Wipp, Colon, Ariel?

[teralin]

I need recommendations for washing powder. Can anyone tell me which of the Spanish brands are good and which to avoid as I haven't a clue looking at the boxes. Do they have bio and non-bio in Spain?

[gavilan]

some of the 'Naturelife' hierba-dietetica (sort of health food shops) sell organic/ecologico washing powder, washing up liquid etc

[teralin]

Thanks for that gavilan but what I meant was the non politically correct chemical packed biological powders that get your whites "whiter than white". I have found the brand Ariel in spain but it seems very expensive, is there a spanish brand of similar quality that anyone could recommend?

[Shukran]

I haven't been able to find bio machine washing powder so far, and I've been looking. I'm using Ariel at the moment but like you say it's very expensive but I don't like the 'claggy' Spanish stuff. If anybody can recommend a bio Spanish that's good, then I'll give it a try.

[BENIDORM]

My Wife informs me that in her opinion she has found that Ariel is the only reliable washing powder she has used in Spain or UK...She has tried just about every brand that can be found in Spain, Portugal and France and of course UK, and she insists that it is false economy to buy other brands...The Spanish use the cheaper brands, then add washing bleach, in powder or liquid form , Ace etc.......We usually buy Ariel in the big packs. and when passing through France always stock up with Ariel, much cheaper there......We hope this helps !...

[Shukran]

Thanks Benidorm, just the conclusion I was coming to. Nice to know I've been making the right choice for once.

[teralin]

Thanks Benidorm. Incidentally, someone mentioned on another thread that Lidl's W5 range of products are good. Has anyone tried their washing powder?

[lis48]

I now use whatever Spanish brand is on offer but add some Kalia Vanish powder (in the bright pink tubs) each time. Works out cheaper than Ariel and better than the local brands on their own.

[jane grant]

I use Skip - commonly known as Persil in the UK, but like all the others not cheap

[BENIDORM]

Mrs Benidorm advises that she has tried every brand mentioned, and she is quite adamant that she obtains a brighter, cleaner stainfree wash with her favourite...Ariel.....Also she points out that the cheaper brands have a tendency to clog up the workings of the washing machine..You do of course have to take into consideration all of the allergies that can be caused by all brands of washing powder...And the cheaper options of anything are not always the best....

[Shukran]

Mrs Benidorm is of the same opinion as me. However, I always used the tablet form of washing powders in the UK which I put straight into the tub in a string bag made for that purpose, rather than in the dispenser because of the mess the powder makes to my machine. So, although I'm using Ariel in my rented cortijo I'll probably be back on the tablets when I get my own washing machine out of store. I also always put in one Antical tablet to prevent the calcium build up.

[Whizzbaby]

Been using 'Micolor' for almost 3 years now.........I did buy some Ariel once just to see if there was any difference.....nope!! Back to Micolor as it's cheaper and just as good. Also, I USED to use the Kalia 'Vanish' but discovered that Lidl's 'Adritt' is exactly the same and half the price!!

[teralin]

Jane - is Skip definitely Persil in Spanish packaging because I prefer Persil to any other.

Maz - I'm always willing to try something new especially as it has been recommended. Can I buy Micolor in most supermarkets or is it a one supermarket brand? Does the "color" part of the name have any significance?

[katy]

A friend says that Lidl's wash products are very good and she is very picky, I will try it one day.

[Whizzbaby]

We live inland and I can buy Micolor in my local Coviran, 'Superdrug' equivalent etc. Also seen it in Eroski in Antequera..............yes, the 'color' IS significant. Like many of the familiar english-name brands, it claims to thoroughly clean...........yet preserve colours! Explains it all on the box complete with pictures......a colour-preserving powder (allegedly). Needless to say, there will be some folk who will rubbish these claims, but of course - drying one's laundry in full sun all day will defy even the bravest washing powder!! From end of March to the end of September (ish!) I put mine out either around 9.0pm (still dry in less than half an hour!) or overnight. This also protects the clothes from fading and disintegrating!

[Busymum]

I too have tried every brand possible and have still come back to Ariel for my whites even using other brands and adding the 'vanish pink powder' stuff doesn't get my whites as white and for certain white things it is important particularly for school uniform etc. I do however use 'Micolor' for my coloureds and it is fine. I get both from Mercadona. Yes, Ariel is expensive but I do find because it is so effective I don't need to use as much as all the other less effective brands I have tried.

I also totally agree with the point about drying in the sun during the sunny days .... learned my lesson there the first summer we were here, ended up with some very unusual striped coloured t-shirts etc! Nearly time warped me back to the 'Tie-Die' days!!

Busymum.

[peteroldracer]

I always used the tablet form.........which I put straight into the tub ... rather than in the dispenser because of the mess the powder makes to my machine.

Do remember to check in behind the slidey-in draw where the powder goes, ocassionally, as it doesn't take long for there to be a build-up of filthy black mould if the washer is in a steamy bathroom!! At least using powder in there gives you a chance to see and attack it.

[Shukran]

That's why I prefer the tablet form - it never goes into the dispenser so I don't ever get that build up of black gunge. The one in our rented place is in the garage and the dispenser needs to be removed and cleaned out about once a month - not the easiest job in the world. I totally agree with the comments about getting what you pay for - I certainly need less Ariel than the cheaper brands which probably pays for itself in the end.

[lis48]

[quote="teralin"]Jane - is Skip definitely Persil in Spanish packaging because I prefer Persil to any other.

Skip is the European brand name for Persil produced by Unilever who also market it as Surf and Omo (in USA). Proctor and Gamble produce Tide and Ariel which are also identical but branded separately. They keep the packaging different but the product is the same. It´s amazing how many people think they are choosing between different competing products when it´s just about brand advertising.

[pigs-might-fly]

Mercadona's own label tablets are perfectly OK as are their anti-cal tablets!