For Laundry Which Smells Like Seville Oranges. (Surf Small & Mighty Carnival Burst with Tangerine)

Member Name: Machair1

Product:	Surf Small & Mighty Carnival Burst with Tangerine
Date:	02/06/09 (37 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap and very effective.

Disadvantages: If you only run the machine at 30 degrees it will need cleaning periodically.

Doing the washing on a sunny summer day has to be almost classed as a pleasure compared to drying endless items indoors on clothes horses, or in tumble dryers, which guzzle their way through endless units of electricity.

The choice of liquid, powder or tablets these days is so vast that if you are in a superstore you will probably be overwhelmed by the sheer choices of products. Most of these will do a perfectly good job, but some are my favourites because they provide outstanding results for my most important criteria which I insist on for a wash which comes out clean and fresh smelling. This is more important in the winter when drying indoors, but even in the summer the scent of newly washed clothes drying in the wind demands a good product to ensure the clothes come in smelling fresh too.

For the purposes of this product I am talking about the whites wash because Surf Carnival Burst with Tangerine is a biological product and I wouldn't use this on any coloured items which I wanted to preserve for as along as possible in their vibrant shades. For whites it is outstanding and I'll tell you why.

First price-in this difficult economically challenged time, many of us are looking to prune our shopping bills down.
All the surf liquids are cheap, rrp is £2.99 but I have not paid this for ages, as it is nearly always possible to purchase these at about the £2 mark. This will buy a bottle containing 750mls and each capful of 35ml will do a full load as it is concentrated.

Second is the fact that the product works well at low temperatures and is ideal for 30 degrees. I like this as it saves energy, expense, and it does clean well, however I do have one comment to make about this under the opinion section which follows at the end of the review.

Third is the fragrance, Surf now make these concentrated liquids in 4 varieties although the most common two, lavender and oriental blossom and the yellow sunshine lemon and bergamot are the most well stocked. The tangerine and the other new one Surf Small & Mighty Tempting Nature with Rainflow are a bit more difficult to track down but I buy mine from Waitrose. The tangerine version is absolutely lovely. It has a delicate orange scent and is fresh and citrusy and the smell lingers on the clothes through all the stages of the laundry process through to ironing.
The product contains natural essential oils, and these make the laundry smell fresh which is ideal for whites.

My experience.

I have a smaller family these days as my son has emigrated to America and my daughters are away at uni. However I still seem to have a lot of washing due to a son of 17 and a husband who works in city of London. Both wear white shirts so that is 10 per week and we use white linen sheets and towels, and all these challenge my washing skills each week. I use many different products and often buy things on offer, but I have settled over the years on these liquids which have evolved so much since the days I was in my teens, when Surf really was promoted as the basic product and was referred to as a "square deal"! Then it was a powder which I don't buy too often any more as I am never happy about the residues which can often stay on the clothes at certain programmes, so the Surf liquid works well. All the varieties are lovely but the tangerine is especially so as it has this really summer day freshness and is a lovely pure white creamy liquid.

I love the fact that you just pour the liquid into the drawer as there is no need for those dosing balls which often end up as cat ping pong toys, and I can never find them. The clothes are always spotless. As we are all sedentary workers I can't comment on whether it would work with severely stained clothing, but I can assure you that it does a brilliant job on vet clothes which my daughter brings home sometimes after her work on farms leaves them in need of some severe cleaning, though I do soak these in Milton first to avoid contaminating the machine.

My only problem with this liquid and with all the products which claim to work at low temperatures is that you have to run the machine empty at least once a week at 90 degrees to really stop any bacteria from forming, and you must remove the clothes as soon as the cycle is finished. I will often run some soda crystals through from time to time, or a little bleach, as it keeps the drum fresh and I also leave the door open slightly to allow air flow which stops mould. Cheap white vinegar also works well for this job.

I would never use this for coloured or delicate fabrics or for anyone who is allergic to biological liquids, but for outstanding cleaning and a lovely smell too this good value product is well worth trying.

It rinses out completely at the end of the cycle and the fragrance is really special. It actually smells like Seville oranges, and is actually becomes almost a pleasure to embark on a basket of washing!

As the product is concentrated it takes less lorries to distribute it, and so it is also good for the environment and it lasts a long time so less heavy to carry from the shops.

All in all it's a great product as long as you remember to clean the machine with a hotter wash periodically, especially before you go on holiday, as this is when the mould build up can occur if you leave the machine damp and unused for some time. This is especially true if all you do is run it as 30 degrees. The manufacturers never tell you this but it is the side effect of trying to be green!

The packaging is extremely attractive and overall it contains a product which is excellent value for money.

Summary: A great product which is available at good price.