biological vs non-bio washing powder

[chazza]

What is the difference? Is non bio better for sensitive skin?

[woodchopper]

I wanted to know this myself so I rang up their customer helpline - they said the Biological powder will remove dirt/stains better as it uses enzymes and such like, but would also be harder on colours leading to fading - whereas non-bio is a lot gentler on colours and is a lot more enviromentally friendly - never asked about sensitive skin but I would have a guess non bio would be gentler - one way to find out is to give them a ring - the number should be on the box somnewhere.

[sammd]

Yes it is. My Mum always used non-biological because my brother had sensitive skin as a baby. Biological powder caused him to get excema and non-biological didn't. I still use non-bio now and have no problems getting stains out.

[pingu748]

Ok ... ironically this is what I do presentations on 3 days a week to engineers !

Powder or tablet sensitive Non Bio ... contains Bleach, Perfume, Surfactants, Polymers & Builders (softners) ... no enzymes (they are responsible for breaking up NATURALY occuring stains ie sweat, grass, bark, soil ... the bleach is what affects the colour ... enzymes are the prime irratator so this is why if you look at the ingredients on a "sensitive" product they will be missing. Perfume (and bleach) can also be an irritant which is partly why some brands now come in 2 or more fragrances ... so if one irritates you can try another without leaving the "brand"

Liquid Non Bio (bottle & liqui tabs) ... they contain Perfume, Surfactants, polymers, Builders & enzymes ... no Bleach ... they are better for your colours but you will have a hard time removing stains from very pale or white clothing with liquids as there is no bleach ...

Powder or Tablet Bio ... they contain all the 6 key components to get your clothes clean .. Bleach, Enzymes, Polymers, Perfume, Builders & surfactants ... ideal for your whites & very pale clothing ... over time (after about 10 washes) you can start to see the detrimental effect on the colur balance between the garment & an identical one (should you have one)

PS DONT use regular detergent on wool, silk or cashmere ... they either contain enzymes ( remember they break up natural stains so they will also destroy natural fibres) or they will have bleach ...

Something like Dreft or Persil wool & silk is designed to wash wool, silk and cashmere for this very reason ... it is not a ploy to get you to buy another product

[Aquagility]

I have suffered from eczema since childhood - eighty years ago. And for the last few years, since biological powder came on the market, I have had a problem with hospital gowns. They bring my skin up in a rash within minutes. So now, if I have to go into hospital, I take my own gown with me. They don't like it, but so tough!

[pingu748]

It doesnt have to be the fact it is a just a Bio detergent that they use (although it may well be) ... perfume / fragrance is an irritant ... so is bleach too ... if they are not rinsed as well as they should be then there are more potential irritants left behind to irritate ...

[hempsall]

My daughter has eczema and I was advised to use non-biological powder. One thing I always wonder is, do the manufacturers tell you to use more powder than is really necessary? I tend to cut down on what they advise and it seems to work just as well.

[pingu748]

The amounts they advise is hte EXACT amount required to get the desired results for the hardness of the water and the soil level of hte clothes ... they do not advise you to use more than you need as this would make the product poorer value compared to a competitors wash for wash / pound for pound ... FACT

Your quite right to point out that if you reduce the qty you will, most of the time get decent enough results visually ... but what you cant see is a percentage, albeit small of the bacteria/ skin/dirt/ etc etc being left behind ... this is what accumulates to lead to fibre degeneration over time ...

It has also been tested & researched time and time agin that a lot of people who reduce the qty they use are actually using too much in hte 1st place (more common with liquid) therefore when they reduce the qty they actually end up using nearer the right amount !

[London2001]

I've ask myself that question every time I go to the supermarket :-) Found this website that kind of explains it all http://hubpages.com/_...hat-are-they-used-for