I've used both OxiClean and Biz. OxiClean is an oxygen bleach and works best a higher temperatures as the oxygen-charged agent is activated at higher temperatures. I prefer Tide With Bleach (alternative) formula for higher temperature washes because I personally feel it works better than OxyClean. These higher temperatures can also result in added foaming, but I've never found it to be too much of an issue. I use Biz for everything else. I think it's an amazing product. I don't search through each garment as it's put in the washer, I just add Biz and that saves me time and removes just about every stain I've evr given to my laundry. I don't think Biz causes additional foaming. Now Clorox 2 of 30 years ago, that's another story.

From my understanding both products use washing soda as a base. So both will soften water, thus making detergent more effective ( more sudsing). The difference is that oxiclean is made of washing soda, peroxide, and a small amount of a detergent, while biz has more ingredients. Biz has enzymes to attack stains, washing soda, peroxide, and optical brighteners ( makes fabrics appear brighter, but can make darks look faded). Biz also has sodium silicate, which I believe softens water and protects the metal components of the washer from corrosion. But laundry detergent can have that too. I have tried both, and like both, but would only use biz in light colored loads. They both are wonderful for odors. But I find that to get whites really white, you need to soak the garments in biz or oxi in the hottest water that the fabric can stand, and let is soak for bit, I think oxi is ineffective after 6 hours when mixed in water, so if the stains or dinginess persists, you can make new soaking solution, you can soak fabrics in oxi for days. Adding it to the washer consistently is a great way to defend against dinginess too. I only use baby or free oxi, to avoid fragrances and unneeded ingredients. Also oxiclean has a comparable product to biz, white revive powder, it has enzymes and oba's. Many members here buy a more pure version of oxygen bleach, I believe oxiclean is only 50-65% strength, with added fillers, while other brands are 95%.

I have a bad cold so I hope this helps, and makes any sense at all.

Both products contain sodium carbonate, which is essentially a detergent base. You might try reducing the laundry detergent dose when you add BIZ or Oxi. I have to reduce the detergent dose when I've pre-treated several of hubby's shirt collars, or else there are lots of suds.

Oxi is my go-to for prewash. I use about 1 tsp. and decrease the amount of detergent in the main wash or there is too much suds, particularly with a hot wash or a small load. I buy vintage French cotton/linen towels which often have mildew smell and age discoloration when they arrive. A single profile wash usually makes the perfectly white and odor free. I had one set with a lot of mildew, which took 3 profile washes. I only soak overnight with Oxy if there are very old stains in cocktail napkins that have been laundered many times. I've even had luck with that.

Biz Powder is better than Oxy Clean. I use it along with the "normal" amount of my detergent (Method or Wisk) all the time in my compact front loader. 1/4 cup dissolved in a 1/2 cup of hot water poured directly into the drum before I add the clothes or linens. As an added bonus it deodorizes better than any other additive that I've tried (Fabreze, Baking Soda, Borax, Washing Soda) and does not add any sudsing. However, I don't use it for towels. They need to be disinfected with liquid bleach.

I will second that. Biz will out clean oxy any day. No sudsing issues in my FL'er. Accept no substitutes.

MRB

I'm quite surprised that most people prefer Biz - for me personally it doesn't seem to do much, even with an overnight soak. I recently had some dingy office kitchen towels I took home to experiment on, and Oxiclean got them stark white while Biz with added sodium percarbonate left some stains and overall dinginess. I guess the type of stain also matters though.

Biz vs Oxi depends on what type staining, due to enzymes vs bleach formulas. Also, Biz won't function in HOT water because the heat kills the enzymes. I notice Biz pkge directions say warm and don't mention HOT water, for that reason.

Cavimum, I don't understand about hot water and enzymes. First, how hot is HOT to be to kill the enzymes and would the enzymes in detergents be killed also? On my box of Biz instructions indicates soaking in warm water, did not see anything about a hot wash.

If you use hot water with Biz, wouldn't it only make the enzymes not work and not the other ingredients?

I posted a question on the Biz Facebook page yesterday asking can it be used with hot water or should it only be used with warm or cold. Here is their response ---

Biz Stain Fighter Hi Linda! Biz is designed to work in all temperatures of water, but hot water actually works best to activate the enzymes. Please let us know if you have any other questions. Thank you for using Biz!

I also emailed Biz so will see what corporate says ;)

That's interesting, maylingmom. Maybe I had it backwards.

"On my box of Biz instructions indicates soaking in warm water, did not see anything about a hot wash." This is one of the reasons I hesitate to use it in a HOT wash and figured it would affect the performance.

Actually I don't think you have it backwards, but I thought it would be interesting to see what Biz said.

High temps historically degraded enzyme performance. Way back in the day when Kenmore came out with a designated Enzyme Soak cycle, warm was the temp of choice, or cold for protein/blood stains. The thing is, machines nowadays with restricted temperatures are unlikely to get hot enough to be a problem except on a heated Sanitary or Heavy Duty type of cycle.

Dadoes, I wondered about detergents. I looked on product safety for the ingredients of the various Tide detergents and most have enzymes. Tide with Oxi does not. Do you know if the directions on the boxes say warm water?

Just found this which provides some information on the ingredients in detergents. The section on enzymes says

"Most enzymes are destroyed by high temperatures, i.e. above 60 °C. They are usually most effective at warm water temperatures (e.g. 40 °C), however some enzymes are best for use in cold water. " 60 degrees C converts to 140 degrees F. I have a Speed Queen and my hot water heater is 120 -125. So if I understand this correctly, the enzymes would not be killed in my machine. Here's the link for the whole booklet http://www.washwise.org.au/_documents/Laundry%20detergent%20ingredients%20info%20sheet.pdf

Just got the email from Biz corporate. Here it is.

Dear Linda

Thank you for your message. We appreciate you taking the
time to contact us regarding Biz.

We hope you saw our response to your question on our
Facebook page. Biz is designed to work in
all temperatures of water, but hot water actually works best to activate the
enzymes. Please let us know if you have any other questions. Thank you for using
Biz!

Sincerely,

Laura
Schneide

Consumer Relations Manager

8790 Beckett Road, West Chester,
Ohio 45069

If I am reading both responses correctly, they give conflicting answers? Or am I having a senior moment? (gah)

What I understood from Biz was that hot water activates the enzymes. However in my own research it seems the temps shouldn't go above 60 °C (140 degrees F) or it will kill the enzymes. So I guess as long as it isn't above 140 it should be ok.

Thanks. Since the definition of "hot" water various throughout the laundry and machine industry, from 100°F - 140°F things are quite confusing. HOT on my machine is 140°F, which is why enzymes are useless to until that point, and I go for Oxi bleach. Laundry used to be so simple. LOL

I should mention, there is a time to use the hottest setting on your washing machine, underwear,socks,bath towels,wash cloths . Sheets when some one has been sick.

In this case I am not worried about enzymes or stain removal, So I use 3/4 cup Arm and Hammer washing soda with any good detergent. The high PH 11 helps to kill germs and fungus.

If the load is all whites detergent and good old chlorine bleach as oxygen bleach dose little to kill germs. I all ways buy bed sheets in white in the highest possible thread count in Egyptian or pima cotton and with mindful washing and drying a 500+ thread count set of sheets can out last cheaper sheets buy far. I have a set of 350 TC Egyptian cotton sheets that are used at least 8 weeks out of a year and they are at or near 20 years old. We change sheets each week and keep on hand 5 to 6 sets per bed so they are rotated. In the winter we use colored flannel unless some one is sick as the only way to kill germs in colored cloths is to boil them in our big pot with washing soda before putting them in the washer. I don't do this for a simple cold but a horrible flu bug, you bet I will.

Hey Jeff, you definitely know your way around the laundry room! Where do you buy White King booster ? Thought that was no longer made or maybe I’m thinking of white king detergent powder?

Oh and since this post is from a couple years ago, I’ll offer up the best thing as far as super blinding white results is the tide booster pods, hands down no contest these days. They are amazing but unfortunately the smell is terrible. Like a chemical factory. Therefore, they only get used around here for things that need serious stain removal.

White King laundry booster / water softer is still around, Winco , food 4 less and Safeway has it around here.

I have never tried the Tide booster pods, are they powder or liquid inside the pod?

Goraman. Tide Boosters are all powder. Sodium percarbonate and sodium carbonate, a bleach activator i think and i cant remember what else. . They are better than Oxiclean.

Are you using your mix above on colors and darks? Seems more appropriate for whites and lights...but what do I know.

As for a good water softener..I think many of us here use the best...STPP.

Your right enzymes don't die...its just been a figure of speech. They become inactive at around 140F. Hitting their best at about 120F.

I strongly disagree about high thread counts in sheets making for a better sheet...thread count is a gimmick. Another thing although Egyptian cotton sheets are said to be the best we need to remember any cotton grown in Egypt can carry the label **Egyption cotton**, but Egypt grows poor quality cotton just as it grows high quality cotton.

I wash all of my sheets which are vintage, 100% long staple cotton, percale weave, all white in very hot water. They must be 60+ years old, in mint (like new) condition and whiter than the word white.

I never use washing soda along with a powdered detergent. ..way too much carbonates which can be problematic rinsing out... causing stiff, scratchy, fabrics. It also causes yellowing expecially if heat is applied such as from the dryer or iron. we need to practice caution along with good laundry practices. Both high PH and hot water are aggressive....the more aggressive the faster our textiles will age and wear out.

Can i presoak a vintage cotton item in the tide booster? If yes what temp water and how long?

If the garment is white yes...be sure to pre disolve booster..start with cool water especially if there are stains.

Here is fabric. It photographs nice but it is yellow and dingy IRL, no stains. 100 cotton

I would try Clorox 2.

I'd be sure to use cool water and a oxygen bleach blend without a bleach activator which leaves out the Tide booster.

50/50 Biz & Oxy?

Can't remember if either have a bleach activator (lordy I'm slipping). Thing is you don't want that lovely fabric to fade. Heat and oxygen bleach or bleach activator and oxygen bleach can cause fading....why not do a first soak in cool water with only laundry detergent.

Ok. So appreciate your k iwledge and help. Happy Valentines day

Well I used all the magic tricks and it didn’t whiten background. However I think b/g is meant to be a vanilla ice cream white. Here is a pic next to a white tablecloth and one of fabric alone. The b/g looks much whiter in my picture than IRL. Seller didn’t mean to deceive, my expectation was white. No biggie, I can still use it, no big money at stake, happy.

Just wanted to close loop since I used Biz vs Oxy. But I do apologize for hijacking thread. My takeaway is that either product will help but not in my case since material wasn’t dingy as I initially thought.

This is a compromise, the back ground may not have been snow white from day one even before the printed pattern was added. I would first try soaking this in Ariel also a PG product, the bag is blue and green and made for white cloths, it is very genital on colors but whitens well after soaking warm water.

That may have been printed on natural cotton not bleached cotton, so it is not dingy but not eye popping snow white like we are used to seeing today.

That is part of the charm of vintage cotton, your first concern should be DO NO HARM.

I have to comment on something I have noticed as a 52 year old guy, The original Tide powder of the late 70's and 80's didn't need help removing stains, The Ariel powder used in Pakistan and the middle East dose not need help removing stains.

This is not conjecture but a fact, The first thing I noticed when in Islamabad that to spite filthy conditions with unclean water everyones cloths where brilliant and smelled clean. The water there is pumped from ditches into a huge tank above the roof weekly, sometimes it smells bad and drinking it won't just make you sick it will kill you even if you are from there. It has to be treated and boiled before drinking or cooking with it.

It is gravity fed into a old washing machine and a scoop of Ariel dose more work than a whole box of our Tide! It leaves the dirtiest cloths on earth ,sweat, dirt, cooking oil,spices just to name a few, clean white and smelling fresh and sweet.

The laundry soaps we get are not the same formula as in the U.K. or any where else in the world. Same with Persil.

The stuff we get is very neutered, we pay more for crap and boast how good crap is because we have never known any different.

There is no really good cleaning products available in the U.S.A.

Some are just worse than others.

Hi, Ann Christine "TheLinenLady' - the PH balance of Oxy is MUCH HIGHER than BIZ - if going to resort to chemicals to restore your 'linens' please, please rinse with white vinegar in a final ' rinse' - about 2 cups for most top or front loaders ( will also keep your washing machine running well) - YES takes two cycles - one to remove the soaking agent BIZ and one to completely rinse away the soaking agent - DO NOT ADD DETERGENT TO ANY OF THE WASHINGS!! . . .

Have been restoring and archiving linens, gargents and miscellanious textiles for over 3 decades -

bottom line - treat your textiles like your hair - genle soap, and rinse, rinse, rinse ( & yes a white vinegar wash will leave your hair very shiny and soft) . . . . .

My personal professional opinion - AVOID OXY Clean use natural methods - but if if you really do not care about the life span of your textiles use dishwasher dertergent ( about the same PH as OxyClean) cleaper but like Oxy will 'eat' the textile fibers - so do not complain when your favorite tablecloth or blouse 'shatters' - or falls aparat -

Given a little time and Love - most textiles can be gently restored and serve a beautiful long life.

Smiles,

Ann Christine, TheLinenLady