El...the ProCaps scent...reminds me of the liquid...but they have another scent that I can't put my finger on, but they smell great and do a great job also.

How did you like that Sunlight now that you've done a lot of loads with it? I don't hear mention of it anymore and it really is a great detergent, but a very light scent which might put some people off.

Thank you two for commenting! I am going to pick up the ProCaps tomorrow. I used some pods over our Spring Break and I liked them even though I was never sure if I should use 1 or 2. I haven't been too impressed by the Up and Up FS offerings, but the bottles are small. It's worth a shot. I need a break from AF Downy (older version) cut with unscented ;) I bought a couple of mega-bottles to last a good 6 months.

Mama, I like the Sunlight as a solid MOL detergent. It reminds me of Sears Ultra as it is OK on its own, but needs to be doctored to handle common kid stains. The smell is very old school, soft and pleasant with just a hint of lemon. I bet Mrs. Meyer's Lemon Verbena FS would really boost the fresh lemon smell.

I am also looking for something to help me with my 16 yo's soccer jersey (ALWAYS the soccer jerseys...) It has makeup on the collar, typical yellow stains in the pits coupled with purple spots (???) Of course the jersey is white. Nothing is budging these stains, and I'm not too sure bleach would help. Not to mention that this is a school jersey has been used for a few years. Bleach might get some of it TOO white.

elcamino...Try the new Tide Odor Rescue Booster pods (formerly Victory Boost). They are little stain and cleaning Ninjas...and they smell AMAZING!!

If your using a full fill TL. 2 pods a FL 1 pod.

Thank you!

Thank you for the recommendations! I have used the PowerCaps twice, and the first time, I found the scent strong and off-putting but very different from liquid Persil. The second time, I used the PowerCaps with Downy Odor Defense beads and old AF FS, because I had sports clothes, uniforms and my son's evil socks in the same load (out of sheer necessity...I usually don't use LFS on sports clothes) and everything came out clean and light smelling. Pleasant even!

The powercaps have a sweet-woodsy scent. Throw in some patchouli and you would have a fantastic early-70's men's cologne. I didn't have Spring Bloom, but the PowerCaps and pre "Fabric Protect" (god that stuff is awful) AF do go well together. The PowerCaps, STPP and Biz got my kids white button-down uniform shirts sparkly white, but the dinner-Sloppy Joe sauce spatters did not come out of my white jeans (had to use LCB for that). Mama, I do believe this stuff is on par with Tide w/bleach powder, but it may be too fragrant for linens.

I also bought the Tide Brights+White Rescue (they didn't have Odor Defense pods), and then I got mad at P&G because if this stuff is so great, it should be in regular Tide for as much as they charge for that stuff. What is your take on these pods?

The Tide bleach boosters are terrific at whitening. I wouldn't want it in all detergent as its best used in whites and lights, ya I know COLOR SAFE, but its a bleach, no it won't strip the color, but give it enough hot water and time and it will cause fading. this is something I think the Europeans have long understood, yet Americans can't seem to read past the *color safe* label. it probably won't cause much problems in cool water, but use hot and its a different story.

I like these things if I'm not using a WHITES detergent, but if I'm us ing Tide with Bleach powder I don't see the sense as the sodium percarbonate and enzymes are already in it....just give it the proper water temp and time and there you go.

As far as odor control products, these claims confuse me, are they neutralizing the odor or covering it up with perfumed products? I haven't figured that out. I do know, get rid ofthe source of the odor and the odor will also be gone. Maybe I'm just too analytical or picky...but if I have lets say a sweaty shirt I want rid of the sweat, I ddon't want to just neutralize or cover the odor up.

El, did you do a prewash on the white jeans with the sloppy joe? this type of stain requires a cool prewash before going into a hot bath..if I only have one pieceof clothing or two I will do this in the sink instead of filling the machine. Than when it goes in the wash of hot water it will require time, like a nice soak to allow the enzymes to remove it.

A word about chlorine bleach. .it isn't exactly a stain removing product...it will also bleach the color out of stains giving the impression the stain is gone, than after a wash or two or the light hits it just right you will notice a spot there where the stain was, if this happens than you know the stain remained and the color was just bleached out..by than its to late.

Good info, MamaP. I think the reason the Boost pods are good for odor control is due to the additional enzymes and sodium percarbonate, which does have some disinfecting properties (not as strong as LCB). A lot of odor is caused by bacteria so if that is killed by the oxygen bleach, bye bye smell.

So true Alex...that's why its recommended work out clothes get a quick cool prewash as soon as you take them off. Sweat has no scent..but as soon as bacteria grows on it, stinky. If someone just went to the gym wearing fresh clean clothes and as soon as they start to sweat there's an odor..its not from their sweat from that moment..workout clothes that still have sweat in them will stink as soon as they get wet. if you toss sweat-y clothes in the hamper till wash day the bacteria grows and mutiplys..causing odors that may never come out. sure they may smell fine out of the machine..until the instant they get wet. Wicking fabric most expecially needs a prewash even if its just swishing them around in cool water in a sink with a tad bit of detergent.

Alex...ban me...I talk to much

Mama, I was reading your post while wearing my workout clothes. I promptly sent them through a pre-wash...great advice. Also, I'm not sure if I should keep the Tide pods or not, because using them with Tide plus bleach seems redundant, and I wouldn't want to use them with colors. Regarding the Downy Odor Defense, I too think it is probably a cover-up product, but I thought it might help cover the disinfectant smell of the bacteria-killing products I wash with. My son's socks did smell like normal clothes when they came out of the dryer, and they had the same soft feel that the rest of my clothes did.

What on earth am I going to do when my kids move out? I may just have to volunteer to do laundry for the families around me...they already think I'm crazy.

I have changed my view on persils pro caps scents. While I do like it, I have found that it reminds me of men's cologne, albeit a nice men's cologne, so I've just started using it exclusively on my husbands laundry. Don't like it on sheets or towels, too strong. On hubbys laundry it's perfect, he smells great! People have asked what he's wearing lol. He's like " oh something my wife gave me"

I agree. They smell like men's cologne. Downy AF (old) FS moderates the smell quite a bit.

El, I know what you mean, I use the Tide Bleach Boosters if I want to do a soak or if I'm in the mood to wash whites in a non whites detergent. Its just a waste to use them with something like Tide with Bleach powder. ..now I could see using them with Tide with Bleach Alternative liquid since there's no bleach in it.

Mama, I think that's what I'm going to do. Keep them in my "emergency" stash. Would you use these on vintage table linens? I have some that could use to be whitened a bit, and I know you have a good bit of experience with bed linen

Vintage linen can take a beating, I see no reason not to use the Tide bleach boosters on them. I would stear clear of chlorine bleach though. I have soaked many pieces of vintage linen in BIZ...which is about the same thing as the Tide boosters minus a bleach activator. II've had no ill effects, and to really get that whitening going on I use boiling water or near boiling. Only eexception would be if they have been embroiderd, gotta watch the temp than.

I would use the Tide boosters for sure.

Good advice on vintage linen. It's much more resistant to temperature than chemical. Just fine to boil them but best to steer clear of chlorine bleach. And don't underestimate the power of ultra hot water for whitening.

Yes I like blistering hot for vintage linen..but remember a cool prewash first. And the sun, hang them things in the sun if possible, the sun has great bleaching properties. Many years ago household linen was spread in the fields to lay under the sun all day,

Linen is extremely hardy, well vintage linen is, I doubt modern day linen like what's sold at RL is as hardy is vintage...the Tide boosters are not going to damage it.

I have seen linen that fell apart in the wash, but it was poorly stored and suffered dry rot. I'd advise to check for that by gently pulling on the fabric..if it tears its got the rot and its pretty much worthless. But a health piece of linen will withstand all most anything you put it thru. It does like to hold onto sodium carbonate though so rinse it well.

Mama, I think you just summed up the care of vintage linens in one post. I've bookmarked this.

Mama, RL does at least say on its website that a boil wash is just fine. That's far better than the multitude of textile producers saying to warm or, worse, cold wash only. I can appreciate that!

Thank You Alex I am surprised that RL endorses boil washing..very good.

As a side note I seen 100% linen in Walmarts fabric section and diaper cloth...this is new in my store..its not great linen and I don't want it but its a sight better than the junk at JoAnns fabric that's called linen...and the diaper cloth at 2.47 a yard is a steal.

I don't know what I will do if Cheer is discontinued. I have many boxes of original (non-HE, Larsi-scent) Tide powder and probably have a box of the large Cheer. If it's gone I'll probably have to go to an unscented or maybe Miele Color powder. I was actually in the Miele store today because my vacuum just stopped working. They are now selling laundry appliances and detergent, whereas previously they only dealt with the vacuums and floor care. They have both Miele detergents and a variety of Persil. When I go back to pick up my vacuum, I'll probably get some liquid Persil (euro). I've never tried it.

There should still be Cheer around even if its been discontinued..if you don't grab a box ..I have 11...80 load boxes and 2...120 load boxes, but the 120 load size isn't (he for both)...I'll of course share...but right now its still out there.

As I mentioned to AlexChicago yesterday, if P&G did in fact cancel Cheer powder, a lot of it will end up at Ollies, Big Lots and Amazon!

While never as popular as Tide powder, Cheer will be around for a while, even if discontinued.

DO NOT panic yet, but calmly start buying boxes and keep them in a COOL and DRY!!!! place. I have 3, maybe 5 years worth of Original, Original Scent Tide powder. You Cheer lovers will just have to do the same.

And when I mix my Tide with a 2:1 STPP mixture, the Tide powder goes even further and lasts longer (and works better)!!

Our decision not to move for a few years may have been influenced by my fear that the giant stash of detergents in our storage unit would be discovered when we started packing up.

El, one thing I was thinking about when I finially went to bed, detergent with OB's may change the hue of vintage linen although it does wash out..for anyone going to the time and effort to restore vintage linen, after the stain removal and whitening process is over I would rewash in an OB free detergent. Always add extra rinses for VL as like I mentioned it does easily trap sodium carbonate which over tine will cause yellowing. I also wouldn't machine dry it, linen is best air dried. And no FS.

@Alex Chicago, I burst out laughing when I read that. ;)

@Alex Chicago (Mitch how did you link Alex's name in green?). I almost peed reading that too. OMG, if most people could see what we have, we'd be committed!! HA!

@larsi_gw, I just select (run my cursor over) the username, and hit Command + C (at the same time) on my Mac. Then I type "@" and hit Command + V (at the same time) presto. The username becomes clickable, and I think the user gets a notification that I mentioned them.