The newest thing in laundry care is on a shelf near you...2 x concentrated detergent!

Have you tried any of the double concentrated detergents yet? Share your experiences...which ones work, which ones don't?

tides ultra concentrate is good, (ive only tried the high effenciency one, with frebreeze in it)  so is the purex concentrate one.........i was using the sun brand ultra concentrate but i dont make it up to walmart often enough to get the 120 load size for 7.99................currenltly the laundry soap i have is the purex concentrate (it was on sale 2/5.99 and i had a coupon for 1.00 off 2) works good smells good, opened up the bottle towards the end of october, and the bottle is over half way full still........in our case often times this is better (even if it does soemtimes cost a little more) because size/storage space hasto be taken into consideration...my clothes smell good, they feel  clean which is all that matters

 In my quest for getting the best products for us at the best prices, I am still experimenting with different laundry care solutions. So I decided to try Gain 2x.

Pros:

• I used less detergent in each wash as promised.
• I liked the fragrance. It offered a fresh clean scent which came out on my clothes after washing.
• The bottle was easy to open and use.
• The detergent cleaned my laundry better than my homemade detergent. My whites were beginning to get dingy looking at this corrected that problem. It washed out stains better than the Purex detergent I often use.

 Cons:

• It costs more than Purex and my homemade detergent.
• It did not work well at all without some softener in the rinse. I can get away with leaving even Vinegar out of a wash with Purex and the clothes isn't as stiff as it was with Gain.
• I did have to use other solutions on heavy stains so this adds to the overall cost.

Overall, I was pleased with this product and would buy it again if I found a sale or had a coupon. I would choose to alternate this product with my homemade detergent for the best cleaning power and savings.

 This past week I bought Purex 2x at Target on sale and with a coupon to try it. I use regular Purex the most as my commercial detergent choice.

Pros of Purex 2x

• The price was lower than Gain, Tide and other detergents.
• The scent was very pleasant and lingers longer than Gain 2x on our clothing.
• It doesn't require as much softener in the rinse as Gain 2x.
  
• It whitens the clothes better than my homemade detergent.
  
• I bought the natural elements concentrate, I like the more natural approach and applaud the company for attempting to make a better product with less chemicals.
  

Cons of Purex 2x 

• The cap is hard to open. I had to get my husband to get the cap off the first time!
• The cap is not made like other covers. I am spilling and wasting detergent.
• The double concentrated promises less detergent used but I am using almost as much as I was of the regular Purex.
• It doesn't whiten the clothes as much as Gain 2x did.

While the smell was fantastic and the price is better than other brands, I won't be buying this product again unless they change their cap.

latte4me2day:

opened up the bottle towards the end of october, and the bottle is over half way full still

 I opened my bottle of Purex 2x on Friday and I have a half a bottle left. The same size Gain 2x bottle lasted me a little more than two weeks.

Before switching to Charlie's Soap (http://www.charliesoap.com/), I occasionally used ALL small and mighty, which was 3X concentrated.  My usual detergent was some form of homemade for more years than not.  

I tried ALL when it first came out on the market - it was always on sale (big promotional sales) and there were always coupons for it, making it even cheaper.  It averages 1 load for every 1 fl. oz.

The TRICK with all detergent is to make sure you use the proper amount per load for the correct load size.  I'm going to bet the manufacturers are banking the users DON'T use the proper amounts.  It is my opinion that if you pre-treat stains and don't have super-dirty clothes, you need much less than the recommended amount of detergent.

Here's some "monkey-business math" about ALL S&M 3X concentrated-

* The bottle holds 32 fl. oz. = 32 loads (from the info. on the front of the package)

* The cap holds 2 oz. (= 4 T.) to the top of the cap.

* The info. on the back of the bottle indicates Line #1 = normal load (about 1/2 the cap full).  They do NOT indicate what "normal" is.

* Line #2 = large loads (the full cap)

So if you always use a FULL cap of detergent (intentionally, or by mistake), you will only get 16 loads, not 32 loads, from the 32-oz. bottle.

I have used homemade detergents off and on for many years but wasn't always satisfied with the results.  I still use a "special blend" of a liquid homemade laundry soap for the sheets because I like the smell.  I recently switched to Charlie's Soap.  NO harsh chemicals, your clothes are softer (especially for those of you who line dry), no perfume, biodegradable, safe for septic tanks.  I only use 1 T. for large loads.  It's not full of fillers.  I purchased 1280-load bucket of it = around 9 cents per load.  I think homemade laundry soap was about 8 cents.  I figured I have at least 3 years worth of detergent in the bucket - probably 3.5 years.  I also use white vinegar in the rinse.  There are a lot of dangerous toxins in most fabric softeners and softener sheets I'd just rather avoid. 

~Gingerbread

Gingerbread,

I estimate I do 55 large loads of laundry a month. Twenty-four of those would be considered heavily soiled.

Charlies would last about two and a half months for us. That would mean a $9.47 a month average for us..ouch. But it looks good and more natural.

 Gingerbread,

I was given a bag of Charlie's soap as a gift, and I am more than pleased with the product. I found that it made my wool blankets especially soft. I am considering buying the 1280 load bucket.

Gigi:

 Gingerbread,

I was given a bag of Charlie's soap as a gift, and I am more than pleased with the product. I found that it made my wool blankets especially soft. I am considering buying the 1280 load bucket.

Gigi -

I used two of the 80 load bags before deciding to invest in the 1280 load bucket.  I couldn't believe how soft the clothes were.  You can even tell they don't have a "ton" of soap residue on them when you take them wet out of the washer.  They feel completely different than with any detergent I've ever used...even in hard water!   I purchased new towels (from Big Lots, and not high quality cotton or towels) about the same time I started using Charlie's, and they are soft right off the clothes line .

I would advise using this soap for anyone washing cloth diapers, or for people who are sensitive to detergents.  I have a husband who breaks out in a rash from many commercial detergents.  That's one reason I tried All (free/clear) 3X concentrated.

I also have to caution folks about using highly perfumed detergents and softener.  These products are full of toxins that can affect your health, and you may not even realize it.  Even very sensitive people sometimes can't use the scent-FREE products because they are still full of toxic chemicals.

Toxins In Household Products:  http://www.leas.ca/Toxins-in-Household-Products.htm

Fregrances in Cleaning Products, Fabric Softeners and Laundry Detergents: http://healthychild.org/resources/article/fragrances_in_cleaning_products_fabric_softeners_and_laundry_detergents/

~Gingerbread

Brandy,

Not trying to sound smart but on the Purex did you just twist off the top only, not the rigid part at bottom of cap?  The first time I bought it I tried twisting the whole thing off and realized its just the smaller cap that comes off. Thought maybe that's why you found the cap hard to open.