Customer Reviews

Penguin Sport Wash Laundry Detergent, 20-Ounce

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Check my other reviews for these types of detergents. I have tried several (Win, Win Free, Scuds, and Penguin) and decided give a brief review of all at the same time.

I find the Penguin does not remove the odors the best.

I would not recommend this as a first choice, there are other types that work better, IMO.

I do not notice any offensive scent left by the detergent though.

I would recommend those looking to try these odor removing detergents to try out (in order of preference), Win in the Blue bottle, Win Green Dye Free and SportSuds, tying for 2nd place.

I ride 15 miles really hard into work, and the gear from my morning commute ends up sealed up in a bag all day because I have nowhere to air it out and don't want it stinking up my office. You can imagine the result. My bike gear smells foul, and even a good dose of regular detergent doesn't get rid of the residual stink.

Penguin works significantly better than regular detergent did. But I wish there was something even more powerful.

This stuff would probably work pretty well for most jobs, but for my situation, three stars.

This detergent is just okay at getting the stink out of sports clothing, and it leaves behind a very strong chemical smell. The chemical smell was so bad, I couldn't wear the clothes - I had to wash them again in another detergent. Sport Suds is the detergent that has worked the best for my running clothes.

This stuff got the stench out of high tech running singlets that I'd thought were completely beyond redemption. I'm very grateful, and recommend it highly.

Don't waste your money on the Penguin brand. They just market to people who don't know any better. The product is EXACTLY the same as Atsko Sport Wash (it even says Atsko on the Penguin bottle) but priced at a premium by Penguin. Call Atsko if you want confirmation as they are happy to tell you. Their Sport Wash is exactly the same as their Carbon Care wash (marketed to hunters) and the Penguin Sport Wash (marketed to runners).

You can get the Atsko directly from Amazon for a lot less or you can get a huge 64oz bottle from Atsko for under $23 shipped.

We really like this product. It cleans everything we wash with it wonderfully. However, I found out it's made by Atsko (previously M W Manufacturing), in South Carolina, and is sold under other names too, such as 'Sno Seal Sport Wash', and just 'Sport Wash'. It's far less expensive to buy it direct from Atsko, especially if you use as much of it as we do. You can get it shipped direct to you from them in much larger containers for far less than buying it in small bottles.

Why do some people hate the smell, or find it doesn't work so well for them?
Let me just state the obvious, it's due to chemistry, and how each person perceives the smell. What's sweet to some, may stink to the person next to them.

There are many variables to take into account. To name some of those: what are the items being washed made of, what's on the items we are washing, the wash water's chemistry, our body product(s) chemistry(s), the chemistry of our own body odors (which vary depending on many factors -- what we put in them, what we put on them, what we're exposed to, etc.). Just about everything will react chemically with anything else it comes in contact with.

Water looks, tastes and smells different because it IS different, depending on where it comes from. Our wash water is generally not PURE H2O. There are many other things in all water sources (except PURE water made in a lab). I'm talking about minerals, particulates, biological forms, and other chemicals. Even most filtered water isn't PURE. So, people will notice a different smell or have a different reaction from combining any thing, really. Therefore, for some, the smell of their clothing might be offensive after washing with this, while for others, it's neutral.

This is the only detergent I've found that took the stink out of my daughters stinky cloth diapers (and my husbands stinky running clothes). It's the only detergent I'll use. We had been using other free and clear detergent, but after about 6 months the diapers started to reek. This took care of the problem AND doesn't bother my daughter's sensitive skin.

My wife and I are both runners, so we have quite a collection of running apparel. Over time it begins to stink...there's no getting around that. Standard detergents pretty much mask the smell with perfumes and such. I had read some good things about Penguin Sport Wash and decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it works pretty well. Our running clothes come out smelling rather neutral now. Older stuff still has somewhat of a sweaty smell to it, but let's be fair, I don't even want to think about how much sweat some of my older running shirts have endured. The manufacturer also claims that their formula is designed to wash away completely which helps restore the fabric's moisture-wicking ability. I have found this to be true. After washing some of my older running shirts, it did appear as if they were wicking sweat away better. Additional bonuses include the small amount that you need to use and the fact that it is biodegradable.

How excited was I to try this product? I washed my workout clothes on a saturday night. I workout 4-5 times a week. And I'm not looking pretty after an hour spin class. Nor are my clothes. I own a lot of lululemon. I like the fabrics. But some of them are holding onto a smell. I always thought I was doing my clothes a favor by using "free" detergents (method) and no fabric softener. Turns out those "optical" brighteners are no good for my workout clothes. After doing some research, I found some detergent options. This was the first one to try, as I was able to find at local REI ($10). The others (charlie's soap, sports suds, and no sweat sports soap) I am awaiting Amazon delivery. I used warm water and let the clothes soak for about 20 min in detergent before continuing wash. When I removed from washer, with haste, first thing I noticed was an odd chemical smell. Now, some folks say this smell is just out of the washer, and does not linger. This I hope. Some of my newer workout gear did feel better, this is likely because they have experienced minimal washings with the crappy detergents, less buildup. But, I will say, besides the chemical smell, I could not detect any stench left. It is expensive. But if I am going to invest in workout gear, I need to invest in taking care of as well.

I was hesitant to purchase based on mixed reviews, but I am happy I bought this product. In one wash, this detergent removed all odors from my workout clothing that I was previously unable to get clean. I definitely recommend this detergent.