Lidl (Washing Liquid) > Reviews > Laundry on a budget

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money	Good value
Do you need to use much for each clean?	A little goes a long way
Irritable to skin?	Fine
Longlasting effects?	Keeps things looking clean for longer than average

Advantages:	cheap, effective
Disadvantages:	can't be used on wool or silk

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I tend to buy a lot of economy products during my weekly shop, but with certain products I always buy brand name. Washing powder is one of those things. I don't know why, because to my recollection I had never bought economy branded washing powder, yet I seemed to have automatically written it off. A few months ago however, I was trying to find a way to save money, and finally took the plunge and bought a bottle of Lidl's Maxitrat washing liquid, and surprisingly I have found it to be just as good as the more expensive brands.

~*Packaging*~

As this is a liquid detergent it comes in a bottle. The bottle is made of clear plastic through which you can see the orange liquid and has a built in handle which makes it easier to carry and hold 1.5 litres of liquid. I have found the fact that the bottle is clear to be a big plus point, as I can see when I'm running out - unlike powders that come in a box, which I frequently run out of without realising and have to make quick dashes to the overpriced local shops to top up. Each bottle also comes with a dosing ball on the top, which is useful for measuring accurate amounts of detergent.
The actual label on the bottle is quite bright and slightly garish, being orange in colour with little blue bubbles surrounding the logo, but at the end of the day, who's going to see it?

~*Things to note before you use it*~

One of the main negative points about this product is that it is not suitable for wool or silk. During the summer months this wasn't a problem, but now that the colder weather is here, I have had to buy a separate powder detergent to wash all my winter woollens, which is fairly inconvenient.
The detergent can be used at 30, 40 or 60 degrees, which is fine by me as I was all my clothes at 40 and bed lined at 60 (I don't have a 30 programme on my machine).

~*Using it*~

After loading the drum of your machine, you will need to measure the amount of liquid that you need to use. You can do it two ways - either measure into the dosing ball and place in the drum, or alternatively use the cap of the bottle to measure and pour into your drawer. I personally always use the former, as the dosage ball is easy to use and means less spillage.
The dosing ball is marked with measurements between 30ml and 120ml and there is an easy to read table on the back of the bottle, advising how much liquid should be used according to how heavily soiled the garment is, and what the water hardness level in your area is.
Although the product does have a pleasant and subtle smell, I have started adding a bit of fabric softener into the drawer with this too.
The detergent can also be used for hand washing, although not something I have done yet myself, it's handy to know that it can be used for that purpose.

~*The Results*~

As I said before I was slightly dubious about using a cheaper detergent, so I wasn't sure what to expect. My first reaction was surprise - everything was clean, it had a subtle fragrance, and the results were just as good as the Surf and Daz which I had previously been using.
On my first few uses I tried to avoid washing things that were heavily stained or any whites, as I wasn't expecting it to be very good on stain removal, and was worried my whites would turn that horrible grey colour. I have however been brave enough to try, and it leaves everything clean - and whites stay white - no grey tinges!
I have also had allergic reactions to some powders - mainly Bold 2in1, and I have psoriasis, but this detergent is fine on my skin, and I've had no reaction to it at all.

~*Price*~

Normally I would buy Surf or Daz which both cost around £1.89 from Wilkinsons and give 10 washes, which works out at around 19p a wash. With Lidl Washing liquid it costs the same (£1.89), but contains enough for 20 washes, which works out at 9.5p a wash - half price. As you can see, this is much more cost effective, especially as the results are exactly the same. Obviously as this is a Lidl product it is only available in Lidl.

~*Overall opinion*~

I wasn't expecting to like this, but now I'm converted. It has cut my washing bill in half, and made me more open to trying economy brand detergents. Like I said, the only downside with this product is that it can't wash wool or silk. I'm really impressed with the results, and next time you're in a Lidl store, I would advise giving this a try.

~*Extra Info*~

For more information you can
- visit www.lidl-info.com
- Call 0870 444 1234
- Write to: Lidl UK GmbH, 19 Worple Road, GB-London, SW19 4JS