Choosing powder for the washing machine
In modern society, it is not the product itself that is sold, but primarily its image. This image is created through advertising in the media. Someone says that they don’t like advertising and quickly change the TV channel when they see it. Others claim that they have learned to ignore commercials. But, nevertheless, advertised washing powders sell better than those that are not advertised on TV. This is a proven fact. Researchers believe that about 90% of purchases occur under the influence of advertising campaigns and the formed image of a particular product. Quite serious budgets are pumped into advertising precisely because it has proven its effectiveness.
By the way, one of the most popular products for advertising is washing powder. There is serious competition in the market for detergents used for washing clothes. There are a large number of manufacturers and brands of this product.
But which laundry detergent is actually good and which is just well-hyped?
What is important when choosing washing powder?
First of all, washing powder should not pose a risk to human health. Almost all powders consist of chemicals. And the relevant authorities must ensure that they comply with safety regulations. Low-quality washing powders can cause harm to a person even while wearing washed items of clothing.
A special conformity mark on the box will inform us about the safety of the detergent. It means that the manufacturer has received a safety certificate. But on counterfeit products it can be applied without any permission.They say that counterfeits are more common in plastic bags. Since packing powder into a box requires special packaging equipment, which not every scammer wants to spend money on.
Quality and safety
Testing the quality of washing using a particular powder is not included in the necessary requirements for sale. And the fact that a detergent has received a certificate indicating its safety does not mean that it washes things efficiently.
A high-quality detergent is found experimentally by the buyer himself.
Also, each washing machine user decides how expensive the washing powder he uses should be. Unfortunately, advertising campaigns have become almost the only way to get information about a new product. And the information conveyed in advertising is not always an accurate comparative description of the advertised product. More often it is needed only to create a certain image desired by a potential buyer.
A number of tests have shown that an expensive and well-advertised detergent does not always perform its functions better than a cheap one. Quite often it's the other way around. But, nevertheless, they are buying it more actively. And this is because its producers have made the most convincing advertising video.
Composition and characteristics of powders
All detergents have their own chemical composition. And oddly enough, they are all made from similar components. They contain surfactants (surfactants). They play the role of soap. And they form the basis of washing powder. And everything else that is in the powder is dyes, bleaches, enzymes, flavors, phosphates and other substances.
And the quality of a detergent is determined by the correct ratio of the components that are used and their properties. Typically, those products that are more expensive have a certain amount of special enzymes. And each enzyme is designed for a specific type of pollution. Therefore, laundry detergents may have different effectiveness when used on different types of stains.
For us, as buyers, it is important that detergents meet the quality declared by the manufacturer and our requirements.
Quite often we can pay attention to various awards or quality marks and other pictures from the product packaging. Unfortunately, not all of them provide reliable information about the product.
How are washing powders tested?
In order to be able to evaluate the quality of a particular detergent, simply having a washing machine is not enough. You will need a special test stand. This stand should use several machines of different power and functionality. And things that are washed must have a certain level of contamination. The one the tester needs. There are also pollution standards that are taken as a basis. Russian testers do not support international pollution standards.
Rostest-Moscow uses linen for tests that was specially contaminated in Swiss and German institutes. The amount of powder that must be used when washing is also strictly verified. It is calculated based on the amount of laundry, the hardness of the water used and the degree of contamination of the items.
And to check the results, special optical instruments are used. Special tests are also carried out to ensure the cleanliness of washed clothing items.
How to choose a detergent?
In order to choose the right washing powder, you need to consider what kind of fabric the items you want to wash are made of. The type of contamination is also important. The composition of the detergent is written on its packaging.
For automatic machines, a special powder is used, which has less foaming than that used for hand washing. This is because a large amount of foam can damage the machine. That is why you cannot use hand powder for machine washing of clothes. When choosing a powder, make sure that it is intended specifically for washing machines.
In addition, you need to read the instructions for its use. It is usually indicated on the packaging. Please read it carefully. It indicates the amount of powder that should be used for one wash. It is not recommended to exceed this amount.
If you are washing a small amount of items, use a small amount of laundry detergent. To use liquid laundry detergent, the washing temperature should generally not exceed sixty degrees. Also, with this product there is no need to pre-wash the laundry.
It is often recommended to pour detergent for children's clothes directly into the drum of the washing machine. For those things that you are going to wash.
Which powder is more effective?
You have already read our recommendations, and now you can watch real testing of various washing powders of various brands. These tests were carried out by the “Test Purchase” program on Channel One. This video will be interesting to watch for all people who want to know which powder is the most effective. And so, let's look:
Interesting:
5 reader comments
I don’t particularly choose the powder, now everything is quite good, but I can’t refuse Calgon. Our water is very hard and things cannot be washed easily in it with any powder. And calgon just softens and at the same time takes care of the machine.
Of course, I also love “test purchase”. But time doesn’t stand still, we need to update the article! )) Nowadays all sensible housewives buy washing gels. Because they are gentler and wash better, and are also rinsable and non-allergenic. At least that's what I have. Maybe gels also come in different qualities, I admit. Then I was lucky.
I completely agree about the gels, I’m currently using this one, it’s called wellery, the most optimal product both in terms of washing quality and composition. Recently I started to pay attention to this, it has a minimum of surfactants and is completely free of phosphates. It does not have a strong aroma and copes well with most stains even with a 30 degree wash.
Yes, we also take wellies, they wash with a bang! Really, good gels, and most importantly ours, domestic ones! It’s clear to see import substitution in my home :))
And I switched to gel, the child is allergic. Compared to powder, the gel rinses out better. I experimented and, like you, settled on Velleri gel (I have Intensive Color). The smell is unobtrusive, does not remain on the laundry for long, and washes well.A liter package was enough for me for 20 washes with a full drum, very economical. The dispenser holds weakly, but the gel can (and probably should) be stored with the dispenser facing down.