osxaddict~ D/W det. will not eat up your clothes... I had heard this too, but tested it & it's not true. When I switched to a FL I wasn't sure how to get my DH's filthy work clothes clean as I had been used to using Dawn liquid in my conventional TL which worked great. So, I tested 3 different kinds of d/w det. (Cascade powder, Cascade Action Pacs & Electrosol tabs) on some denim I had in my sewing room, letting a piece set in a bowl of water w/ the det. over night... All 3 pieces of fabric were just as strong the next day as they were when I put them in. I realize 1 night doesn't equal 100+ washes, but I think if it was going to do something it would've shown some signs... Also the mixture was very concentrated, in a washer it would have more water mixed w/ it. Mara~ Have you ever used Oxi Clean? I use that on whites & lights, & my DH's work clothes & really like it. But, I also use the Cascade Action Pacs on my DH's work clothes & it really works good too. I've never actually put the Cascade powder in w/ clothes, I only use it to clean my washer periodically, I may have to try this w/ DH's greasy jeans. I also use the Sears det. w/ Oxi added... It's cheap & does a good job IMO. Good luck! Shannon :)

@ livebetter The HE version is not available in Cool Cotton, just Renewing Rain. I didn't like the scent at first either, it had funky and musty undertones. However, the last two bottles I've gone through have smelled much nicer- more flowery. I wonder if a bad batch of this stuff just made it through the supply chain, or maybe storing it under certain conditions causes the scent to change? Here is what I've noticed after using Tide HE Total Care after several washings. Fabrics feel more substantial - almost heavier - and fibers appear refreshed and less aged. I have also noticed deeper color returning to my dark washables that previously appeared slightly faded. There is definitely something to this product when it comes to keeping clothes looking their best. While the effects are noticeable after a single washing, you'll really start noticing the changes after washing several times. Two throw blankets that I've recently started washing in Tide HE w/ Bleach have come back to life. I used to wash these items in Charlie's Soap and various other green or natural products, which has taken its toll. The white areas are dingy grey and the colors appear to have faded. A few washings in Tide HE w/ Bleach has restored the white areas and made the colored areas more vibrant. Darker colors on the blanket also appear richer, perhaps due to the improved contrast when compared to the white areas. For those who have experienced unsatisfactory results with their green and natural products, there's still hope! Wash your items in a good quality detergent like Tide HE and a potent fabric softener like Downy and you will see your fabrics come back to life.

I used to use a variety of detergents with mixed results. Most of my clothes these days don't get as dirty as they used to. I went through stages where I had to wear dress shirts and had the ring-around-the collar issue and now it's mostly jeans and polo shirts and of course the normal other household laundry. I got to where I couldn't stand the stench in detergents so I tried most any unscented type. I'd buy the bargain brands at Only Deals and have a jug of Wisk for the dress shirts. Then I was getting Arm & Hammer so cheap. I essentially set a goal of 3-5¢ per load if possible and usually met it. Arm & Hammer was often on sale, and a rebate going and occasionally a coupon so I often would get money back for buying it. And often they'd have the unscented available. But I wasn't overly pleased with the cleaning of it so I had to use Borax, OxiClean, dishwasher detergent and the like and I figured out how much that was costing for the extra additives. A while back I kept reading the talk about powdered vs liquid detergents. I used to use powder but quit using them because they'd cake up into rocks in my basement and I don't have a super high amount of moisture there, I'm in Minnesota after all. But I decided to try some of Walmart's Great Value powder since I saw it had enzymes. I was pretty impressed. Didn't have to use as much of the additives, though I did use some. About 10¢ per load. But didn't always use the full amount recommended so it'd be cut back in cost a bit. In the 40 use box size I noticed I didn't have a problem of the caking I used to have but noticed this is more "granular" than "powdered" like the old stuff I was used to using. Then, about 2 years ago a local grocery store had Tide on sale and I thought for something different, I'd give it a try again. I used it about 25 years ago and itched from it but thought I'd try the free/sensitive version. No itching. Cost about 10¢/load. And I didn't have to use all the additives. Then I figured out I'm not using the full amount they suggest. So actually it was costing less, closer to 5¢-6¢ per load. Then I got some coupons for essentially a free jug, which means I paid tax only for them. And I don't use the full amount and seldom use additives. So cost-wise, it's super cheap. But I'll continue to use Tide because it works for me and I've noticed my towels are the softest they've been in years. Whether it was from having to use so much A&H and others, or the additives or whatever I don't know but I know I'm getting great results, no stench to deal with and have clean clothes. BTW, I also tried some of the "regular" Tide 2x (I got about a dozen samples from a rep) and it's fine too. No itching for me or anything. And I'm a bit surprised because other detergents that I was able to use, got to the point I couldn't use them because of itching. I've given the Tide F&S to my sister who is also very sensitive and she has no problem with F&S or the regular ones, and I gave some to a cousin and a friend who have psoriasis and are very sensitive and both give glowing reports. Because of the deals I've gotten, I probably have a couple years worth of detergent on the shelf, plus I have part of a bottle of A&H and a box of GV on the shelf so I'm not in the market for more (unless the price is RIGHT!). I like trying different brands but got sick of throwing out detergent because I itched from it. This works, is cheap and I really have no reason to change. And I too gave up fabric softener a decade or two ago. My water softener died over a year ago. And my clothes are the softest they've ever been. Oh, and my clothes last a long long time. And all this in the dreaded top loader! LOL Oh, one last comment FWIW, I've noticed one other thing since switching to Tide. The laundry tub that my washer drains into is getting cleaner and cleaner. The dark sludge buildup is going away more and more. The only thing I can attribute this to is using Tide for over a year. Purely anecdotal I know, but can see no other reason. Which makes me suspect that my machine is probably being kept pretty clean too. Again, admittedly, just a guess.

LOL....Yes MamaP, I used to use a lot of powders, but always had liquids in stock and used regularly (but you are right, powders were my daily driver)! I think if one is not great with blazing hot washes, then it is best to stick with powders....I agree with you. But, if one knows to do regular HOT washes and understands basic and easy FL machine maintenance, then liquids are safe, fine and great! Yes, them old fogies on AW can tear apart a Lady Kenmore or Westinghouse and rebuild with their eyes closed.....it is just not relevant or important to 99.9% of us or the world. ;)