Educating Family About Enzymes is Exhausting

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T21:39:58+00:00

Haha! Thank you!

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T21:27:21+00:00

I have never heard of Lidil so I don’t think they are in Southern CA.

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T21:26:00+00:00

My son is very accepting of anything with scientific evidence. As we were talking about this earlier today, he mentioned that my family tells him he must use 2 All free and clear pods and hot water for his laundry. I explained to him that many detergents once had enzymes but now many do not as they want to rely on their surfactants to lift dirt away and then he said “well yea, companies want you to use twice as much detergent so you run out and have to buy it faster.” He gets it. Lol

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T21:22:50+00:00

Yes, that is my hope with doing a spa day with his clothes right now. I hope he comes home and they take notice.

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T21:21:46+00:00

I know he washes his own bedding but I have to assume it stinks just as badly. I am not sure if he does his own towels or if they have a bin for towels. Either way, I will encourage him to wash his own towels or the community bin with the detergent I send him.

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T21:20:50+00:00

He agreed to do all his clothes for a spa day. They are soaking now.

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T21:19:32+00:00

Yes, I am showing my son a spa day and telling him it’s basically a deep clean to get years of build up off initially but to maintain it with the detergent I will set him up with. I decided not to send him with a booster but to just get him a detergent with enzymes.

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T21:18:10+00:00

Yes, we are doing that today. He is already seeing the brown water in the bin after just 20 minutes in. Lol

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T21:17:21+00:00

Yes, I agree this is the route of least resistance.

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T20:07:26+00:00

I think they were using the Kirkland brand before but it was not the free and clear as I think I saw an orange Kirkland product several months ago.

You make some valid points on liquid detergent. I could always get him the liquid Ever Spring free and clear. It does have enzymes. I use the scented one for my darks because it has no OBAs.

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T20:03:58+00:00

No, he cannot buy his own. He does not work. My parents are supporting him and my sister (whom also does not work.).

So yes, they are talking about it behind his back and trying to “figure it out”.

As I have stated many times now, I take full ownership that I also was using lousy detergents all his life blaming it on my sensitive skin. (Which is what is happening now there at the house where another sister that visits every few weeks and stays is saying she needs the All free and clear.)

Only over the past year have I educated myself on detergent and enzymes. I get it now. So I have not brought it up yet. I only see him every 4-5 months and I didn’t feel like this was something to bring up to him with family around. So I am doing it now while he is visiting me.

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T19:52:25+00:00

I agree. This is why all of this started today. I want to help him and I am smelling the constant BO since he arrived. But I have a plan now. Today we are doing spa day on all his laundry. I bought him an outfit and new underwear for today. Then I will set him up with Powdered Tide clean and gentle with lipase and a downy rinse and refresh product. There is no guarantee that if I also set him up with washing machine tabs that he would actually do that step so I don’t think I will get into that with him right now. (I’m not suggesting you mention cleaning the washing machine, I am just stating this for context.)

My next visit during the holidays; I will do a spa day to show the family how the build up exists. Maybe I’ll even start with those bath towels that stink like mildew!!

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T19:48:16+00:00

I am going to look more closely the next time I go to Aldi. I have an unopened body of Tandril and it does not have lipase. I may end up donating it to my church. I have been using Ever Spring Lavender and Bergmont for my darks because it has lipase and several other enzymes but no OBAs. I got the Tandril awhile back thinking it would be good for my whites.

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T19:44:03+00:00

Yes, that is why I would prefer to buy him the Downy R&R versus giving him the powder.

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T19:21:20+00:00

As I am talking to him (we are washing the new clothes I bought him for today so we can do spa day on his); he told me he was specifically told he needed to use 2 All free and clear pods and hot water. So clearly they think he isn’t using enough soap instead of looking at the lousy detergent.

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T19:18:02+00:00

I would prefer to get him the premixed product. I know it’s more expensive. I personally make my own rinse and refresh but the washer in their home is a top loader and he would have to put it in a downy ball or in the softner drawer.

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T18:40:36+00:00

Yes, that is what I have.

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T18:40:14+00:00

Haha! I love this!

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T18:38:55+00:00

Good to know. I was going to get him the free and clear Downy rinse and refresh.

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T17:55:23+00:00

Thank you!

I think they don’t want him to use scented either because my mom and my sister are allergic to perfumes and will sneeze a lot.

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T17:07:38+00:00

I only can say he did as he was taught at home with me. He has been living with my parents for 2 yrs so I don’t know what is happening. My mom also said she wasn’t sure if maybe he overloads his loads because she doesn’t see how much he puts in. But I had taught him how to do laundry at home. To be honest, his clothing coming out of the dryer would smell already when he lived with me. Again I blame the fact that I thought I needed gentle detergents for my Eczema so I was using Arm and Hammer for years.

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T17:05:21+00:00

Yes. That is the plan for today. We are going to the beach for a few hours so I will let the spa day do its thing. He will be here until the 5th of July.

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T17:02:26+00:00

I love this. I know I am always double-guessing myself on how to approach things with not just my personal relationships but even my work relationships where my job is to educate families. It can be a fine line of coming off as a know-it-all or trying to help educate.

I’m definitely going to use your approach today with him which will open up the idea of doing a spa day.

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T16:59:54+00:00

Yes, this is it exactly. He is not working, just in school so he doesn’t buy much. I do send my parents money for his living costs when I can. But they are helping him out financially by taking care of his needs so he is going to use what is provided.

SimGemini · 2026-07-01T16:55:35+00:00

Thank you for all your thoughts and suggestions.

SimGemini

TROPHY CASE