Very Basic, But Not At All Bad: Tide Coldwater Fresh Scent Laundry Detergent!

The Good: Cleans clothes well, Inoffensive scent
The Bad: Almost no real scent during and after use, More expensive than other, comparable products
The Basics: I was surprised by how much Tide Coldwater Fresh Scent laundry detergent cost compared to other laundry detergents, despite doing nothing in particular better than other detergents.


When it comes to laundry detergents, there are very few things that wow me these days. In fact, most laundry detergents seem to be based on a gimmick that does not necessarily pan out upon closer inspection. So, when my wife and I picked up a bottle of Tide Coldwater laundry detergent, I had somewhat low expectations. My expectations were lowered by two basics aspects of the detergent – on top of not seeing how the temperature of the water would honestly affect the cleaning ability of a non Coldwater laundry detergent – the fact that as a Tide product, Tide Coldwater Fresh Scent laundry detergent was almost twice as expensive as other detergents I usually buy and the “Fresh Scent” was nothing at all extraordinary either on its own or after washing clothes.

Tide Coldwater Fresh Scent cleans clothes without fading them. Unlike the other Tide Coldwater detergent we used, this does not have the fabric softener in it, but clothes still came out fairly soft. We have used Tide Coldwater Fresh Scent for over a month and my only real complaint with it is that it does not have a very strong or distinctive scent. In the jug, the detergent smells more like a detergent than anything else. For sure, clothes come out smelling clean, but they do not have anything remotely good smelling from the detergent. In fact, even while the washer is going, there is no discernible aroma coming from the washer.

Tide Coldwater Fresh Scent is an opaque blue detergent. It smells entirely unremarkable, but at least it removes odor from clothes washed in it.

I liked Tide Coldwater Fresh Scent, despite the lack of a strong scent, as it did what it promised. No matter how soiled or stinky our clothes were going into the wash, they always came out clean and smelling neutral with the Tide Coldwater Fresh Scent. Given that 100 fl. oz. is bound to last my family only a month or two, but costs more than the 175 fl. oz. bottles of Xtra laundry detergent – which works just as well and has a nice scent to it - Tide Coldwater Fresh Scent laundry detergent is a poor value, though it does nothing bad to clothes.

For other laundry-related reviews, please be sure to visit my reviews of:
Lavender And Vanilla Xtra Laundry Detergent
Frigidaire FTF2140ES Tumble Action Frontloading Washer
Whirlpool WED9400S Electric Clothes Dryer

5/10

For other household cleaners, please visit my Tools And Cleaners Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2013 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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