@Darshana Maya Greenfield Your comment got me wondering... Here's what chat GPT had to say. This is kind of long, but I found it quite interesting. It wasn't until I moved to Mexico that I even questioned liquid in plastic containers for laundry soap. GPT said: Heather, I dug into this and it looks like the powder detergent itself was actually discontinued — not just repackaged. A number of retailers and longtime users confirmed that � Reddit +1 What seems to have happened is this: biokleenhome.com⁠� was originally a smaller family-owned company, but it was acquired in 2019 by Weiman Products, which is owned by the Carlyle Group investment firm. After the acquisition, they gradually shifted away from powders entirely. One retailer said they directly confirmed by phone with BioKleen that “all powders” were discontinued. � Green Mountain Diapers The frustrating part is that many people specifically preferred BioKleen because it was powder in cardboard rather than liquid in plastic. The complaints online sound exactly like yours — less plastic, fewer preservatives, easier measuring, and often cleaner ingredients in powder form. � Green Mountain Diapers +1 From the industry side, there’s been a massive market shift toward liquids for years. One packaging industry report said liquid detergents now dominate the U.S. market and companies prefer them because consumers perceive them as easier, gentler, and more modern. � SIPA Solutions Ironically, environmentally it’s kind of backwards in a lot of ways. Powders usually ship lighter, need less preservative chemistry, and often use cardboard packaging. Liquids are mostly water shipped in heavy plastic containers. Even some eco brands have admitted the “big jug” system is a problem. � Seventh Generation +1 So this probably wasn’t: “powder is bad” or “customers demanded liquid” It looks more like: corporate consolidation, mainstream market trends, higher margins/convenience marketing,

@Fefe Gong ❤️

@Teejay Crawford I wish I had known these techniques when my children were little. But then again that was before the internet! Strange thought isn't it!?

@Fefe Gong you're welcome! I'm thrilled you wanted to know more about it! 💖

@Mary Anderson I used to hate the smell of white vinegar. But now I've used it for so long and I appreciate all that it can do so much, I don't even notice the smell anymore! 🌻

@Fefe Gong you're welcome! 🌻

I researched the white bar with chat GPT. Let me point out one thing that's really important. When you're using this white bar, you grate it and you're using one or two tablespoons then you add a few cups of hot water and add it to your full load of laundry. So keep that in mind when you think about this. If you are extremely sensitive you may not be able to even smell the bar or grate it. It's super cheap and cheerful, so even if it's not for you you could give it to a friend, but probably the best thing to do if you're open to it is just try it for yourself and find out! I asked chat GPT to answer your specific questions and here's what it had to say plus it answered a comment that I made. GPT said: Yes, I took a careful look into this before answering—ingredients, how it’s made, and what people consistently report about it—so you’re getting a grounded, accurate picture. Let’s talk honestly about the white bar of Zote, because this is one of those products that lives in a gray zone between “simple” and “not completely clean.” First, your instinct about it being low fragrance when diluted is actually valid. When you grate a small amount into a full load, the scent becomes very faint compared to typical detergents. That’s why a lot of people who are sensitive still tolerate it better than mainstream products. But here’s the key truth underneath that: Fragrance — yes, it does contain it Even the white bar is not fragrance-free. It has a light citronella-type scent added during manufacturing. It’s much milder than the pink or blue versions, but it’s still there. So for someone who is highly reactive (like the person in your group), even a small amount could matter—especially because scent molecules bind to fabric. Also important: even if a bar smells faint, that doesn’t mean it’s chemically fragrance-free. Sensitive people can react to what others barely notice. Optical brighteners — this one’s a bit nuanced There’s conflicting information floating around, but most reliable breakdowns show that Zote does include whitening agents. Whether labeled explicitly as “optical brighteners” or not, the function is similar: they make fabrics appear brighter under light.