Larsi how did the towels come out? The STPP should have gone a long way helping the fab with its lack of enzymes. yes I remember Fresh Start, I seen these in a grocery store Shop and Save save, I stopped there today since I was in the area but there were none. Let us know how they work. Happy Birthday!

Hi Mama! I emailed you today too, check your mail :) The towels came out GREAT. I really do like STPP powder added to my laundry. I use one or two tablespoons of STPP per load, in addition to my regular detergent and some liquid fabric softener.

For those who like a VERY light scent after washing and drying, then these Fab packs/pods are perfect. The scent in the bag, is honestly not so great..but during the wash cycle and after drying, the scent is clean, light and just smells like "clean clothes"...which is probably ideally what we all strive for.

Sudsing was quite low, rinsing was almost as clear as my beloved Arm & Hammer 4in1 pods, and stains came out of my kitchen towels (I'm sure the STPP helped, as you said).

When I get your address, I'm adding a handful of these to the other goodie I have ready for you ;)

Larsi, I can't open your mail..lol my gmail is all messed up, you have to send a new letter for some reason it won't let me open mail that was sent thru the reply option..I really need a new email lol....and thank you I would like to try the fab. You all should be getting your packages in a few days, lol I live in a little country town, when it leaves this town finally, it heads to the city to be sorted...you would think this is the days of mail being delivered by horse..lol

How are you liking the Fab now after a few uses? Those One Shot had the best smell didn't they. I always liked the Fab that was lemon too and did use the Fab with fabric softener built in but I noticed on jeans after a few washings you have lint in the corner of the pockets it would be sticky/gummy. Know it had to be the softener cause it wasn't there with other detergent.

Did I hear some say Oh Fab I'm Glad, There's Lemon Freshened Borax in You!!! Ohhh I LOVED that stuff.

LOL Mamapinky!

@sparky823....I am liking the Fab fresh packs A LOT. They are very low sudsing and rinse very clear and quick! While there are no enzymes in them, they seem to clean very well, although I have been adding 1-2 tablespoons of STPP powder to each load! Ahhhhh, Fab 1 shot smelled the best I have ever smelled for detergent. I used them for years and years! The last time I remember being able to buy them at a grocery store or big item store was around 1994/1995. I sure wish they still made them!

I am always amazed with all the horrendous scents offered for laundry, why some company does not make a lemon, especially a Meyer Lemon scented detergent and softener. I think anything lemon scented or flavoured is amazing!!

Omg Larsi I feel the exact same way about lemon...lemon has a fresh clean smell, but no they have to make Hawaiian sand flowers, apple butter mango, lay me on the roof top nightbloom, cotton candy kisses, twilight night moves, and street walker special...NO LEMON anywhere. P&G would see sales skyrocket if only they would give me Love me Lemon......haha

Don't leave out the freakin sweet tart scented detergent and softener. YES That would be Tide and Downy in my opinion! Lemon just smells clean--but I have smelled a few versions of lemon stuff like liquid hand soap or dish liquid that was lemon in name only.

Larsi: I know you mostly use powder but I thought you might like this just because the guy give tips on our front load machines.

Go to appliancedoctorswi.com

Then click on smelly washer video. There are also tips listed about the machines down below on the home paper below videos. Just thought it was all interesting and you might enjoy the info.

sparky823...This video reinforces my beliefs on mainly using powder detergents, almost all HOT washes, and why when I am done washing for the day...I remove my detergent tray and rinse with hot, hot water, wipe the rubber door seal in & out and leave the washer door fully open! I do not re-install the detergent tray until the next time I do a wash (I let it sit upright and dry in the laundry room sink). Been using a front loader for over 20 years, and NEVER mold, mildew, slime, buildup or ickies!!!

Lay Me On The Rooftop Nightbloom? OMG, I'm laughing for the first time this week. Thank you, mam.

LOl..hi Pat, have you been hiding? I haven't seen much of you since you said you would never log in here again while at work lol.

Oh my! Mamapinky how flippin hysterical!!!!! Street walker Special and Lay me on the rooftop Nightbloom-you should write professionally. That's just funny as it gets!!

Thanks Jean. I do not think any store sells them. I bought them on Amazon dot com, but it seems some online janitorial supplies sell them too. They also sell Ajax detergent, which I have not seen or smelled in ages!!! My Gramma liked Ajax laundry soap many, many moons ago!!! Good luck with the Fab packs!!! I still think I like my Arm & Hammer 4in1 powder packs better, but the Fab packs smell a tad better!! :)

Larsi I love the A&H 4 in 1 paks they clean great and the scent is awesome...as you may know dog urine is one of the scents almost impossiable to neutralize. .I use washable potty pads under the disposable ones for my tiny dog at night, it always ends up leaking onto the washables, 2 times a week these go to the laundramat to be washed, I use several large buckets 5 pounds that I have them soaking in until wash day, I've been washing them in the 4 in 1 paks and line dry,omg they smell so fresh and clean you would never know a dog pee'd on them. Usually I always think I smell urine in them, but no more...I love them. I have a small spot on hubs bedroom floor carpet ( he insists on carpet in there) that the dog pee'd on.. no one can smell it but I do..I'm going to disolve the 4 in 1, pour it on the spot, let it soak awhile and shop vac it up, I bet it will work. Lol.

Add a dissolved pac to your steam cleaner and do the whole bedroom. Be sure to rinse with 1/2 to 1 cup white vinegar added to steamer rinse tank. If not when the soap dries in the carpet it just causes it to catch dirt quicker and be nasty in no time. The vinegar will not smell!!!

Sparky..I just never know when your joking...for real I can steam clean with laundry detergent? Who would of thunk..lol

I suppose a steam cleaner is one of those devices that spray water on the carpet and vacuum it up in one go? Because, to me, a steam cleaner you fill with water and it then generates hot, high-pressure steam (like my Karcher).

My steam cleaner is called Hoover carpet steam cleaner. Fill with hot water, mine has no onboard heater so once its filled with hot tap water it cools down within minutes, no steam involved with mine.Yet it carries the word Steam, it should be called Hot water extracting carpet cleaner.

Larsi the fab pods are very nice..I washed my personal sheets last night I used 2 in a full load I really like them, and they have a nice smell..I didn't use fabric softener, I never use it on sheets. ( and I did not soak lol) this morning I finished the whites that were soaking and tried the Miele fsbric softener, I LOVE it, it made everything soft without a waxy feel and left alight pleasant smell..thank you again Larsi...much appricated.

Whirlpool, this is mine, it does say hot water extractor.

Oh yeah you can use it just make sure it is dissolved good or even put through a strainer before adding to tank of cleaning water.

I have used Tide back when you could like the smell. I randomly got to talking to a lady several years ago in a store and she said she owned a house cleaning business. We then got on the subject of vacuuming and cleaning carpet. She said all they used to clean(steam/hot water?)carpet was liquid Cascade. I was so surprised at the moment I didnt even ask her how much though. I did ask if it didnt bleach it out and she said No. I told her I always used white vinegar to rinse mine(makes it fluffy). I wouldn't try the Cascade if the carpet was dark but I have added oxi to the water and it helps clean it especially if you have light carpet. But do the vinegar rinse--you will not believe what a difference it makes in carpet.

Remind me to lay Pergo laminate floors in livingroom, diningroom, and kitchen in my next life, please, so I can't use a steam cleaner to keep my floors clean. Forget that we have hardwood floors in the bedrooms and hall. Just get Pergo flooors and remind me to almarry someone who thinks you keep whatever frigging floors you have for a frigging LIFETIME.

Awww Pat are you having a bad day? You lost me here, of course you can use a carpet cleaner to clean your carpeting

Pat are you saying you have carpet and you want it replaced but hubs doesnt?? I think that's what I'm getting.....crap I hope I didn't say the wrong thing

mam, I am bemoaning the fact that we laid (layed?) laminate flooring 200 years ago when we moved into this house and one should not use steam to clean laminate or it may buckle. I'm just being my old sarcastic self and asking you to remind me to do it again in my next life because it makes it hard to get my floors clean. Ya know?

Ohhh now I understand...sometimes I'm thick brained. But yes Pat I will remind you..lol.I planned on laying laminate in the spring, we still have carpet in hubs bedroom and the family room....NOTHING worse for a kid with asthma than carpet....sears comes every 4 months to shampoo the livingroom and I vacume daily, but still. And its not like I can just order it done, its something I have to save at least part of the bill so my monthly payment isnt too hurtful...its tough raising 2 boys and the care of a seriously ill teenage daughter. But were doing something this spring...lol

I understand getting it cleaned and the asthma, but on the other hand, I would back off a bit(time wise) because all of the cleaning and the damping the pad leads to so much mold etc so that is really worse than dirt. Unless they use a dry system. I am not familiar with Sears system and cleaning. Hope you have a really good Vacuum with Hepa filter or maybe a Rainbow or Thermax. Dealing with asthma is something else. I can't believe you can have all of the detergents in your house--especially that awful Persil. When my son was younger he couldn't even go around the laundry or candle isle in a store. In fact we have been in a store and just walk by someone that had taken a bath in perfume and in a few minutes he was wheezing and well you know how it is. Plus--I am not being a smart-*** about this, just concerned.

mama, please go into the "Cleaning Tips" forum on GardenWeb and read about all the cleaning trouble people with laminate floors have had or are having before you do get laminate. Do consider hardwood if it is comparable in price. I'm learning that I need to spray my floor with a spray bottle of water and Dawn and then scrub that portion with a micorfiber mop. I was using a bucket of cleaner and water and a sponge mop until I found out why my floors are so dull and dangerously too wet.

I think you'll like the Cleaning Tips forum anyway.

Pat

I thought with either laminate or hardwood you use as little water as possible?

Good advice Sparky, I never thought of shampooing rugs in that way, as the mold and such.

As for the detergents lol..I try to transfer most powders into large containers..my cousin saves me cat litter buckets thst I've used for huge boxes like sears, and large bags of Foca..all the other boxes get taped closed with mailing tape and put into those huge space saving bags that you let the air out of with a vacume, and stored in the hall closet. I keep some of each out in canning jars or other type jars with lids...I do wash Tims clothes with Chips ad they share a room and a closet, not to mention they are brothers and hug a lot..the lung doctor at children's hospital tried to tell me the detergent is not a trigger for Chip..nor is my cleaning supplies or perfume. But how do they know that is what I'd like to know. I forgot to tell you Sparky you mentioned vinigar for rinsing the carpets, I tried shampooing with it in the past and it didn't do half bad.I will cancell carpet cleaning in October lol.

Thank you Pat, I guess I better figure some affordable flooring before spring because I would rather have laundry backed up than have dirty floors that's my biggest OCD area FLOORS..lol.

Well there are just so many triggers that I just never took a chance. I've even seen it come on in the middle of the night while he was asleep. Then I would just get up and fix a treatment and give it while he slept. Dr said that was even better cause while sleeping, although wheezing/coughing he breathes in more of that than when he was awake. It wouldn't be long after the treatment and he would sound lots better. No idea what brought those on . Then you don't sleep anymore that night for listening to make sure all is ok and that it doesn't come back later(but that was ok too). Anyone who has never dealt with it has no idea.

Sparky, I hear ya...chip seems to have less attacks in the summer if he remains indoors in the A/C ..its a dramitic difference..just as fall is about to hit in pennsylvania until summer is underway around end of june he jumps to being on the neb machine every 3 to 4 hours round the clock with steroid ( oral) at least once a month. Last year from mid september till end of june he was hospitalized 11 times, average days in hospital about 4 days each time..the doctors said his trigger is not perfumes or dyes or chemicals from laundry and cleaning supplies, but from damp humid conditions and molds. Things there's no escapeing..our home was tested we show at or below normal range for molds...I never knew every house has some sort of mold. He also tests in the high range for dust mites, grasses, but on the average low side for animial pet dander. The doctor told me there is no known cause for children being born with asthma, but some not all triggers can be avoided.chip can't avoid damp humid conditions..that's the problem .your right Sparky anyone that hasn't dealt with it has no idea. Hopefully as chip grows he may have less attacks, but there's no way of knowing until the time comes.

The true heroes of this world are Moms like you guys. I'm always knocked out of feeling sorry for myself when I hear stories of maternal sacrifice like yours. Stay well.

Aww Pat, what a nice thing to say...you know its the children that are the true heros, when I watch little chip struggle to breath and my little girl fight to over come dibilatating pain...I know who the real heros are..I'm just one of the lucky ones to be so blessed to be trusted with the care of them.

Mamapinky....as a Laundress, Mother, Grandma, Wife and an all around funny, beautiful person, I tip my hat to you! It is very obvious you are good people, and I am so happy I've gotten "to know" you!!!

Awwww, thank you Larsi, I'm also happy I got "to know" you. Little do you know that there have been times that the day was rough so to speak and I would log in and there you were with that great personality shinning thru, making me laugh...actually I have to say everyone in this laundry room is a great group of people, and I'm glad to be part of this family. Ok enough of the mush, hahaha!!!

Larsi I used the Miele fabric softener on my daughters sheets last night, she says tell Larsi thank you...she loved it.