Best detergent for dark colors and blacks?
Gary
7 years ago
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larsi_gw
7 years agowekick
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Detergent for Darks
Comments (23)I've always used CHEER ULTRA STAY COLORFUL powder for our darks because it has no OBs. Always use warm water (cannot imagine washing ANYTHING in cold water). It is sudsy in my topload but I do extra rinses when I use it. I've also used Wisk and Tide Ultra Stain Release liquids on my darks and don't notice any fading. I think it was Cavimum who once pointed out that fading is going to happen over time no matter what detergent you use. Some day I'll run out of my huge box of Cheer and by then I hope Cheer makes a liquid without OBs also. I have also used this Cheer on other laundry because I love the idea of zero OBs....See MoreBest non-fading soap/detergent?
Comments (22)I use either All Free and Clear or Cheer Free. Finding Cheer isnt always easy for me; it seems Tide has a monopoly on the market in my neighborhood. Most of the time I can only get All Free and Clear. I found Tide was the worstÂall of their detergents really faded my clothes--fast. I found Tide HE takes the dye off dark clothes, but leaves the dirt and stains on lights like towels and sheets. Years ago I took a textile class, the professor was adamant we NOT use Woolite--she said the stuff was caustic for fibers. I noticed since I stopped using detergents with perfumes and dyes my clothes don't fade as much. Allergies and psoriasis forced me to switch to perfume and dye free detergent; less fading of my clothing was an unexpected bonus. I live in black: black jeans; black t-shirts; black slacks; black jackets; black warm-up suits; black sock; black everything. If itÂs not black, itÂs navy blue. I have at least 2 dozen black t-shirts and 12 pair of black jeans in regular circulation--and a couple dozen "faded" ones for back-up. Because I wear so much black, fading is very noticeable to me. IÂm wearing a pair of deep (nearly black) navy jeans right now. IÂve washed them 4 or 5 of times (in All Free and Clear), yet they are still so dark you would think they were brand new. I admit it took me awhile to get use to the absence of perfume. I used scented detergent and fabric softener for years; I associated the artificial scent with "cleanliness"Âwhen I was forced to make the switch I really missed the clean "smell" of my laundry:( My "No Fade" Laundry Routine: (*I understand I have the luxury of time now that my kids are grown and I no longer work--not everyone has such luxury and/or the desire to put this much energy into the task of laundry.) 1) I wash my darks inside out. 2) I do not over load the machine; I only fill my machine one-half to three-fourths capacity. I ignore what the manufacture says about capacity, soak six pair of jeans in water and see for yourself how heavy they get. Sure, the machine can handle more than six pair of soaking wet jeans, but friction destroys fiber--itÂs the jeans that cannot handle the weight and friction of six pair of jeans. I place items loosely in the tub so nothing is balled up. 3) I Measure! Measure! Measure! I use the correct amount of detergent for the load; too much detergent will cause fading. 4) I shake each garment out before I place it in the dryer; this allows for more even drying as nothing is balled up, twisted up, or knotted up. 5) I do not over dry; I stop the machine before cycle is up and remove clothing when there is just a tad bit of moisture in the fabric and hang everything up dry the rest of way. Note 1: Mineral content in water will make clothes fade. If you have "hard" water a cup of vinegar added to the wash cycle will dissolve the minerals if you donÂt have a water softener or if you water isnÂt "hard" enough to justify the expense of a water softener. But a cup of vinegar is for a full load, using a standard agitator machine; I donÂt know how much vinegar to use in a FL or HE TL machine. Note 2: ShrinkageÂmy former textile profession told me most shrinkage of natural fibers occurs when clothing sits in the residual heat in dryer after the cycle is finished; so if time constraints donÂt allow you to remove clothing just before the cycle is complete; try to remove and cool clothing as soon as the cycle ends....See MorePerwoll for Blacks and Darks Liquid Detergent Question
Comments (6)@rococogurl: Thank you! it sounds like you have great success with a variety of applications which bodes well for me. When you mention stitching on jeans, does the stitching happen to be white or just a lighter color than the jeans? My stitching is BRIGHT white, and IâÂÂm concerned that even a bit of dulling would affect it negatively. @whirlpool: I appreciate the information on the wash cycle. I will do as you suggested! Most days the soiling we're dealing with is from saliva and occasionally some dental products which range so widely in make-up that I've given up trying to match specific enzymes to them. Sometimes we might have some specs of blood on us as well. Tide HE liquid with Bleach alternative has done a good job in the past with cleansing (just not such a good job keeping material looking new) which is why IâÂÂm looking to switch (Want to start out on the right foot ⦠weâÂÂre buying new scrubs) SOOO⦠@whirpool and @rococogurl: should I consider using Persill color gel? Will it keep the black and navy looking as good (or nearly as good) as the Perwoll for Blacks and Darks while cleaning better (more enzymes)? Or feel free to suggest something entirely different based on the info IâÂÂve given....See MoreBest detergent for our new FL washer?
Comments (63)evegiven0, Darks are hard if one wants to keep them dark and remove grunginess. We just haven't come up with a perfect solution yet. Cheer only has the one enzyme as you've mentioned and a tiny bit of oxygen bleach--not enough to clean, just enough to denute chlorine in the water, so I tend to do the pre-wash, which usually cleans well. But when it's going to be *really* grungy laundry, I'll do things a little different. I'll use Tide liquid with Clorox 2 powder in a pre-wash with lengthy soak. Pre-mix in warm water for the Clorox 2 powder though, as it does have oxygen bleach and while it says it's safe for colors, it has left a splotch on colors for me in the past. But, this formula is my ace in the hole. Between the two products, the pre-wash and soak, then a main wash, I have had every grungy item come out spotless and odorless, minus an occassional faded spot--yes, darks can be a challenge at times. So if it's filthy darks that you wouldn't mind of if a splotch did happen, this works over here. I probably would omit the Clorox 2 powder if this was cherished darks. I haven't had much success with liquid Clorox 2. Some people really like it, but here, it doesn't give me reason to add it to my laundry loads. YMMV Other than that, regular Tide powder is very good. Use a warm/hot enough cycle, add some time to the cycle if possible, add a pre-wash if available. I really like Tide powder. The scent has been eye crossing lately--hoping that gets sorted out soon. In the meantime, I switched over to 'Mountain Spring' scent for these loads. But this too can fade precious darks over time, so we kind of have to make a decision: fading or clean....See Moreenduring
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agomorz8 - Washington Coast
7 years agoCavimum
7 years agoenduring
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7 years agoSalmo Trutta
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7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoGary
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7 years agoDebra Stalnaker
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