Thread Number: 6149
What is suds saver? |
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Post# 125937 , Reply# 1   5/1/2006 at 20:44 (6,541 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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The machine with the "Automatic" button is a lower end model, as it has just a single speed motor. Which is not to say it might not be a perfectly good, reliable machine, as most older Maytags are. In addition to the "Save Suds" buttons, you can spot a suds saver washer because it will generally have two drain hoses. "Suds Saver" means that one can redirect the hot soapy water from the first wash into a basin. There it can be stored until one wishes to use it again, usually for the next load of laundry. Then the Suds Saver machine can suck the water back up into the tub for the next load of laundry. This technique winds up saving on the energy used to heat the water (although obviously it will cool somewhat in the storage basin), and on the detergent (although modern detergents are relatively inexpensive). Some appliance repair people don't like Suds Saver washers because it's another thing to go wrong. I happen to like them, as the Suds Saving functions can be quite entertaining. You can always use a Suds Saver like a normal washer simply by putting both drain hoses into the same basin for draining. |
Post# 125940 , Reply# 2   5/1/2006 at 20:48 (6,541 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Suds saving is a device where the washer will pump out wash water into a sink, then at the next selected wash cycle "reuse" the same wash water. In other words the wash water is reused for more than one wash cycle. Suds saving features were popular on many washers during the 1960's and 1970's IIRC as a way of saving energy and water. While the wash water is sitting in the sink, dirt settles to the bottom, thus when the washer takes back this water it should not be "that" dirty. Also most washers having this feature stopped taking in the washer water from the sink after a certian period, leaving a small amount of water behind. This remaining water hopefully held all the dirt,lint and muck from the first usage. To use this feature one has to have those deep laundry sinks common in many older homes. Most modern homes have standpipes for the washer to drain, and that means suds saving will not work. L. |
Post# 125972 , Reply# 4   5/1/2006 at 23:41 (6,541 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)   |   | |
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...taken in Tucson, AZ latest wash-in of 30-Mar-06 Click on *media* see part 1 and part 2 CLICK HERE TO GO TO toggleswitch's LINK |
Post# 125977 , Reply# 5   5/2/2006 at 00:37 (6,541 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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Post# 125978 , Reply# 6   5/2/2006 at 00:43 (6,541 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Post# 125981 , Reply# 7   5/2/2006 at 01:18 (6,541 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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Post# 125987 , Reply# 8   5/2/2006 at 05:33 (6,540 days old) by polkanut (Wausau, WI )   |   | |
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Post# 126071 , Reply# 9   5/2/2006 at 19:42 (6,540 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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Dear Suds Lovers, For me, susdsavers are among the coolest thing in existence. Most people pay little or no attention to the wash water as it exits. Indeed, as someone pointed out, today many machines drain unseen water into standpipes. My point: the hot clean fragrant wash water is often spotless and wasted on the sewer. To me it is an unimaginable loss of wonderful resources, not to mention the absolute fun missed by people who have not experienced the splendor of the suds return. When I become as skilled as so many of you are with digital camera equipment, I promise a suds return TO--as the saying goes-- DIE FOR !! The 4th of July is my target date. Wish and hope I make the goal. |
Post# 126091 , Reply# 10   5/2/2006 at 20:30 (6,540 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)   |   | |
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Post# 126092 , Reply# 11   5/2/2006 at 20:32 (6,540 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)   |   | |
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Post# 126093 , Reply# 12   5/2/2006 at 20:32 (6,540 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)   |   | |
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Post# 126097 , Reply# 13   5/2/2006 at 20:37 (6,540 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)   |   | |
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Post# 126099 , Reply# 14   5/2/2006 at 20:43 (6,540 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)   |   | |
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Post# 126100 , Reply# 15   5/2/2006 at 20:44 (6,540 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)   |   | |
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Post# 126126 , Reply# 16   5/3/2006 at 00:07 (6,540 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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Post# 126224 , Reply# 17   5/3/2006 at 14:08 (6,539 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)   |   | |
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I've always thought suds-savers were an excellent way to drastically improve the water/energy efficiency of a toploader. Some people can't get past the notion of using wash water for more than one load, but I grew up with clean clothes and my mom used the suds-saver on our Kenmore all the time. Our 1960 used a fast agitation speed while the water was returning to the tub for Load #2 and it was splashtastic! Unfortunately, the wild splashing caused the tub light to get wet and pop. Later in the '60's, I believe Kenmore switched to a slow agitation speed for the suds-return. |
Post# 126322 , Reply# 18   5/3/2006 at 19:38 (6,539 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)   |   | |
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fresh videos at putfile www.putfile.com/bpetersxx... Haier Danby Maytag CLICK HERE TO GO TO bpetersxx's LINK |
Post# 126520 , Reply# 22   5/4/2006 at 14:25 (6,538 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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Vintage detergents contained both surfactanta and phosphates. Modern phosphate-free detergents subsitute more washing soda (sodium carbonate), and carboxymethylcellulose, and sometimes enzymes, to try to replace the superior cleaning action of a phosphated detergent. A detergent without surfactants would be little more than washing soda and/or phosphates. Not really a detergent. Some surfactant is needed to break water tension, improve wetting, and solubilize water-insoluble or lipid-rich soils. |
Post# 126574 , Reply# 23   5/4/2006 at 18:19 (6,538 days old) by mixfinder ()   |   | |
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You are absolutely, correct. I look like a fool. Thanks for edifying me. Kelly |
Post# 126579 , Reply# 24   5/4/2006 at 18:40 (6,538 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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Sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass anyone. And you may be partially right. Before detergents, and before phosphates, I understand it was a common practice (in the 30's or earlier) to add some washing soda to the wash water to help soften it, and then add soap. Of course, complex phosphates would be even better, as they don't form a precipitate like washing soda does. Soap combines the surfactant qualities of a detergent with some of the "break" functions of a detergent. Its biggest drawback is that it can form an insoluble scum with hard water and heavy soiling. And of course solid soaps don't dissolve readily in cold water. Laundry may be somewhat alkaline (as this helps to turn oily soils into semi-soaps) with the addition of lye, or residual lye from the soap manufacturing process.
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Post# 126665 , Reply# 25   5/5/2006 at 06:06 (6,537 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut)   |   | |
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Post# 126676 , Reply# 26   5/5/2006 at 06:53 (6,537 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Calgon liquid is mainly sodium citrate, and Calgon powder sodium carbonate and other water softeners, but no phosphates. Laundry at least that worn close to the body and or soiled with bodily fluids like sweat is acidic, not alkaline. Most if not all body fluids; sweat, tears, urine, even blood are slighly acidic. For one thing it helps provide a hostile environment for germs. However if left sitting for along time on laundry, sweat will turn alkaline. This why one is advised to use ammonina or alkaline substance on fresh sweat stains, and vinegar on old ones. Soap is deactivated in the presence of acids, this includes the acids coming from soiled laundry. Housewives would combat this by simply adding enough soap until they had suds that would "stand up". Have many vintage laundry books from the 1930's and 1940's, where both STPP, TSP, washing soda, and borax are discussed for softening water. So phosphates must have been around back then, probably easy to find at local chemists or general store. Yes, pure soap is not great for laundering in cold water, but Fels and the any other "naphtha" containing soaps were excellent for laundering in all water temps. It was the petrol that did most of the cleaning, rather than relying simply upon pure soap. Even as late as the 1940's or 1950's hot water on demand from a heater was not something every housewife had; these ladies had to resort on wash days to the same methods as their mothers and grandmothers, boiling kegs of hot water. Fels soap by the 1940's was more a "detergent" than soap. It contained fabric whiteners, water softening agents, naptha, and other chemicals that made it a great "heavy duty" wash product. However like all soaps, Fels suffers from one major drawback, soaps do not totally rinse out of laundry. Even with several warm rinses, a tiny bit of the oils/fats to make any soap remain. Eventually this soap residue will cause fabrics to grey, and even smell. Instant Fels, was advertised as having "built in fabric softeners" which really was nothing more than the left over fats/oils from the soap. L. |
Post# 126683 , Reply# 27   5/5/2006 at 07:17 (6,537 days old) by jamiel (Detroit, Michigan and Palm Springs, CA)   |   | |
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Post# 126758 , Reply# 29   5/5/2006 at 12:07 (6,537 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)   |   | |
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Post# 126762 , Reply# 30   5/5/2006 at 12:30 (6,537 days old) by mixfinder ()   |   | |
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After many years of doing "laundry" by hand I really enjoy the performance of a "machine" Kelly |
Post# 126783 , Reply# 31   5/5/2006 at 14:26 (6,537 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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My understanding is that it is the insoluble scum that soap forms with hard water minerals - and not with oils or fats - that causes the greying that can occur with long-time washing with soap. In the absence of hard water minerals, soap does a pretty good job at removing oily stains from fabrics. Unfortunately many greases and oils used on cars and machninery are mineral fats, and soap has a harder time dealing with these. |