighteners.

Charlie's Soap -- people either love it or hate it, it seems. We're just a couple weeks into it off of Tide HE liquid and it is working well for us.

hi, I try to avoid optical brighteners, too.

I just looked it up and found this on the P&G website. (They're the manufacturers of Cheer detergent.)

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Question: Do you make any laundry detergents that don't contain optical brighteners?

Answer: Optical brighteners are commonly used in laundry detergents to enhance fabric appearance and maintain whiteness or brightness. We understand there may be situations in which a detergent without these brightening agents is needed. Cheer Powder versions do NOT contain optical brighteners.
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Hope this helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: Proctor and Gamble Consumer Q&A Page

... it looks like any Cheer powder would not contain OBs, not just those labeled "with Color Guard"

Well, here's my problem -- I use a Danby washer. Using just 2 tbsp of Cheer HE liquid is about as much as it can take before oversudsing. So, using non-HE detergents is probably out of the question. I'd certainly be open to powders or alternative brands though. Unfortunately it appears Cheer doesn't make an HE powder, so the search continues. Any other ideas?

If oversudsing is a problem, then I'd second the Charlie's Soap recommendation.

Or, Biokleen. I like Biokleen Premium Powder (it has enzymes and Oxy-type color-safe bleach, no optical brighteners.) It is very low sudsing.

I like Biokleen liquid detergent, too, for the same reasons. It doesn't contain the enzymes or bleach, though.

Lots of people love Persil. I've not tried it yet, but Henkel customer service says that Persil's COLOR formulations do not contain optical brighteners.

Vaska contains no optical brighteners.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vaska Herbatergent

I've been using the Cheer Bright Clean Powder recently. It is low sudsing. I even did a suds test on it. It sudses no more than the Sears HE powder did when I tested it last year. One or two tables spoons of the Cheer powder should be just fine. I tested it in my Frigidaire Affinity as well which hardly uses any water with half the scoop full. It was a little too much (way more than what I usually use for an average load that isn't heavily soiled), but no suds came shooting out of the machine and it was all gone with a couple extra rinses.

Other detergents that are HE with no optical brighteners are Charlie's Soap (I would recommend the powder and only use 1/2 the Tbsp scoop that comes with it.), Seventh Generation powder at about 1 or 2 Tbsp, Country Save Powder at 1 to only 1/2 TBSP, and Planet at about 1 to 2 Tbsp for liquid and powder. There are more natural brands out there you can check on, but these are the only ones I know of that I have tried.

HTH : D

Cheer Powder versions do NOT contain optical brighteners.

Sure wish there was an HE Cheer powder formula! Or an HE ColorGuard formula, for that matter.

Mara: there USED to be an HE ColorGuard formula. I still have about 1/2 a bottle left. Haven't seen it on the shelves and figured I better find out where it went or find an alternative before I run out. My little Danby washer doesn't use much.

Here is a laundry chart for HE detergents that have (or don't have) optical brighteners and enzymes etc. It is for the cloth diaper community so people can read which detergents have what in them. There is many to pick from without optical brighteners.

I hope this helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: Detergent Chart for Use in Cloth Diapering.

Sean, you're right -- I used to buy the HE ColorGuard formula, and really liked it. I think I had only bought and used one bottle when it disappeared from the shelves.

I would especially like to see it in an HE powder formula.

Curiousshopper, actually there is another chart for NON HE detergents and Cheer has optical brighteners in that version. Here is the link to the NON HE detergents. You will see the difference.

Here is a link that might be useful: Non HE Detergent Chart

The person who was concerned about the change called after the change to the 'Bright Clean' labeling. I believe he said he was told that now only the POWDER versions of Cheer were optical brightener free. So I do believe your chart is out-of-date. The current P&G FAQ supports what he was told.

Here is a link that might be useful: P&G FAQ

My Samsung (WF-J1254) front loader just went in on Friday so only a few loads to go by but so far I like the Nature Clean which is highly rated in the link provided by xhappyx.

{{!gwi}}

Here is a link that might be useful: naturecleanliving