Congrats Debbie, Dadoes said it great...but some people find they have too many suds, if this happens, providing you added the correct amount of STPP than you would reduce the detergent amount.

Dadoes do know anything about whether STPP causes fading? This question has come up a few times. Thank you

I haven't noticed any obvious fading and I've been using STPP for a month shy of 7 years.

Debbie...10 lbs? I started out with 1 lb. to use in my front loader.

I only need like 1 or 2 Tablespoons per load.

Do you have a traditional top loader or and "HE" machine?

Thank you for the replies. @georgect, I have a front load Samsung and the reason I bought 10# is that 5# was 20.00 and 10# was 28.00 only 8.00 more for twice the amount and I plan on sharing it with my daughter, they have cattle, goats, chickens etc and generate some DIRTY laundry. I haven't even had to time to do a load and try it out yet...

My last STPP purchase on 1/20/2013 was 22 lbs (11 lbs x 2). I share some with friends and family ... but that probably was too much to buy at once. I still have half of an 11 lb container remaining at this time.

I'm in Indiana and can buy STPP off the shelf in any hardware store. Indiana is too busy passing right to discriminate laws to worry about environmental issues. Anyway, it comes in a cardboard box. I keep reading that it should be kept in an air tight container. Why is that?

Is it TSP you're finding at local hardware stores? TSP and STPP are *not* the same thing. STPP is a complex phosphate compound. TSP is a monophosphate.

STPP is hygroscopic ... attracts moisture and degrades to TSP, thus the need for storage protected from moisture/humidity.

TSP and STPP are next to each other on the shelves. TSP is in green box, STPP red.

http://m.lowes.com/pd/TSP-All-Purpose-Heavy-Duty-Cleaner/3014065

http://m.lowes.com/pd/TSP-PF-16-oz-All-Purpose-Cleaner/3033736

All kinda good stuff on the shelves. Also where I buy sodium hydroxide.

Sandy, the second link is called TSP-PF, which is a phosphate free version of TSP apparently.

So you aren't getting STPP with that product. I have got 2 shipments of STPP over the last year, and from 2 different vendors. Both were shipped in air tight containers. I repackage the product into smaller airtight containers to use at the machines (2 washers and a dishwasher). I store the rest in a very nice airtight tub that I got with the first order from the Chemistry Store.

The second link, the phosphate free one is sodium carbonate, sodium metasilicate and EDTA. I included it for comparison.

The first link is Trisodium Phosphate.

Yes its not TSP OR STPP it is s fake ...its phosphate free

The first one is TriSodium Phosphate....but its not Sodium TriPolyPhosphate...the TSP is not what would be used in laundry.

So in other wards the TSP, IS way to harsh for clothing and machines, its used to clean driveways, and it will form a cloud of dust in the wster and everything will settle on your clothes

Sandy1616,

Are you confused on TSP vs. STPP?

TSP is Trisodium Phosphate. A monophosphate compound. It forms a precipitate when binding with hard water minerals.

STPP is Sodium Tripolyphosphate. A complex or multiphosphate compound. It does not form a precipitate. This is the one to be used as a laundry (or dishwasher) additive.

TSP. STPP. Different names, different chemical compositions.

TSP is commonly available at hardware stores and such.

STPP is not.

Dadoes, thank you for that well written explanation.

It is easy to get confused about these two.

Thanks for the explanation!