Mama, you're not alone. For no apparent reason I just bought Tide powder w/bleach (he) because I don't have it and everyone raves about it here (well mostly you and Larsi). It's like the 52 load size, which should last me 10 life times. Oh I also picked up some Arm & Hammer with oxi just for the smell of that classic laundry soap smell. I still have so many others to use.

My name is George and I'm a laundry freak.

Oh George Tide with Bleach powder is a fantastic detergent for whites and lights, I wouldn't use it on darks or colors because of the Sodium percarbonate though.....and the Arm &Hammer with Oxi powder I also like the scent and it does a good job on whites also but will require hot water to activate the oxi as it doesn't have an activator like Tide/bleach....actually since it doesn't have an activator you could use it on colors if you use warm instead of hot...see how I ramble lol.

By the way...sometime last summer you bought new white sheets...how have they held up? Are you still using them?

That's why I love you Mama, I love reading what you have to say. Ramble all you want, I'm listening (reading).

No I won't use the Tide powder w/bleach or A&H w/oxi on colors either.

I have plenty of appropriate "color" suitable detergents.

The sheets are awesome. Still WHITE as ever and soft. Whites always get hot and sometimes I'll use the Allergen option that brings the water temp. up to 130F.

I just got two more STPP 1 lb. bags from Amazon this week.

George if your reordering STPP than you apparently like it...glad its working out for you. I will also be ordering soon myself, I had a new 20 pound bag but donated 20 pounds of Surf detergent mixed with 10 pounds STPP to the Animal Shelter, so I'm running low. With my water hog washer it uses much more of the product so supply doesn't last long. I think when I premix it with powder detergents it goes farther. I think its Dadoes that uses a 1 to 2 or 1 to 1 mixture..I try to do the premixes of 1 part stpp to 2 parts detergent and that seems to work great....I know years ago some detergents had 50% STPP in the mix.

Glad your sheets were a win...I had no doubt you would keep them white...

Update: washed my bath towels lastnight with Sunlight, 1 oz Sodium percarbonate, and STPP, water temp 132 deg f....I used Downy Free and after drying I put some lemon essential oil on an old clean cloth and tumbled No Heat for 10 minutes. The towels are still white lol..they look and feel soft and fluffy. They smell like fresh crisp lemon. So this worked nicely at least on towels that had no tattle tale grey.

This morning I washed a load of jeans; water temp 125deg f..with Sears Plus Powder and STPP.....in the rinse I added just about 2 Tablespoons Members Mark FS. Again the jeans are clean and smell fresh with just the right amount of softness, I don't like overly softened jeans.

Currently I have black jeans that hubs wears to work, (retired but works) he works at a auto parts so often gets grease and oil on his clothes, I did a warmish-more cool prewash with Sears powder. Now they are washing, water temp about 130 and I used Tandil Premium detergent liquid, and STPP. They just started agitation so it will be awhile. Stay tuned LOL

Just curious Mama......

Why did you donate the Surf? Did you not like it for some reason?.....I did see Sunlight the other day when I was in Big Lots, it's a huge box something like 120 loads for 10.99. I almost bought it but stepped away.

When I was in Walmart the other day I noticed small, a little over 1 lb bags, of "Roma" powdered detergent for .99, so I thought why not? Picked up a bag to try and even tho it does not say HE, it produces little suds in my Samsung VRT front loader. I love the smell, it's just a nice fresh clean scent. I'm not sure how it would work on heavily soiled clothes, I bought it to wash throw rugs with. I have stepped out of that box and washed a few other loads and will say I am surprised that it does work well. I washed my sheets in it, I am pretty sure if I had an outdoor clothes line that day... that when I crawled into bed that night it would of taken me back to childhood on a freshly washed sheet day......

Debbie, I donated the Surf because I can not tolorate the scent, every one of the Surf flavors IMO reek to the high heavens...I can't believe how much Surf I had, I got rid of a bunch not to long ago thinking I was done, but more boxes were hiding in the closet. I know some people like it, but I just gag on the scent and I'm not that sensitive to scents.

I'm surpr ised the Roma isn't giving you a ton of suds, but good it isn't...I love the fresh light scent of Roma and it does a fair job of cleaning, by the way if STPP is added to it. It will really perform. I can almost imagine sheets washed in Roma and hung out on the line would be lovely for sure..have you ever used Foca?

Thanks for the reply Mama..... I understand the scent bothering you, we all have certain scents that do that. I have tried Foca in the past but cannot remember if I liked it or not or even what it smelled like. I have not seen it in a store in my area lately, or else I haven't noticed it. I have been adding STPP to the Roma and I have been surprised at it's performance. I do not have a huge stash that anywhere near compares to you, I have.... Wind Fresh, HE Tide Powder w/bleach (getting really hard to find here) , HE Liquid Tide, HE Liquid Gain, HE Liquid Purex in Rain Fresh scent and the Roma. Weird tho... with the liquid Tide and Gain, they are leaving a residue behind in the bottom of the dispenser, it doesn't completely rinse out when the washer fills. This just started so it's puzzling to me and I don't like it, so I'm adding it directly to the drum now.

Once I get burned by a detergent, I don't go back to it. I used to use Arm and Hammer until the regular detergent bleached my clothes. A couple of expensive new Polo shirts that belonged to my son and a few articles that were mine were ruined. I had to go to the expense of sending in the bottle and the clothes to the company and in the end they only reimbursed me $50. They said there was a mixup in the bottling plant and the blends got mixed up somehow on a line. I wonder how many other people they had to reimburse a pittance.

Mama - my detergent buying freeze means I've dug through my stash often lately. It's kind of fun to see what I've forgotten :). It's been kind of fun.

Sandy, you really stuck it out,not buying any new detergent, such willpower LOL. Yes it is fun, almost like I was set free in a detergent isle and allowed to test different detergents. Haha