****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I've been using the Tide HE powder for over four years and have found that it is the ONLY thing I need to keep the sour smell out of our laundry (LG High Efficiency Washing Machine). The soap cleans well and rinses well. To avoid fading on dark cottons I turn the items inside out, or wash them w/less soap on a shorter load. The smell issue is corrected only by the powder, not the liquid.Background for those who have this problem with HE machines: I had used Cheer HE liquid and powder for years because it didn't leave me itchy (which Tide used to). Within a year of buying a new high efficiency machine we started to notice a horrible sour smell on our clothes, mostly the darks but also the lights and those which could be bleached. At first we thought it was maybe mildew, especially in the towels and wash clothes, but it spread to everything.After research and research (manufacturer web site, repair sites, consumer complaints, phone calls, consumer sites, general reviews) I learned to clean under/around the seals, check the water trap at the bottom, wipe out the machine - but nothing kept the smell away. I ran vinegar thru the machine and clothes, bleach thru the machine and clothes but nothing worked. I bleached our darks I was so desperate. Bleach made a modest improvement for the short term, but the smell kept coming back. The smell was so strong and pungent that I remember wanting to be sick and we were all embarassed to be around peopled.For whatever reason I went to Tide Powder (HE) and the smell was just gone. Just like that. No bleaching needed, no vinegar. And - for some reason - the Tide formula no longer makes me itch.The detergent is getting harder and harder to find in the powder form, and so I tried Gain HE powder recently. The smell was back within two weeks, and kept increasing as I went through the box of soap.Tide HE powder is getting harder and harder to find - and I sure hope this review doesn't fall on deaf ears so that the demand for it stays high and it remains on hte store shelves.Final note, the LG repair man was here about two years ago for a motor issue; he walked in w/a $30 or so product expecting we would have the sour smell issue so many people have, but I didn't need to buy it :) That's a great feeling.Thanks Tide.Other info: I usually wash on a short cycle, with extra rinse - or about 40 minutes total per load; darks via cold/cold and others via warm/cold.Tide Ultra High Efficiency Original Scent Powder, 80 Loads, 113-Ounce
