I think I would prefer a hint, not a touch.
Written: Feb 21 '05 (Updated Feb 21 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Leaves clothes smelling fresh and feeling soft
Cons: Strong smell, not suitable for all purposes
The Bottom Line: This is a novel product that works well but I think the old way of adding the fabric softener in may be better.
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| xyzwyatt's Full Review: Tide with a Touch of Downy |
I am a Tide customer. My clothes have been washed in Tide for 33 years now so I trust any new product that Tide brings out. I have tried other brands from time to time because Tide does cost more however I have yet to find another product that I like better than Tide.
Tide with a Touch of Downy is the same Tide that I have been using for years with an added fabric softener mixed into it. The special formula allows the two to be mixed together reducing the need for adding fabric softener later.
I feel that Tide with a Touch of Downy does an excellent job at cleaning my clothes. In fact, I occasionally try other brands just to see if I can find a cheaper product and end up re-washing the clothes with Tide because they either look dingy or don’t have a clean smell. I see a noticeable difference when I use Tide detergent especially on really dirty or stained clothes. The only stains that I have found that Tide can not get out are chocolate stains and grease stains from food.
The only negative thing that I have to say about Tide with a Touch of Downy as a detergent is that it does cause colors to fade prematurely. For example, I got a brand new pair of black jeans and have only washed them a handful of times. They were jet black upon purchasing and I noticed that just 6 weeks later they are more of a stone-washed black. We replace my husbands dress pants a lot more than I think we should simply because the colors have washed out making the item look old. I will probably start using a basic Tide product with my darks because I don’t feel like we need an April Fresh Scent on our jeans and our jeans never have a problem with static cling.
I am very pleased with how my white clothes turn out with Tide. I prefer to wash my towels with Tide with Downy simply because they absorb the smell so well. Nothing beats a fresh static-free fresh towel. We started to get a little static cling this winter and found some socks sticking to our clothes. We never had that problem again one we started using Tide with a Touch of Downy.
One thing that I love about Tide is the way it smells but occasionally I like to change scents because my nose gets use to it. I love the smell of Downy fabric softener but never remember to add it to the wash. The few times that I tried liquid Downy I had to re-wash my clothes because it didn’t rinse completely out of the load.
I usually just grab my traditional Tide box and head down the isle but lately I’ve stopped to consider Tide’s large selection of options. I noticed a few new scents at the store which included Downy fabric softener. I chose the April Fresh Scent first.
The box looked like a traditional Tide box. It had a thin plastic handle and a lid that lifted up. The box I have washes 63 loads. I pour my detergent into another container to make it easier to handle on a regular basis since I have keep this detergent out of reach of my kids.
I was very pleased with my first whiff of the product. The detergent is noticeably different; it has blue and pink particles mixed in the detergent. There were a lot more Downy particles that I would have expected.
The Tide box advertises that Downy fabric softener can also be used with this product for added freshness. I’m scratching my head on that one, I really don’t see any reason to add any more Downy to the wash however I am a person who can get by without any fabric softener at all.
The last time I went to the store I noticed a new scent, Tide Touch of Downy Tide Soft Ocean Mist. It sounded interesting to me but I wasn’t sure what it would smell like because oceans usually stink really bad. I would have preferred my regular April Fresh scent but the store was out so I chose the new sent in liquid form.
The liquid bottle is very nice. It has a nice handle that is easy to grasp and useful for pouring. The sturdy cap that comes with the product is also be used as a measuring cup. The mouth the bottle is in shaped like a cone so the product comes out in a steady stream without splashing.
The liquid detergent is very fluid and with a full bottle it comes out very fast. I find that I often pour more than I intended which is one of the reasons that I prefer powder detergent. The detergent is hazardous to children so should be kept out of reach so I find the economy size bottles a lot heavier to lift over my head and it can not be put into a smaller container like I do with the powder. I do like the liquid detergent better but I think it tricks me to use more of it and it just doesn’t store as well for me.
I loved the way the detergent smells while it was in the washer; it was very strong like an air freshener. My clothes don’t cling together when I use this product. However, I wasn’t thrilled with this particular scent because it was very strong, almost overpowering. I could smell the clothes washed with Ocean Fresh Scent from a distance. After a few sniffs I felt like it might be too feminine of a smell, even for me. I asked my husband what he thought of the smell and he thought it was nice. He really didn’t seem to care one way or the other. I think that this could make a bad combination for people who wear perfume. I also wonder what other males think of the smell, it doesn’t smell very neutral to me.
My first experience with a shirt freshly washed with Tide Soft Ocean Mist was not a favorable experience. I immediately started sneezing from the scent and itching from the Downy. I realized right away that I would not be able to wash our sheets and pillow cases with this because my whole family is sensitive to such smells.
The fragrance lasted awhile; I could still smell the fragrance for days later from the loads which were washed with it so this will be a great product for individuals who love a fresh smelling load of laundry.
The Touch of Downy products come in a variety of sizes such as from 22-95 loads for the powder or 80-300 oz. for the liquid. This is a new product so many not be available at all locations.
I have not tried the Clean Breeze scent yet but I will probably get that scent next time. I liked Soft Ocean Mist but it was not the product for me. I went out to buy a different detergent the very next day because I didn’t feel like the Soft Ocean Mist was appropriate for all of our loads.
Overall I’m very pleased with a Touch of Downy because it works as expected and smells good however I do not feel like it is an all-purpose detergent. I have a whole selection of Tide scents to choose from now which is nice for variety but not so nice on the wallet. I’m not a person that would ever use fabric softener because I can never remember to add it at the correct time, nor do I wish to spend extra money for it. I suppose it would have made more since to just buy a bottle of fabric softener and set the timer to add it. I have seven laundry detergents in my laundry room now which I think is kind of ridiculous. I’m not sure A Touch of Downy will make the cut in the long run. I loved the way it smells and how it remedies my static cling issue. But for me, I think a traditional box of Tide and a bottle of Downy may be a better choice for our family. I also think that I’d prefer a hint rather than a touch of Downy.
Tide has a very helpful website, www.tide.com, which can used to learn more about the product, sign up for coupons, and find good laundering advice for stains.
If you like Tide you may also like:
Tide Coldwater
Recommended:
Yes
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xyzwyatt
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Location: Nashville, TN
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