Borax and Oxiclean
MWJ '90
2 years ago
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beaglenc
2 years agoMWJ '90
2 years agoRelated Discussions
Persil w/Electrolux Washer: Still need OxyClean?
Comments (46)Well, I'm having some of the same adjustment issues with my new FL because I also used liquid detergent and OxiClean powder together in my old TL, predissolved in the wash water before clothes were added. And I'm just not accustomed to using powdered detergents. Before my recent research, I had just assumed that liquids are better. Oxygen bleach works "best" at higher temperatures, meaning it works much faster. But it will also work in cooler water if you give it LOTS of time to soak. I got that tip from Cooks Illustrated, when they tested stain removers. They said that if you don't want to pretreat, OxiClean will get out almost any stain, IF you give it 30 minutes, or ideally 60 minutes, to work. It works for up to 6 hours or so. So, I substituted time for temperature for fabrics I thought couldn't take the heat. With a FL that lets you dispense either liquid or powder but not both, if you want the cleaning power of OxiClean, you should use a powdered detergent: - Tide HE powder - Gain HE powder - Persil Universal Powder (NOTE: there may be other brands similarly formulated, but I have only researched these so far.) Think of these powdered detergents as already containing OxiClean --- PLUS other cleaning agents needed for dirty laundry. OxiClean contains: - sodium carbonate (55-65%) - sodium percarbonate (aka sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate or oxygen bleach) (30-40%) - ethoxylated alcohol C12-16 (2-4%) Sodium carbonate is sometimes called a "builder" because it "softens" mineral ions in hard water. It also buffers a solution to a high pH, which makes other cleaning agents like surfactants work more effectively. Most of the soils and stains in fabrics are acidic, and the high pH helps break them down. Sodium percarbonate is oxygen bleach. It contains a molecule H2O2, which has an unstable, reactive oxygen molecule that's eager to break away and go off on its own, leaving H2O behind. The oxygen molecule oxidizes stains in fabrics. (It's kind of interesting that this same process happens inside our bodies, where the reactive oxygen molecules are called free radicals. Strongly-colored plant-based foods, like berries, coffee, tea, curcumin, etc., contain antioxidants that neutralize the free radicals that otherwise wreak havoc on cells. It's the same reaction as in your laundry. With laundry, we think of the oxygen as getting rid of the berry stain, and in our bodies, we think of the berries as getting rid of the free radical oxygen molecules.) Ethoxylated alcohol is a surfactant, which is needed to remove oils from items being cleaned, to make OxiClean an "all-purpose" cleaner and stain remover. OxiClean, however, does NOT contain enough surfactant to remove the oily body soils in a load of laundry. The powdered detergents I discussed in my post above (Tide, Gain, Persil) contain those exact same ingredients, PLUS add more to make the formula better for cleaning laundry. Think of them as OxiClean PLUS: - an oxygen bleach activator, to make the oxygen bleach work even if the wash temperature is not super hot - more surfactants, because oily body soils are a main component of dirty laundry - a hard-water builder system that's more effective than sodium carbonate - a polymer or emulsifier to keep the soils away from the fabrics once they've been pulled off by the surfactants - protease enzyme to break down protein-based stains like blood, grass, etc into small particles. The oxygen bleach can then break down those small particles much faster than it otherwise would. - optical brightener. All white and light-to-medium colored fabrics contain these, and refreshing them in the laundry makes the fabrics LOOK dramatically brighter and cleaner. - ingredients to stabilize the oxygen bleach so that it doesn't react with the moisture in the air while it's sitting on the shelf Those ingredients are like a cleaning orchestra, where the ingredients are more effective together than they would be separately. I do not think you will gain any cleaning power by adding liquid detergent. Everything you need for cleaning (mainly, the additional surfactants) is already in the powder detergent. And all the OxiClean ingredients are already in it too. To make these powder detergents work their best, use hot wash temperatures OR longer soak times. (Or both, if you have horrific stains.) The activator in Tide/Gain makes the oxygen bleach work better at lower wash temperature, 30-40 C (84-104 F). Above 40C/104F, the activator in Persil works equally well. So in general, Tide/Gain will clean better in American machines and for users who choose "warm" as the wash temperature to be more gentle to fabrics....See MoreHomemade DW soap and OxiClean
Comments (10)If you have trouble finding washing soda, check places that carry pool chemicals like hardware stores, DIY stores and the like. Washing soda is sodium carbonate and sodium carbonate is used in pools for water treatment. Just look for 100% sodium carbonate and you have washing soda, aka sodium carbonate, aka soda ash. It's ironic that people make dishwasher detergent while I buy it to use as a laundry additive! I buy the stuff for $1 a box with no lemon scent but has enzymes. Great laundry booster. Although I always keep borax around too. Many people add dishwasher detergent to their homemade laundry detergent for an enzyme boost/stain fighter. It does make a big difference in laundry from my experience. I used to use it all the time but now I'm using Tide so I don't need it very often. But occasionally I'll still soak something in it. I've also heard that it's great for soaking crusted pans to get them clean with less scrubbing. I haven't tried it but will. One word of caution, when you make things to be frugal, be sure to calculate out the true cost of it, including energy costs to make it, gas to go get special ingredients, etc then figure out the cost per use. I found that I couldn't make detergent for less than what it cost to buy it. But if you buy the ingredients in bulk and use a lot it can make a difference....See Moregetting white laundry white
Comments (77)I know this thread is a few months old, but maybe everyone is still around. What is the proper way to do laundry? I was basically raised with "everything together, use cold water" and I know that is wrong. So, for someone that doesn't have true laundry know-how, what are the most important things to know? How can I learn more? For instance, many things have a pound rating to determine wash size or states a "medium size load". But unless it breaks it down into "one set of sheets, 4 pillow cases, and 2 bath towels" then I am lost. I don't know what a medium size load looks like, or how much detergent that requires. I just guess and hope for the best. What should I look for in a washer, other than an internal water heater? Notes: We're building a house and will be buying a new washer and dryer, so I don't want to mess it up by being incompetent. I have more or less narrowed the options down, but...I still haven't chosen. If by chance you have any information on the models I am looking at and would be willing to share, that would be amazing. Washer Models, assume matching dryer: LG WM4370 LG WM8100 GE GFW450 GE GFW480 GE GFW490 Thank you!...See Morewashing machine that gets cottons soft
Comments (10)When I read this: " I starting using Borax and OxiClean and that keeps the mold smell issue under control," then there is a laundry practices issue. The machine should not have any mold smell. I don't know anything about GE front loaders. But the first issue would be to get rid of the mold smell. That can be done with a hot cleaning/maintenance cycle in an empty machine several times or until the odor goes away. The gasket should be cleaned out well with a microfiber cloth. Or, a product like Affresh can be used to clear the washer with very hot water added to the tub. The door should be left open at all times and the detergent dispenser pulled forward. I've had front loaders for 12 years now and never had a mold smell. Many people are sensitive to detergents and fragrance. There are many products available to address that. Nice as it may be, All Free & Clear does not seem to be giving you the softness you want. I would switch up to a diferent non-enzyme detergent for sensitive skin. Vaska tabs come to mind. There are others. However "less/more" isn't really addressing the amount of detergent used. Do you see any suds when you do a hot load? Cotton itself doesn't pill. That's likely synthetics mixed into the cotton. My understanding is that even 100% cotton can have 5% of something else. Cotton of today is not cotton before. I have American towels from the 80s that can be washed with newer towels. The older ones will be soft while the new will be scratchy. There are fabric softeners that have no fragrance that can help with that. Again, if you want a new machine that's one thing. But it sounds like some changes in laundry practices might get better results for you. Perhaps mamapinky will weigh in here too. I just had this very same conversation with a friend who came to visit. I handed her a bag of Persil perls (they made a sensitive version). She went home, cleaned out the washer, did some hot washes and game over....See Morecupofkindnessgw
2 years agoMWJ '90
2 years agotideman_59
2 years agocupofkindnessgw
2 years agoMWJ '90
2 years agotideman_59
2 years agoMWJ '90
2 years agoSEA SEA
2 years agoMWJ '90
2 years agoSEA SEA
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agotideman_59
2 years ago
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