Ultra Era Free Wont Be in My Future
By Joan Young on
Of the three dye and perfume free liquid detergents Ive tried this year, Ive liked Era the least.
We used to use Era regularly when we still had a houseful of boys. It really got the dirt out and was reasonably priced.So when they put this on sale for the same price as Jump, the store brand that I use most often now, I bought two jugs.Ill use them up, but they sure arent my favorite. I had also bought a jug of the Our Family store brand.All are 2X concentrated, so it has been easy to compare them.
In the past few years Ive needed to switch to detergents that are free of scent. I cant tolerate the smell of my clothes if they have been washed in scented products.
The Era Ultra Free detergent usually sells for $5.59 for the 32 load 2X concentrate. This is $1.50 more than the regular price of Jump, and $2.50 more than the Our Family Brand. So I would not have tried it at all except that it was on sale.
All three seem to clean clothes equally well.I dont have any complaints or kudos for any of them. But Im not too fussy about laundry. And I use less detergent, so I can wash quite a few more than 32 loads from a jug.
All have #2 recyclable plastic jugs, and contain no phosphorus.
All three have the new design of no-spill cap, but I think that both store-brand jugs have the better design. In fact, both of those jugs are identical except for the color. The Era cap has lower sides, and its much easier to spill detergent from. The Era cap is also wider. Its not too wide for my hands, but it is a little more awkward; I have small hands.
The Ultra Era Free has a definite chemical odor. It almost smells like latex paint. It doesnt seem to leave that smell on the clothes, and it doesnt make me sneeze like the perfumes, but I have to wonder what gives it that odor.
I just dont think that this does anything better than the generic brands to justify the cost, and I like the cap and the odor the least of the three that I have tried. I wont buy this again, even on sale.
