Charlie's Soap Laundry Powder is the best detergent I have ever used to date. I only use a tablespoon of this powder for a medium to large size load. This powder does a great job with my white clothes, but I'm more impressed with how it has handled colored clothes. I wash numerous dark colored workout shirts twice a week and they still look brand new after several months. This soap is more than reasonably priced by the load, but it really saves me money when it comes to fabric softener. I never have to use fabric softener when I use this soap. This soap doesn't make my clothes dry and stiff like other soaps. It doesn't matter if I use warm or cold water my clothes always come out of the washer soft. I tend to stick with cold water because I have found that this soap yields the same high level of cleaning power regardless of water temperature. This soap has been very effective at getting out tomato sauce, dirt, and grease in a single wash. It also has done a great job of removing dog odor out of my clothes without leaving behind an annoying fragrance. The only knock I have against Charlie's Soap Laundry Powder is that it isn't available in my area. I have to order it online at a slightly higher price, but it's still a deal in the long run.

kingoftheink

Westchester, IL

I love Charlie's Soap Laundry Powder. It cleans flawlessly, without the nasty chemicals that detergents use (and no, Charlie's Soap Laundry Powder is NOT a detergent, it is a laundry "soap"). I use a tiny bit of vinegar in the machine too, and everything comes out fresh and clean and doesn't irritate any of my very sensitive children. I've even used Charlie's Soap Laundry Powder as a pre-wash soak for our cloth diapers and it works beautifully to get rid of the horrible amonia smell that is commonly associated with cloth diapers. The only downside to using laundry soap instead of detergent is that the whites look a little dingy. I probably wouldn't even notice if I hadn't used bleaches and brighteners in the past though. Still, it seems like a small thing to sacrifice for "healthy" laundry and if it becomes an issue I'll just fold and do an occasional load of socks with a bit of bleach.

ObviouslyAnnie

USA

I had never heard of Charlie soap. It is a laundry powder and I saw it in my friends laundry room. She was telling me how much she liked it and was nice enough to send some home with me to try. Gotta tell you, it is amazing. No more issues with scents that make the asthma kick up and yet the clothes are clean and fresh smelling. I am impressed. This is a eco friendly product and it is reasonably priced. Performance This is a a great laundry detergent. When you use it according to directions you will be amazed at how little it takes to do a large load of clothes. It is a great product and one that it great if scents bothers you. Scent I love the clean fresh smell of the sheets and like being able to pull a sheet up over me without feeling like I am being smothered with sweet fragrances. My friend has a new baby and I gave her enough to do a couple of loads of baby clothes. She now is singing the praises of Charlie's laundry soap.

txsummertime

USA

I couldn't decide whether to give this an 8 or a 9, and here's why. One, it's not an easy detergent to find; two, it's in powder form which doesn't bode well with front-load washers; and, three, it's a bit pricey. Having said all that, it turned out not to be quite as expensive as I initially thought because you have to be careful how much you use. I used waaaay too much the first time I tried it and had to do a triple rinse! When it says to only use a tablespoon, ONLY USE A TABLESPOON. I am going to try and see if I can find this stuff in liquid form because that is what I prefer. If you look at the ingredient's label, it is amazing how little is in this stuff compared to regular laundry detergent. It makes you laugh and wonder why other detergents have so much icky stuff in it. I am going to ask our local coop to carry this, and hopefully they will. I guess I could start ordering it online because Charlie's Soap does work. So far. That's the other important factor. I've only used this stuff a couple of times, that's why I say, "So far, so good...."

LoriZT

USA

Charlie's Soap Laundry Powder has a lot going for it. Firstly, it has no fragrances or brighteners--good for sensitive folks such as myself and for the environment. The product is biodegradable. Again a major plus for the environment. I try to use products that are cruelty free and this product is not animal tested. In my experience, it leaves no residue on my laundry. Another real plus is the cost; it does approximately 100 loads at a very low cost. I average about a tablespoon of the product for a large load. If the load is not very soiled, I use a little less. As to performance, there are some issues. I found that if I had an existing stain, it did not take the stain out or in any way make it less visible. This was particularly true of stains that were set from at least one other washing/drying cycle. However, on newer, fresher stains it did a reasonable job. It did not, for example, get the mustard stain out of my honey's barbecue apron. But, it did get the cat food stain out of the cat's cloth placement.

Kikko

Sacramento, CA

I can't think of a single negative regarding Charlie's Soap powder. The main reason I made my initial purchase was I needed a detergent for my cloth diapers and baby clothes. Charlie's Soap has been great for both! It is scent free and rinses clean so there is no residue left on clothes that could be aggravating to skin. I also love that it is non-toxic and biodegradable. Using only a tablespoon per load saves money and makes each purchase last. I have used it exclusively for over 5 years and have no intention of stopping. I have recommended it to family and friends. Now my mom and brother use it and have become loyal customers. Performance It works as well or better than any other detergent I have used in the past. It has worked great in both my regular washer and now my HE washer. Scent I love that it is scent free! My clothes come out just smelling clean with no artificial perfumes.

EmilyVonderau

USA

Like many others, I got turned onto Charlies soap because I needed a laundry detergent that would not ruin or build up on my cloth diapers. At first, I used my big bin of Charlies soap only to wash my cloth diapers, but once I finished the last of my other laundry detergent (a homemade version made with washing soda and fels naptha bar soap) I switched all of our clothes to Charlie's and I have never looked back. I absolutely love the fact that this detergent leaves my clothes smelling just like clothes . . . yes, just clothes with no fragrance at all! The clothes and diapers look and feel clean with no build up at all. Due to hard water, I must use a water softener in my diaper laundry to get the diapers absolutely clean. Now I use a Charlie's laundry booster for this purpose, although in the past I used Calgon. Charlie's has kept my cloth diaper stash in good shape even after continuous use for 3.5 years for 2 children. I also like the fact that I can buy Charlie's soap in large quantities. I buy a big bin every 2-years and since you only need a tiny bit of Charlies to get clothes clean, that stuff lasts forever.

ladylibrarian

USA

My baby is allergic or irritated by many things. I found this detergent when I was doing cloth diapering for her. It was highly suggested on different websites so I gave it a try. Con: I'm not a big fan of powder detergents. They feel messier to me even though they are not. Pro: Actually fresh clothes, not stench covered up with perfume. My favorite part of this detergent is the clean wash it provides. Your clothes come out smelling almost like nothing but clean. When I used it on the cloth diapers, it would not always get out the stain the first time but they still smelled clean. You might consider an extra stain remover to supplement this clean rinsing detergent. The price is a huge benefit as well. I used to buy it buy the bucket online and use the smaller container for daily use. Read the instructions as well, the full scoop is provided for large washing machines and your load may not need a full scoop. Performance This is not a stain remover. Scent No scent

franalan

USA

I've been using Charlies for over 5 years. It lasts is very affordable and works well on all of our laundry! From cloth diapers to towels, clothing and other delicates to my husband's dirty unifoms! We have been very satisfied with charlies powder soap. it works in HE front loader and a regular old top loader

ashleeberchen

USA

This soap deserves a 5 star rating. The down side is that certain people with sensitive skin can have a bad reaction to it when used on cloth diapers. The trick is to make sure you are rinsing the clothes and diapers well, making sure no detergent is left behind. On of my twins developed a rash, but the other twin just got a little red. I would really recommend this on clothes because it rinses out so well. The container takes very little space for so many loads. DOes well with heavily soiled clothes, especially dirt and grass stains. Doesn't cost a lot, but works just as well as national brands. Also makes a good presoak for wine or blood soaked shirts. I have occasionally sprinkled some in the diaper pail for odor control. Performance Packs a lot of punch in a little scoop. Dissolves very well even in cold water, no residue left on your clothes Scent Nice and clean. Not perfumy or heavy, no weird colors or particles, just fine white powder

SammyPanther27

Kittery Point, ME