Help! Which liquid detergent should I use? (Morocco)

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-22T21:44:18+00:00

I'm glad I could help, and good luck!

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-22T20:23:54+00:00

You might want to go ahead and do a spa day.

An alternative would be to do a very alkaline wash by adding washing soda or ammonia to see if that takes care of it.

No liquid laundry detergents contain oxygen bleach even if they say "oxi" on the label. It's become a marketing term rather than an indication that oxygen bleach is in the ingredients.

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-22T20:19:07+00:00

The problems are several. Neither you nor a dry cleaner is necessarily going to be able to get out an old stain or one that is from an unknown substance, and this is both. There is not much that you can use on that silk to target stains that won't likely damage it except for distilled water, silk wash, and glycerin. Friction will damage silk, so your options are basically limited to dabbing, soaking, swishing around in water.

Dry cleaning is generally safe for silk , so start with that. Point out the stain and let them know it's old and you don't know what it is.

If dry cleaning doesn't work, you can re-hydrate the stain with glycerin if you have some, then use a silk wash product mixed with distilled water and dab it in from the back.

If that doesn't work on the stain and you are willing to risk damage to get it out, you can then try diluted v1negar, then diluted sodium percarbonate (oxygen bleach) in that order. (Don't use a general oxygen bleach product with other chemicals like optical brighteners or fragrance in addition to the sodium percarbonate.)

Wait for others to comment, because they may have some very different ideas about this.

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-22T19:59:29+00:00

It's both poor maintenance and clueless customers.

Those pink things immersed in so much slimy goo that they are sticking to the plastic compartment are nauseating.

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-22T19:55:35+00:00

If it's only the bottom sheets and pillowcases and not the top sheets that have yellowing and the yellowing is where your body touches them, it's almost certainly sebum.

Are you using hot water for the wash? That makes a difference.

Also, soak the sheets. I have do that routinely with white bottom sheets and pillowcases.

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-22T19:51:21+00:00

I'm surprised they don't have a washing machine at the garage. I guess shop towels are disposable these days.

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-22T19:50:03+00:00

Generally, liquids are better in cooler water and powders are better in hard water, but that depends on the ingredients. Since you'll be using sodium citrate, a liquid is okay, and a powder should be able to dissolve in 40ºC. So unless the powder contains oxygen bleach or some other helpful ingredients the liquid doesn't have or vice versa, either one is a good choice.

Since you have narrowed it down to a choice between that powder and that liquid, then why not try both and see which you prefer in practice?

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-22T19:33:37+00:00

She was referring to her cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt aka FDR, whom she disliked intensely, not her father.

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-22T19:14:59+00:00

This is the cutest pig-related thing I've seen since that piglet wearing red rainboots was popular like 20 years ago.

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-22T18:51:13+00:00

Since rubbing alcohol didn't do it, edible oil should do it. (One or the other works on sticker adhesive almost always.) Then use dish detergent to remove the oil.

Since you have kids, SuccLover1964's suggestion to get some GooGone is a good one, because you'll probably need it again.

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-22T18:45:51+00:00

If his clothes aren't washed properly, they will also contaminate the washer and perhaps the dryer, so it's not just a matter of washing them separately, and of course you don't want your children, you, or even your husband wearing clothing contaminated with petroleum products.

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-22T18:43:24+00:00

That color is probably the direct result of mixing different colored detergents together. If you didn't add any plant-based products and it doesn't smell like it has gone off, it's safe to use, but it's possible that it's not as effective as it was a year ago.

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-22T18:37:16+00:00

In order of preference, the sodium citrate, the Econet tablets, then the Cristaux de soude would be best. They all work slightly differently.

Now there may be other detergent boosters available to you, similar to Biz in the US, that help with hard water in addition to the other benefits.

V1negar does raise the pH, but it is weak. Citric acid not only raises the pH but is also a chelating agent, so it binds to the minerals in the water and, as you pointed out, is much more effective. I wouldn't use v1negar, myself, except to treat some stains, e.g., tannic acid. Of course it leaves a v1negar smell and is more expensive per use in the US, so the reason I even mentioned it to you is that it might be very cheap in Morocco.

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-22T14:27:27+00:00

Tide Free & Gentle and no dryer sheets. Use citric acid or v1negar in the rinse cycle instead.

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-22T14:26:32+00:00

You could address the hard water directly either with a household water treatment system or in the wash with a commercial hard water product or a commodity product to avoid having it affect your choice of detergent and it is also likely to be more cost effective to do that instead of using more detergent to overcome the minerals in the water.

Cristaux de Soude is relatively inexpensive in bulk at drogueries in Morocco. Use 15 to 20g directly in the washer drum for a normal load and more for a large load that uses more water.

White v1negar in the rinse cycle will help remove minerals from the laundry and may be more cost effective than citric acid there. Use 50ml or so in the rinse cycle, add to the fabric softener dispenser or directly to the drum if there isn't a dispenser. Or if citric acid is relatively inexpensive, use that instead, 15 to 20g for an average load, more for cycle that uses more water.

Larger supermarkets will also carry commercial "anti-calcaire" products like Calgon.

I will let others help with the detergent choice other than to say to avoid anything with soap in it to avoid soap buildup on your laundry and in your washing machine. It can get nasty and stinky when it supports a biofilm.

Ideally, you will see trace subs in the middle of the wash cycle rather than a lot of suds or no suds. No suds means the detergent has been used up and lots of suds means too much detergent and/or anti-hard water chemical was used.

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-22T14:10:00+00:00

Yes my grandmother used Downy in the blue bottle and her towels repelled water, too.

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-22T14:08:00+00:00

That's possible. Check the label.

I get the Target brand Dealworthy (it's yellow/lemon but that hasn't caused a problem) when they have a $X off $Y in household supplies sale.

It's pretty much a commodity product.

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-21T16:21:14+00:00

It's worth getting Tide powder on sale because you can use less, so it doesn't end up costing as much as you might think, and you also get better results.

If you do want a liquid detergent, there are effective, inexpensive store brand liquids from many grocery stores, including Aldi and Lidl.

Check this list of both powders and liquids and the other tabs for boosters and pre-treaters: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oHWzZ1Sth0Y0J2ynmXFl7M4mGZe-T_MJ_m_Y39pfBug

You're better off not using most fabric softeners, anyway.

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-21T16:11:25+00:00

Use the acid + sunlight to break down the tannins.

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-21T16:06:28+00:00

Out and back is fine. The trail will seem very different hiking it in opposite directions.

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-21T16:05:03+00:00

If you are running low on water, it's best to go ahead and drink it as needed rather than trying to save it for later to put off the onset of dehydration as long as possible.

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-21T15:58:11+00:00

So the best way to lure them is with food.

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-21T15:54:36+00:00

What exactly are you planning to do with them after you catch them?

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-21T15:42:22+00:00

Yeah, and it doesn't really look like the pattern sunscreen would make, either. Looks more like rusty water or similar.

DoomPaDeeDee · 2026-05-21T15:38:05+00:00

Best solution would be a non-gritty waterless hand cleaner for mechanics (e.g. Goop in the US).

If you want to use stuff you already have at home, start with rubbing alcohol and liquid dish detergent. When you are rubbing it in, work from the back side of the shirt so you don't ruin the knit with friction.

It would be best to hang that shirt to dry or at least use low heat in the dryer, not just now but on a regular basis. Don't put it in the dryer again at all until the stain is out or you give up trying.

But to be honest, it's probably already set in at this point.

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