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Thread Number: 2027
Is it never HOT enough? |
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Post# 65742 , Reply# 1 5/7/2005 at 19:11 (6,922 days old) by toggleswitch  (New York City, NY) |
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Looks OK | ||
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Post# 65751 , Reply# 2 5/7/2005 at 19:46 (6,922 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Not much made today
Can withstand repeated or even one washing at temps above 160F. Good quality linen and even cotton bed/table linens would be fine,especially if they are vintage. Launder my vintage linen sheets and Wamsutta Supercales at near boiling temps and they seem to be fine. The key is not to use aggressive laundry products, I use soap or Cheer Free and Gentle. You want to keep the pH near neutral, but just alkaline enough to get out the soils/oils. High wash temps are needed to activate pure oxygen bleach and reall helps get out oils. Remember oxygen bleach works best at 120F and above. Sodium perborate really needs 140F, but both hit their stride at higher temps. Have boiled some horribly brown linens on the stove and you should see how the gunk literally vanishes at higher temps. The beauty of higher temps is one only needs about 10 minutes, verus the extended time required the lower wash temps get. Laundries in Europe/GB used 160F and above washes routinely for linens and towels.Of course there chlorine bleach is not much used, rather the old tried and true method of boiling for whitening and sanitising. Oh yes, boiling kills lice, bed bugs and other vermin, which is why bed and body linens were always made sturdy enough to withstand that sort of treatment. Sometimes shirts and every thing else was boiled as well. Think Mammy in "Gone With The Wind" boiling all those soilders clothes! Miss Sue-Ellen say's "Mammy, I think it is indignant the way you speak to those soilders" Mammy shoots back "you'd think it was lot more indignat if one of them lice got on you". Considering bed bugs are once again making an apperance on both sides of the pond, one shouldn't chuck out that copper just yet! LOL! Launderess | ||
| Post# 65769 , Reply# 5 5/7/2005 at 21:12 (6,922 days old) by mrx () | ||
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Boiling whites does whiten them! If you wash white linen (The fabric type not using the generic "bed linen" terminology) or cotton items at 95C they will whiten signifigantly! (Speaking from experience) | ||
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Post# 65799 , Reply# 6 5/7/2005 at 23:47 (6,922 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Bed Bugs
Apparently the return of the critters is blamed on several factors, according to a NY Times article read awhle ago. First was the use of less toxic pest chemicals which are less effective against bed bugs. This is probably because many people do not like the kind of toxic chemicals that must be used all over the house/bed room to really deal with the critters. Next, is the trend of people bringing home beds and mattresses from thrift stores, second hand stores, and even off the street. People bring these infested mattresses home, they get bed bugs, and soon they're spreading anyplace they visit, and when you visit them. Gross,isn't it? Launderess | ||
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Post# 65825 , Reply# 7 5/8/2005 at 06:50 (6,921 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY) |
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I have seen so much use of essentail oils and artificial air-fresheners, (and the plug-in variety as well) to mask dirt. [Personally IMHO why would you allow greasy oil to be dispensed into every room..do we not see that a kitchen is hard to clean because of greasy oils? ] I am not surprised that critters have made a come-back at least in this country where generally good old-fashined scrubbing appears not to be in fashion, currently. Four expesnive,fancy vacuum cleaners that are rearely used is still worse than a broom that is used every day!! Ditto a dozen-and-a half cleaning products that sit under the sink, unused rather than a half-sozen that go to work ever week! Sigh-- maybe I am OCD clean-freak! At any rate I'm, going to whip out my huge SS stock-pot that I use to boil laundry and go back to the practice! | ||
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Post# 65826 , Reply# 8 5/8/2005 at 06:55 (6,921 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY) |
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ASKOs Boiling laundry
I was hot-into ASKOs conceptually for a while. They tout their ability as laundry boilers... but some comments by Americans on them were that there was never a problem with whites yellowing until the water-hog T/L was replaced with an Asko.... Sorry about the local link. It is the default that I first got.. CLICK HERE TO GO TO toggleswitch's LINK | ||
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Post# 65827 , Reply# 9 5/8/2005 at 07:05 (6,921 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY) |
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Laundress-es wherabouts
AHA A clue... NY Times you say? Hmmmm that pretty much brings us to jump to the conclusion you are near me... or in another big city.... or you could say, as you appear to read flea-bay ads frequently, so too do you read the NY times online....and are in the stix. What say you, then noble Laundress? Enquiring minds want to know. For our international friends.. the Enquirer is a super-market tabloid (read "rag") that is worthy of perhaps being used as toilet-paper in an emergency or a bird-cage liner generally. I may be wrong about this rag, of course, if Elvis is indeed alive...... | ||
| Post# 65839 , Reply# 11 5/8/2005 at 08:52 (6,921 days old) by kenmore1978 () | ||
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white whites hot water and a little chlorine bleach seems to work for me. | ||
| Post# 65840 , Reply# 12 5/8/2005 at 08:57 (6,921 days old) by agiflow () | ||
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I'm with you Kenmore78. | ||
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Post# 65841 , Reply# 13 5/8/2005 at 08:58 (6,921 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY) |
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white wash
..when using bleach. I have been known to throw a pair of blue-jeans in with whites and bleach when they are not looking spiffy/clean. The blue dye that is removed by the bleach ends up evening-out the color of the jeans and acting as bluing to visually offset the yellow in the whites. Bleach works BTW by taking ultraviolet light from the atmoshere, lettign it bouce off clothes where it is changed by residual bleach into visible light. Hence whiterbrighter clothing. This is why it does not clean (but it does disinfect) one must always wash THEN bleach. Or better yet IMHO pre-wash in cold to warm water to get out the majority of dirt and protein based stains that will be "set" by heat, then a hot water wash, then bleach. BTW I hear a rumor that bleach turns into dioxin and is hugely toxic to environment? Can anyone de-fuzz my head on this? | ||
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Post# 65918 , Reply# 19 5/8/2005 at 20:05 (6,921 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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Jaune, we in the U.S. have to use bleach as a last resort cuz our water temps just aren't high enough for cleaning found in hotter washes such as 160 degrees, 180, or even 203. I've personally used an AEG at Steve 1-18's house on white loads set for 60C or 70C, and I've watched the soil literally be in the ater, kinda brown yellowish, toward the end of the wash cyc.e Whites whites without bleach I've ever see. and we used Purex liquid.
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Post# 65969 , Reply# 20 5/9/2005 at 05:22 (6,920 days old) by chachp (North Little Rock, AR) |
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White Whites
I replaced my TL Maytag with a FL Bosch about 3 years ago. At that point I stopped using bleach in my whites and instead began using Oxiclean and Persil. My whites were dingy and always felt as if they had some kind of residue or something. Anyway, the first few times I did my whites in the Bosch I started with a two hour soak in Oxiclean followed by a cold wash that gradually heated to 161 degrees. I no longer need the soak cycle. My whites are pure white and soft. The other thing I've noticed is that they seem to last much longer now and I think it's because I'm not using the chlorine bleach anymore. I am a believer in a high temp wash replacing chlorine bleach. | ||
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Post# 66032 , Reply# 26 5/9/2005 at 13:58 (6,920 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands) |
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Post# 66037 , Reply# 29 5/9/2005 at 14:13 (6,920 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands) |
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Daniele, You are right. I remember lakes being green and full of dead fish. After the phosphates were banned in the Netherlands there was a big improvement in the balance in ponds and lakes (the problem occurs mainly in standing water). Long after the phosphates were banned technology to filter the phosphates out of the waste water were devellopped. But too late. Zeolites already had taken over. If the technology had been invented sooner perhaps we still would use phosphates. | ||
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Post# 66041 , Reply# 31 5/9/2005 at 14:42 (6,920 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands) |
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When phosphates are filtered out of the waste water, I think that would be the best thing for the environment. But unfortunately these techniques have never been installed here. So I guess zeolite is better at the moment. Zeolite is a kind of clay that takes rather long to break down I believe. Perhaps someone else is more knowledgeable on this topic.
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Post# 66156 , Reply# 36 5/9/2005 at 21:25 (6,920 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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"Phosphates are unnecessary The only reason that detergent companies use phosphates where they can get away with it is because they're very cheap Zeolites and other more environmentally friendly alternatives are substantially more expensive. " No, this is not true. Testing after testing though the years have found no other single laundry detergent builder performs the same functions as well as phosphates. It takes several chemicals to subsitute for the one phosphate, and even then they do not always do the same job. Besides softening water, phosphates perform many other functions in the wash. Testing after testing has shown laundry laundered with phosphated detergents are cleaner and brighter than any combination of subsitutes. "You shouldn't really notice any difference in the results as neither phosphates nor zeolites are active ingredients in the detergent. They just soften the water to allow the detergent to work better. " See above. Just so you know, Henkel, Germany announced recently they will be discontinuing using zeolites in their wash powders. Zeolites have their problems (cannot remember off hand what they are), and Henkel is now again seeking replacements for phosphates. As for oxygen-based bleaches, there are usually 2 ingredients.. an oxygen based bleach and a bleach activator. When these two are mixed with water they react and the bleaching process begins. They should work at pretty much any temprature. Most washing powders use sodium perborate bleaches which really do not perform well in water temps below 140F. Even sodium percarbonate needs wash temps of above 120F or so. Temps lower than these mean an increase in contact time to achieve the same level of bleaching/stain removal. In the days when boil washed ruled, Persil (name taken from Silicate and Perborate, two of the original chemicals), gave a whiter wash because the really hot wash temps activated the oxygen bleaches. With wash temps dropping, methods were needed to "activate" oxygen bleaches at lower temps. Persil uses TAED, which when combined with oxygen bleaches even at low wash temps created peroxygen (sp?)acid. This bleaching compound is actually a more effective bleach than oxygen bleach alone, and sanitises as well (contact time of at least 20 mins at 120F, 10 at 140F. The chemical is also used by breweries to sanitise bottles and equipment. "Ideally, a European style biological washing powder should be used in water gently heated from cold to 30 or 40C. This is the optimal temp for enzyme action. " Yes, and no. Novozyme amoung other chemical suppliers have long developed enzymes that work in boiling, hot, warm, and cold water. There are natual enzymes one finds in hot springs that do very well at temps of over 200F. It is these chemicals that allow detergent makers to advertise detergents that work well in all water temps. Consider dishwashing tablets/powders, most of which now contain enzymes. Dishwashers work at 140F and over temps and one has never heard of anyone starting with cold water and holding at a warm, then going to hot. Well certian Euro-dishwashers do fill with cold and heat to hot, but that is a different story. It is really only some naturally occuring enzymes that need warm temps for optimal results. What matters most is that enzymes be given enough time to do their work. Twenty minutes or longer in case of badly stained items. "There's are quite a few enzymes in powders like Ariel and Persil each acting on a different stain type.. i.e. fats and proteins. " Chief enzymes for laundry detergents are: Lipase - for digesting fats/oils Protease - for digesting protiens Amylase - for digesting starches Celluase(sp?)- digests cotton fibers to help remove the fuzz on cotton garments. "Remember one thing if you're using any Euro biological powder DO NOT USE IT ON SILK OR WOOL! Silk is 100% protein and will be disolved.. while wool will be very badly damaged and become brittle and shrunken. " While the average homemaker shouldn't use enzymes on wool or silk, commercial laundries/dry cleaners do so all the time to remove tough stains. The only enzyme that would cause serious harm are th e ones that affect protien. Starch,fat and in some cases even protien digesters would be fine in the right hands. Agian do not try this at home folks. Launderess | ||
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Post# 66239 , Reply# 38 5/10/2005 at 10:32 (6,919 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Stain Soaking
Most front loaders by nature of design have wash cycles that run pretty long, especially if heating water from cold to warm, hot or boiling. I usually soak badly stained items overnight in a wash tub with a bit of Biz, Cheer or Spray n Wash Pink, this would be for things like table linens or very dirty shirts. As one should never start with hot washing (sets stains and can shock fabric), if one does not have a washer that heats from cold to hot, a cool or luke warm pre-wash/soak is best. In addition to allowing time for enzymes to work, this also allows fabric fibers to relax and make for easier soil removal. As for wash temps above 140F using plastic tubed machines: Again, most modern laundry detergents are designed to give good results at 120F or lower. Many are reporting good results with Cold Water Tide. If laundering items one really wishes to sanitize, would probaly have to use chlorine bleach (if safe), which is what most top loaders are designed for. Launderess | ||
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Post# 66339 , Reply# 43 5/11/2005 at 08:00 (6,918 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY) |
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You people? | ||
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Post# 66340 , Reply# 44 5/11/2005 at 08:02 (6,918 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY) |
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Yous => | ||
| Post# 68241 , Reply# 49 5/26/2005 at 13:29 (6,903 days old) by Michaelman2 (Lauderdale by the Sea, FL) | ||
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Laundress/Snowy Bleach Hey Laundress, what happened to Snowy Bleach? | ||
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Post# 68331 , Reply# 50 5/27/2005 at 00:42 (6,903 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Snowy Bleach?
Never really bother with the stuff as I use pure sodium percarbonate bleach from Ecover, but will take a look when doing the shopping tomorrow. Maybe that Snowy has gone the way of many other laundry products which did not pull their weight. What with the plethora of "oxi" products out there, Snowy is hardly the only non-chlorine bleach. Now if they would only bring back "La France" bluing/bleach I'd be a happy camper. Launderess | ||
| Post# 68348 , Reply# 51 5/27/2005 at 04:07 (6,902 days old) by kenmore1978 () | ||
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colorsafe bleach I've been buying this prduct fromthe 99 Cent store called BLAST! It's a combo of sodium percarbonate and borax | ||
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Post# 68352 , Reply# 52 5/27/2005 at 04:49 (6,902 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Oxygen Bleaches | ||
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Post# 68353 , Reply# 53 5/27/2005 at 04:52 (6,902 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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And Another Thing
You want to look for a high ratio of oxygen bleach to alkaline (borax or washing soda). About 75% bleach to 25% alkaline substance is a good ratio. Remember if one is using a good detergent (which is usually alkaline to slightly alkaline) or STPP (another alkaline substance), the the additon of washing soda or borax in the form of filler with oxygen bleach is not needed. This is why I just buy straight up Ecover bleach(100% sodium percarbonate). Launderess | ||
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Post# 68643 , Reply# 54 5/30/2005 at 07:23 (6,899 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY) |
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Ecover Detergent
Laundress: What do you think of Ecover's regular detergent? Also read that to be frugal, some people grind up remaining small bars of bathroom "soap" and use them in the wash. [The small ones you'd normally throw away.] Anyone have any clue as to how much to use per a F/L wash? I thought I'd try Ivory soap ground up in the wash, in that commercially available soap-flakes are hard to find in my area. Thank you | ||
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Post# 68719 , Reply# 55 5/31/2005 at 02:12 (6,899 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Soap Flakes
Can be still found, do a search on Google. Think Vermont Country Store and a few other mail order sites have them. Of course one can find vintage Ivory Snow or Lux soap on Fleabay, but usually they go for much more than the modern soap flakes mentioned above. I save soap scraps in a jar next to the kitchen sink to make soap "goop" to use for washing hands. It is generally not a good idea to use bath/beauty soaps for laundry as many contain moisturisers and other chemicals not good for clothes. You can also purchase any good olive oil soap like Savon de Marsielle to use in laundry. Launderess | ||
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Post# 68755 , Reply# 56 5/31/2005 at 09:49 (6,898 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY) |
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Post# 69480 , Reply# 57 6/6/2005 at 21:54 (6,892 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY) |
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Attention Laundress and Venus | ||
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Post# 69642 , Reply# 58 6/8/2005 at 23:00 (6,890 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY) |
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Post# 73932 , Reply# 59 7/17/2005 at 06:50 (6,851 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY) |
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| Post# 73940 , Reply# 60 7/17/2005 at 07:46 (6,851 days old) by kenmore1978 () | ||
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Borax Basically, it's a laundry booster that goes way back CLICK HERE TO GO TO kenmore1978's LINK | ||
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