Dreft/Ivory Liquid vs other detergents

14 years ago

I'd really like some knowledgeable advice here. A friend, who works for a very high end towel and linen mfgr, insists that only Dreft and Irovy Liquid should be used for washing ANYTHING. I opened a can of worms (and have had this discussion with her before), when I mentioned yesterday that two of my nice cotton sheets had ripped. These are Court of Versailles high thread count sheets, but are much cheaper than what my friend's company makes. My friend insists that every detergent that I use is junk, and that my complete lack of knowledge on this topic is what ruined my sheets. I use Tide cold water, or All. I have a top loader Kitchenaid washer that is about 7 years old, and seems to do a good job. I know this is nit-picky, but I really would like some real ammunition to poke holes in her theory that all clothing, bedding, etc , should only ever be washed in Dreft. First of all, I can't afford to buy Dreft for every day use, and I am unconvinced it is really a better detergent. She claims everything that you can get at the store other than Dreft is just junk. Surely all the companies selling detergent aren't selling a bad product. Is there someone out there that can give me some real expert advice/thoughts on this subject? My friend is a know-it-all, and she acts like am a simpleton for not using Dreft. Drives me nuts!

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happymomof2kids

14 years ago

For what it is worth, your friend obviously has never done any research on laundry detergents. Dreft, Ivory, and Tide are all made by P&G. Only difference between the three is mainly scent, dye, and optical brightener content. I shall elaborate. Dreft is technically no different than Tide free. They have just added a baby powder scent and slightly reduced the optical brighteners in it. Optical brighteners can not wear out clothing it can just be irritating to sensitive skin. Ivory is basically the same as Dreft, just a different scent. Regular Tide is not different than the scent free and perfume free as far as basic ingredients go, it just has perfume and dye. All P&G liquid detergents are pH neutral to prevent unwanted wear and tear on fabric. Now I will admit that the enzyme content may be lower in the Ivory detergent compared to the other two, but there is not a significant amount of difference to destroy a sheet or not destroy a sheet.

Here is something else that many may not know including your friend. None of the 3 can be used on silk or wool. Reason why? Enzymes. Enzymes will eat through wool and silk and therefore should never be used on either of the two fabrics.

Also, Dreft nor Ivory claim to reduce the chlorine in wash water. Neither claim to reduce pilling which is usually caused by hard water and detergent residues. Now although Tide does not claim such on the bottle currently, I happen to know from talking to their competent staff that the liquid versions of Tide do reduce chlorine and reduce pilling. Chlorine can wear out fabric over time, and lets face it, if you see pilling it means your fabrics are getting worn in the wash.

Although your friend may know much about some forms of textiles, it is blatantly apparent that your friend knows little about the chemistry involved in laundry detergent. There is no such thing currently on the market as a "perfect laundry detergent". Where you find a benefit in one you will also find a drawback in the same one. The perfect detergent is whatever works for you.

As a final note on Dreft and Ivory, everyone in my home are allergic to both. Doesn't sound to perfect to me. I have sheets here that my mother gave me that are 20 years old. They have been put through a assault of different brands of detergent. Not a single detergent has caused any damamge thus far.

Also, it would help to add that many in the textile industry will blame a particular laundry detergent for damage when it is actually just shotty craftsmanship of the textile itself.

HTH : D

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Comments (10)

grainlady_ks
14 years ago
One can only assume your "friend" has conducted all kinds of scientific tests on EVERY possible soap/detergent product on the market to come up with these findings.... Otherwise, it's just like all the rest of us who have used any number of laundry products over the years - personal choice.

Not all conditions for doing laundry can be duplicated from one household to another. Some people have water treatment systems or live where the water is soft, while many of us live on a rock formation and have hard water. You can't compare heavily soiled laundry requirements with someone who never gets anything dirty. We all don't own the same types of clothing. Anyone have pets/animals that contribute to your laundry needs? A friend's husband worked on oil rigs. She used a concrete cleaning compound on her hubby's clothing. I'd like to see what Ivory or Dreft will do to THAT laundry challenge.

Not to mention how all the formulas for all these detergents (including Ivory and Dreft - which were once soaps, not detergents, if I'm not mistaken) have changed over the years - all those "new and improved versions."

My grandmother's TIDE, which contained phosphates, has little resemblance to the product today. Fels Naptha was a preferred soap in it's day, but naptha, the cleaning chemical that made it work so well, has long since been removed. It went out of favor, until people started using it for homemade laundry soap mixtures.

So ask your friend to show you the test results, either hers or an independent testing from a reputable source.

I'm including the URL for the product testing for my currant laundry product, Charlie's Soap.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Charlie's Soap Research
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cryptandrus
14 years ago
Attached is a link to my favorite laundry resource, explaining why high-thread-count sheets may not be very durable.

Here is a link that might be useful: Durability in Sheets
xhappyx
14 years ago
happymomof2kids explained it perfectly. I would also like to add to this with the formulary of detergents the same basic ingredients are used in proprietary amounts.

I am providing a link to the soap and detergent associations information on these ingredients.

Dreft and Ivory use the same surfactants that all other detergents use. Once upon a time ago they used soap but they are now surfactant based.

I would also like to add that I have sheets that are new and sheets that have been passed down for generations which are all in excellent shape. They have been washed in an arsenal of various detergents from name brand to generic. Basically, it is all about preference. Some contain more optical brighteners or enzymes than other brands. Various detergents are scented or not scented due to personal preference. It is the surfacants that add slip to the water to aid in cleaning. And the PH is usually slightly alkaline to aid in cleaning but if you look at the PH of soap the PH of those is even higher than detergents. Soap has a PH of about 10 on average, where most detergents have a PH of about 8 which is more in the center between alkaline and acid. Too high one way or the other on the PH scale is corrosive. So in theory, the surfactants are better for textiles than the old fashioned soap that Dreft and Ivory once contained.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.cleaning101.com/laundry/fact/fact_sheet2.cfm
mara_2008
14 years ago
She claims everything that you can get at the store other than Dreft is just junk.

Stick around here for awhile, and you'll hear the same about Persil and various other brands of detergent. LOL
happymomof2kids
14 years ago
LOL mara. I didn't even think about that till you mentioned it. OMG! It is soooooo true. You are so right about that. Not only the little battles about brand superiority, but the battles of liquid over powder.

Oops. Hope I didn't just open up a can of worms again. LOL!
xhappyx
14 years ago
LOL, so true! It all comes down to personal preference and also water hardness and your machine. Everyone gets different results because no 2 people have the same exact conditions to wash in or the same exact laundry problems. We also each have different expectations on how we want out laundry to smell or how bright we want it, etc.

It is six of one and half a dozen of another ;)
cearab
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you all for your help and comments, especially happymom! This is some really good information and I will be ready next time the subject comes up. My friend thinks she is an expert, and it drives me nuts!
Merry Christmas!
happymomof2kids
14 years ago
cearab,

Glad to help. Merry Christmas!
cynic
14 years ago
Mara, you really hit the nail on the head! LOL

And as for that friend, I'd just tell her that you'll use what you want and if she wants to remain friends, tone it down. These people that go so overboard about little things in life annoy me! All of those mentioned are good detergents. Many people, including myself have more than one brand on the shelf and I use different things at different times. Less so these days but nevertheless still true. I'm surprised she didn't climb all over you that you needed to buy "her" sheets!

One thing though, a lot of damage comes not from the detergent (that's pretty silly) but from overloading or improperly loading the washer. Never wrap things around the agitator. I learned that the hard way. Drop them in in clumps and even it out with other stuff. Haven't had a ripped sheet since.

Dreft/Ivory Liquid vs other detergents

happymomof2kids

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Dreft/Ivory Liquid vs other detergents

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