1970s Calgon advert...

[bradross]

Can anybody identify the washer featured? I used to love this ad when I was a kid, because it showed the machine with the lid open, washing.

http://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJP5f-fsHrs
View attachment bradross++9-10-2014-19-21-59.jpg

 

[launderess]

I'd Know That Control Panel Any where

GE without the "Filter-Flow" pan.

Say so because my aunt had a GE W&D at that time (1970 totally.

Notice also how the boxes of detergent are held in such a way to hide the tell tale "toggle switches" of a GE washer of the period. [this post was last edited: 9/10/2014-21:17]

 

[yogitunes]

filter flume.....but no filter flow!

amazing too, no lid, and no holes for the hinges as well....custom made for the commercial?

 

[whirlcool]

At the very beginning of the commercial the washer has a lid on it. But you are right, no holes for the hinges.

What chemical was in Calgon? Oxygen Bleach? Phosphates? When did it get taken off the market. Was it any relation to Calgonite for dishwahers?

 

[whirlcool]

And here is a commercial for Calgonite to balance things out.

 

[whirlcool]

Sorry abut that

Somehow it didn't like the embedded link.

 

[maytagbear]

I miss Calgonite!

it was my favorite dishwasher detergent then!

Thank you for posting that link, Allen.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[launderess]

Calgon ='s Calcium Be Gone

Get it?

The original product was a blend of STPP and Sodium Hexametaphosphate and was used to soften water for all sorts of applications. This ranged from housecleaning and laundry to automatic dishwashing (commercial but later residential). Calgon was also used in boilers in an era (1940's or so) when steam powered everything from locomotives to ships and heated homes, etc..... This was because of the ability to prevent scale from forming by sequestering hard water minerals.

Calgon was at its peak from it's creation really until modern detergents replaced soaps for laundry and all sorts of other cleaning. It became even less needed when detergents became "built" with phosphates. The other shoe dropped as steam power from everything to ships to rails was replaced by diesel engines.

In the UK where a version of Calgon is still sold (do not think it contains phosphates) there a huge debate raging over the need for the stuff in modern washing machines. The makers claim using Calgon will help prolong the life of a the washing machine by preventing scale buildup in particular the heating elements. Those in the trade and consumer groups say "rubbish" and that long as one uses a decent detergent in proper amounts that is more than enough to control scale formation.

The latter have a bit of truth on their side as even the box of Calgon states one can use less detergent when adding the stuff.

 

[tomturbomatic]

From my earliest childhood, the silver foil box of Calgon was by the washer. It used to get kind of gooey in the humid summers in the basement. Mom used to add it to the first rinse.

 

[launderess]

Sodium Hexametaphosphate

Is a bit more water loving than STPP, and yes the stuff will absorb water and turn "gooey" if not stored properly. This could be why my vintage (1950's or so) box of Dash is self destructing! *LOL* It was iffy when it arrived and continues to go down hill to the point may just open the stuff and use it rather than try to keep or move on.

 

[tomturbomatic]

You could pour the Dash into a ZipLoc bag then dry out the cardboard to try to preserve it.

 

[supersuds]

Hmm

That might explain my boxes of AD feeling sticky. Although for some reason the contents aren't hard.... Remember how boxes of dishwasher detergent would get rock hard after a few months?

 

[laundromat]

When we had our Lady Kenmore combo, we used Calgon with All or Dash. 1/4 C of Calgon with 1 tbsp. of detergent. We also used Action bleach tabs and Final Touch fabric softener. Salvo tablets were another brand we used but Mado,our grandmother,did all the shopping and  said the tablets were too expensive and bought them when they were on sale ,clearence or with a coupon. I liked All. Unlike Dash, Lever kept the same aroma for decades with All, Drive, Wisk and Final Touch. Our Aunt Nat worked at Unilever where the made and packaged the laundry detergents along with dishwashing detergents. We originally got cases of the gallon bottles of Wisk until Mado used it in the combo sending mounds of suds all over the kitchen floor. She had Charlie,oir Sears tech. who was as much knowledgeable as John L.on those and thoroughly kept that gem running ful throttle for twenty five years.

 

[kenmoreguy89]

Calgon

Calgon is not only in the UK market, but in all the European market.
And it is so also in the US, but not as popular as it is in Europe as americans got earlier it's unuselfuness.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Calgon-Water-Softener-32-oz./13424609
Calgon of today, is mostly policarboxilates and zeolites, stuff already found in detergents.......
Unlike the US, in europe the use of Calgon is still largely and massively promoted, especially lately when people because of the crisis did quit using it as an "habit", and realized that using it or not is simply the same ..... the  calgon "habit" grows in the 80s, when it started being massively promoted, and later also because of partnerships between  Appliances makers and Reckitt benckiser....RB pays money to Makers to put notes and labels about the "alleged" advantages of using calgon, the same way Calgon mention these brands on their packages as being the "best".... advantages  that if you know a little about laundry like "us" here....you realize are just all "smoke"...
Firstly because detergents already contains the same stuff for water softening purpose, and even when they doesn't (like in the case of marseille soaps or whatever pure surfactant) it's just the same for the washer and it's parts actually .....
I assume that the Calgon "fashion" also happened here more, because they had something more to base on a selling strategy, they claimed that calgon avoided limestone build up on the heating element....that as you know it's an  main charatheristic of european machines, being them historically, and in certain countries still now,  for the most, cold fill only.
They claimed that using a "water softener" avoided costly repairs on the element...

The same "reccomending" attitude happens with Finish, another RB brand,  infact is not uncommon  (actually is the norm) to see new dishwashers coming with a label reccomending the use of Finish, I attach pic of my Bosch DW as an example...
Even though more and more people finally got it's "unuselfuness" as detergents do contain the same chemicals, those not particularly "laundry inclined",  still believe all what they're told, and that's why here you have thousands brands of water softeners, even store brands....and all are about the same stuff, again zeolites and policarboxilates....

Many people still believe that:
"your washer last longer with calgon".... the old gingle of the Advert...
No.... it's just the same.....
Though these products are useful as an "alternative" way to soften your water only, this when using plain soap or pure surfactans products not having these water softener incorporated.
A new ad for calgon:

older



and older, start from 0:25


 

[this post was last edited: 9/13/2014-11:47]