Woolite - yes or no?

[OakLeaf]

The older I get the more I want to simplify my life, and extra laundry products are not high on my list of necessities. Especially after reading Pearl Izumi's laundry instructions (use a detergent without added colors or fragrances - which Woolite doesn't make). Plus, lately it seems that Woolite has been really piling on the fragrances, too - does anybody else find that it *doesn't* camouflage the B.O. that it leaves in your jerseys if you don't take time to scrub the armpits?

So... is there really anything special about Woolite? Does it really keep your delicates from shrinking, stretching, fading, getting pilled, getting stolen by the Sock Monster, becoming too small when you gain weight, or any of the other claims they make???

[jobob]

I use Ivory Snow powder when washing my woolies & cycling clothes.

(Rivendell strongly recommends not using Woolite, it's quite harsh actually.)

[bike4ever]

No to Woolite on cycling apparel.

[Eden]

I've been using Biokleen. I like it, its safe, natural, smells only vaugely of citrus (it has grapefruit extracts I think), gets my cycling clothing nice and clean/fresh and you don't have to use much of it. Before that I was using Ecover for delicates

[PinkPilot]

A resounding NO on the Woolite with Pearl Izumi. I have a very meticulous friend in NJ who thought he was doing the best possible thing using Woolite on PI shorts and they fell apart on him in under a year. Fortunately, he wrote to PI and they ended up sending him two brand new pairs, but also pointed out their washing instructions which do not include Woolite.

[Rumblefish]

Woolite is alright...I use it primarily for hand washing stuff if I have to. I do think Woolite has a bloated ego though.....

Otherwise I use Arm and Hammer laundry detergent for sensitive skin on everything (bike and non-bike related). It's free of perfumes and dies and does the job pretty darn well I think.

Plus I figure if I tiny little box of arm & hammer baking soda can take the stink out of a refrigerator the laundry stuff has to mean business too

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Everyone is different I guess...I had bought a jug of Ivory Snow detergent and DH and I simply could not STAND the smell of it! It was an unbearable yucky smell on our clothes afterwards to both of us. We could not even bear having the items in our bureau drawers next to other clothes after washing them in it.
We went back to Woolite on the gentle cycle in the machine. I suspect some people use too much, and that can leave some residue even after the rinse cycle. I am careful to use as per instructions and it seems to rinse out well.
So far so good for all our Lycra, Spandex, and merino wool items after 1 1/2 years of this....

[7rider]

I've been using Woolite in the washer - on delicate cycle - for years with no ill effects on my bike clothes (but not on wind- or water-resistant items, for which I use some stuff - can't recall the name - that I get from REI.). Some of my bike clothes are embarassingly old, but they keep hangin' in there.
I do, however, have a front load machine, which uses far less water than standard top-load machines - and thus, far less detergent - and is much more gentle on clothes due to the lack of the agitator or whatever the rotating thing is in the middle of the drum.
I also never put bike clothes in the dryer, but hang them all to dry.

[Dianyla]

I'm sensitive to dyes and stinks so I use fragrance/dye free detergent for everything, either All or Cheer brand. I use about 1/2 to 3/4 of the recommended quantity of detergent, also, since using the full amount usually results in residue on the clothing as it can't rinse fully.

[Thorn]

I also wash the cycling gear with a fragrance free detergent, often at 1/2 or less strength. To cut that atheletic odor, I add 1/2 cup of cheap, white vinegar. Someone, somewhere on these boards suggested it and it really does make a difference (and your clothes do not come out smelling like a jar of pickles).

[SR500]

DH washes all the bike stuff and only uses Woolite. He washes everytime either of us ride, and hasn't had any problems. He's very picky and has some very expensive Assos bike stuff that he treats like gold. Machine wash, hang to air dry.

[KnottedYet]

Used to use BioKleen (good stuff!) but now pretty much use nothing but Dr. Bronner's castile soap in either peppermint, lavender, or eucalyptus. I've always used Dr. Bronner's on me, but it does just fine on my hand wash clothes. Haven't seen BioKleen around in a long time. There is an unscented version.

for the machine I use Trader Joe's powder detergent.

Edit: oops, I meant the Dr. Bronner's comes in an unscented version! Sorry!

[Eden]

I got my bottle of Biokleen up at the Central Co-op's Madison Market a few months ago (you only use an ounce at a time, so it lasts a looooong time). It's not really scented, but it has some citrus cleaning components so it has a pleasant vaugely citrusy smell to it. I don't think it really leaves any scent on the clothing.
I also have a front loader and I can tell you it is much, much gentler on clothing. Even rough and tumble stuff like jeans last a whole lot longer using this machine.
I could get Dr. Bonners up at Trader Joes, but I wonder if it would be too sudsy to put in my washing machine?

[silver]

My shebeast top is the smelliest! Only this will get the stink out of it...

http://www.windetergent.com/index.html

[KnottedYet]

I miss BioKleen. I'll look at our local Central Market and see if they have it. It was very nice on the machine washables. And I'm just about out of Trader Joe's powder. Could be synchronicity here...

I've used Dr. Bronner's in my top-loader many times (about the same amount as I would use of BioKleen) and it works just fine, no over sudsing.

Edit: I read somewhere that one run through the washing machine is equivalent to wearing the garment 60 times.