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Thread Number: 88585
/ Tag: Modern Automatic Washers
STTP in Washer |
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| Post# 1131302 , Reply# 1 10/17/2021 at 13:06 (919 days old) by eurekastar (Amarillo, Texas) | ||
 I would start with your suggested amount, then let the washer agitate for a bit. After you feel it is thoroughly mixed in, then feel the water. If it feels slick, you probably have enough or too much. Then adjust accordingly. Does your washer primarily use a spray rinse? If so, you may not want to use too much, since too much STPP will make rinsing more difficult. | ||
Post# 1131360 , Reply# 2 10/18/2021 at 11:03 (918 days old) by lakewebsterkid  (Dayton, Ohio) |
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STPP I use 3T in our deep fill TL. It works well in our hard water. In our FL, I always used either 1-2T depending on load size. Our water there was moderately hard. | ||
| Post# 1131375 , Reply# 3 10/18/2021 at 16:41 (918 days old) by quincyman (Oldsmar, FL) | ||
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What is stpp? | ||
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Post# 1131381 , Reply# 4 10/18/2021 at 18:16 (918 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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| Post# 1131816 , Reply# 5 10/24/2021 at 13:14 (912 days old) by azchrisf (Glendale, AZ) | ||
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OK Thanks guys and gals! | ||
| Post# 1132209 , Reply# 6 10/28/2021 at 16:34 (908 days old) by azchrisf (Glendale, AZ) | ||
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So, I did the recommended method and found the following. It was not until 4tbsp (about equal to 1/4 cup) did the water start feeling "smooth". Once the detergent was added (Gain), it felt very slippery. Have I found the correct proportion, or doing something wrong? Thanks! | ||
| Post# 1132456 , Reply# 7 10/31/2021 at 21:58 (905 days old) by eurekastar (Amarillo, Texas) | ||
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Have I found the correct proportion | ||
| Post# 1132524 , Reply# 8 11/2/2021 at 12:13 (903 days old) by azchrisf (Glendale, AZ) | ||
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Awesome. Thank you! | ||
| Post# 1132634 , Reply# 9 11/3/2021 at 21:23 (902 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY) | ||
Hmmm
I never thought about using it in the washing machine. A long time ago, back when the dishwasher detergents formulations started to go non-phosphate and the detergent companies couldn't get their new formulations right for quite a while.....and people were using STPP OR buying institutional cascade. A few months ago, I was cleaning out my cupboards and found a 1/2 used container of STPP I bought from Soapgoods.com. I thought, "hmm, let me use this up" even though I didn't think I really needed it. Well, I can totally tell using it vs not using it. Not the dishes being more clean, but the dishwasher itself looking more clean, the racks sliding easier, etc.
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Post# 1132636 , Reply# 10 11/3/2021 at 21:33 (902 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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STPP-ified Laundry | ||
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Post# 1132649 , Reply# 11 11/4/2021 at 04:09 (901 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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I've been a big proponent of STPP here for as long, if not longer, as Glenn (Dadoes).
The water here is relatively soft, so I don't use much - a tablespoon - and then only for heavily soiled stuff like clothing. The big advantage of STPP is that not only does it soften water, but it also does not form a precipitate with hard water minerals. TSP (or its evil twin, sodium carbonate) will form a precipitate, and should not be used in the washer. It's OK for rinsing down walls before painting, though. The reason why STPP doesn't precipitate is because it forms a complex with water. However, if it has a weak side, it's that it will gradually decompose if left in solution for a while. So it should not be mixed with water in advance, but rather added in powder form at the start of the wash cycle. Preferably before the detergent. | ||
| Post# 1132670 , Reply# 12 11/4/2021 at 10:42 (901 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY) | ||
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OK so | ||
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Post# 1132775 , Reply# 16 11/5/2021 at 19:14 (900 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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Post# 1132806 , Reply# 17 11/6/2021 at 06:59 (899 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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"why would adding STPP making rinsing more difficult?"
Softened water by any means, mechanical or substance, generally means using less soap , detergent, cleanser, etc... Pure soaps will soften water as part of their nature, and of course detergent formulas contain builders to deal with water hardness. When water is softened by various means amount of detergent or soap should be reduced. Otherwise excess product will mean more rinsing work. | ||
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Post# 1132814 , Reply# 18 11/6/2021 at 10:29 (899 days old) by henene4 (Heidenheim a.d. Brenz (Germany)) |
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The mechanism that makes you use more detergent in harder water also means softer water rinses worse. The ions that make water "hard" interact with the surfactants and bind them up, basically. So, during rinsing, hard water not only dilutes the detergent out but also binds some of the surfactants by quasi-chemical means. Soft water can't do that. | ||
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Post# 1132939 , Reply# 19 11/7/2021 at 20:42 (898 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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Where to get STPP?
Well, a decade or more ago, I found a chemical warehouse that agreed to sell me about 20-50 lbs of STPP (It came in a bag). I've since kept it in air-tight plastic bins, because over time it can degrade if exposed to moisture. So far, so good. Since I generally use only about a tablespoon, it probably will outlast me. LOL. And STPP stands for Sodium Tri Poly Phosphate. The Poly part is the key - it enables the STPP to soften water and to bind to hard water minerals as well as mineral based soils to magnify the cleaning effects of laundry detergent. STPP was phased out of most consumer grade laundry detergents due to concerns over phosphate effects on water pollution (algae love phosphate). However, along the California coast, this really isn't a problem, since most water treatment/sewage plants empty their finished water into the ocean, which is usually full of phosphate anyway, and where algae is a good thing, not into a fresh water river or lake, where algae is not welcome. Want more info? Just ask. | ||
| Post# 1133419 , Reply# 20 11/13/2021 at 10:58 (892 days old) by drhardee ( Columbia, SC) | ||
Where to purchase STPP??
The Chemistry Store, located just outside of my home town of Columbia SC, sells STTP. They are easy to work with, and their prices are quite reasonable.
www.chemistrystore.com/Ch... CLICK HERE TO GO TO drhardee's LINK | ||
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Post# 1134045 , Reply# 21 11/20/2021 at 13:11 (885 days old) by littlegreeny (Milwaukee, WI) |
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Is STPP supposed to clump? | ||
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Post# 1134112 , Reply# 22 11/21/2021 at 05:55 (884 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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No, it shouldn't
Have STPP stored in gallon Ziploc bags and Rubbermaid containers that is not clumped in containers, nor when placed in water. There might be the odd clump per container, but nothing huge.
There are some complaints on Amazon that versions of STPP sold are of a more larger grain variety. That could be why you're having issues with clumping, as others have reported same. www.amazon.com/Sodium-Tri... STPP in my stash is a fine powder, again never had any issues with clumping | ||
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Post# 1134128 , Reply# 23 11/21/2021 at 12:33 (884 days old) by littlegreeny (Milwaukee, WI) |
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Thanks Launderess!
I have it stored in a Rubbermaid container as well and it's fine in the container but once added to the washer it turns into a hard clump. I must have been sold an inferior or perhaps imitation product? Maybe it's actually TSP?
I'm getting a new Miele in 13 days so perhaps it's better to just throw what I have out. I don't want to risk ruining my new machine. This post was last edited 11/21/2021 at 13:08 | ||
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Post# 1134132 , Reply# 24 11/21/2021 at 13:08 (884 days old) by littlegreeny (Milwaukee, WI) |
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Perhaps it's just user error? | ||
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Post# 1134133 , Reply# 25 11/21/2021 at 13:19 (884 days old) by henene4 (Heidenheim a.d. Brenz (Germany)) |
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Some powders do that if you add them to water to quickly. Adding them slowly or spreading them out thin onto the load before the machine starts to fill might work to. | ||
| Post# 1134148 , Reply# 26 11/21/2021 at 15:57 (884 days old) by eurekastar (Amarillo, Texas) | ||
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Clumping | ||
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