Woolite Complete Detergent Review: Gentle On Clothes

by Taylor

I recently finished my bottle of Woolite Complete laundry detergent, in the dual formula, meaning it is useable in either regular or HE machines, and wanted to share my review with you.

I have to be honest and say I would never have willingly bought this detergent, because it is not listed as hypoallergenic, but my mother in law bought it for us when I mentioned I needed more Woolite. Well, I meant I needed more Woolite delicate wash but she bought me the regular detergent, designed for all clothing. Not wanting to waste perfectly good detergent I did end up using it though.

I will confess I mainly used it for washing gentle items anyway, even though I could have used it on any clothes, just because I was almost out of gentle wash detergent anyway. Although the detergent is supposed to be for all clothes it treated my delicates very nicely, which makes me know it would be great for any types of clothing you are concerned about fading or excessive wear.

I didn't really put it through rigorous testing as to removing stains so I can't really say how it would do on really dirty clothes. None of the stuff I washed was more than just a little dirty, and in need of freshening.


What really surprised me about Woolite Complete laundry detergent, however, was the fact that even though it had a light scent it didn't seem to bother anyone's laundry detergent allergies in our home. That is unusual, but I assume that it because it didn't leave much of a perfume scent at all, and also because it seemed to rinse clean.

The detergent didn't suds up much, but that is not surprising since like I said, it is dual compatible. I don't have an HE machine, but it works with either type and detergents that are dual compatible, or HE formulas are specifically designed to have less suds. (You can read more about HE laundry detergent facts here.)

I would love to hear from more people who have used this, or any other Woolite detergents. You can share your Woolite laundry detergent review here, or read other reviews which have already been submitted.

In addition, I've create a list of available delicate wash products which you might find helpful if you're looking to find a new cold water wash for fine washables, and would like to see lots of reviews in one place.

***Update: Woolite no longer makes this particular version of detergent. Instead, it has been rebranded to now be called "Woolite Everday" but seems to be basically the same (although there may have also been a formulation change that I am unaware of). You can read my review of Woolite Everyday detergent here. ***End Update

Allergic Reaction To Woolite Complete Super Concentrated Gel

by Therese
(Ireland)

Like everyone else I've been using Woolite since my daughter was born almost 20 years ago. It's been fine - no reactions at any time.

However, about a year ago my daughter had a skin reaction "to something" I honestly couldn't figure out what was causing it.

She was itching so badly that she scratched herself in her sleep and was bleeding slightly in places.

This went on for a while and faded away until last week and then the penny dropped!

The only thing I did differently that time last year and again just last week, was I bought Woolite Complete Super Concentrated Gel because it was on offer.

I rewashed all her clothes last week and while she had an all over itch, it faded off quickly as she wasn't constantly wearing clothes/sleeping in sheets/using towels washed in Woolite Complete.

I clicked on this forum to see if anyone else had similar experiences and see that they had. It's back to the "pink" Woolite for us from now on.

Woolite Complete Detergent Gave My Family Allergic Reaction

by Anne Marie
(CA)

Anne Marie also shared her experience with Woolite Complete detergent, and unfortunately she did not have a good experience with it.

Anne Marie says:

I have been using Woolite for delicates forever with my gentle washes and have been very satisfied. However, recently my daughter came home from college and, after she washed one load of her laundry in Woolite, she began itching all over.

She immediately attributed it to the Woolite, rewashed her clothes with our Kirkland Ultra laundry detergent, and hasn't had a problem since.

Meanwhile, I thought she was overreacting because I had been using Woolite on her clothes since she was born. Then I developed a severe itchy rash that eventually spread all over my body.

Initially I attributed it to eating too many oysters, even though I eat shellfish regularly without having had any previous reactions.

Even with treatment, I have been rashing and itching with inflammation for a month now and continue to have new breakouts. To give my daughter credit, I checked out the Woolite bottle and realized it's a newer product ~ Woolite Complete. How long has that product been on the market? To my knowledge there was only one Woolite before for gentle washes. I imagine it has a different chemical formulation than what we have been used to for so long.

Has anyone else had an allergic reaction to Woolite Complete, after having had no problems with the original Woolite product over many years?

Taylor says:

Sorry to hear about your problems with Woolite Complete Anne Marie.

You're right, the original formula of Woolite was only for delicates, but a couple of years ago they decided they wanted to get into the broader laundry detergent market, so they created a formula that you could use on all your clothes, not just on delicates. As I explain in more detail on my Woolite detergent page they now have the delicates wash, the Complete formula, as well as a detergent that can be used on darks.

I actually got a complaint about the Woolite for darks formula causing a mild allergic reaction for one person (click the link to read Amanda's experience), but you're the first person to tell me of a problem with the Complete formulation.

We actually have laundry allergies in our home, but the detergent when I used it didn't bother my family (see the review above). Of course, everyone's reaction is different.

I'd love to hear from even more people who've used Woolite Complete detergent, sharing how it has worked for you, either in regard to skin reactions, or for how it cleaned your clothes. You can share your Woolite detergent reviews here, or read other reviews that have already been submitted.

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