High-sudsing detergent recommendation

[kenmore71]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a modern, high-sudsing detergent? I have tried Foca and non-HE tide with bleach and am still not satisfied. I want a nice, rich 2 inch layer of suds in my E2L while i wash! We have quite soft municipal water here in Mpls (3-5 grains) so I don't think that water hardness is the issue. Can anyone help!!!

 

[polkanut]

Check the Hispanic or any other ethnic markets in the Metro area.  Especially keep an eye out for any phosphated Viva by Henkel.  This should give you a nice layer of suds if that is what you desire, and it smells good too.

 

[launderess]

Can't Speak To Modern Detergents

But the vintage Wisk liquid in my stash creates tons of froth. So much so can really only use it in the Whirlpool portable and perhaps the Hoover TT

 

[kenmore71]

No one has any lid-raising suggestions for me???

 

[launderess]

There is Always Tide

You can still find some older versions online such as eBay, (no not the vintage stuff, but recently as last year before the big reformulation), and Tide historically has been very high sudsing.

 

[westie2]

Trend

Have you tried the Trend detergent the orginial found at the dollar stores. It use to be really sudsy. When mother still had her wringer like yours she used Tide or Cheer.

 

[mrb627]

Perhaps...

Add a dishwashing liquid booster to your regular detergent.

Malcolm

 

[vintagekitchen]

If you want frighteningly high suds, go to the local Dollar General, get a bottle of the Awesome brand wool wash, in the section of "just a dollar" products. Highest suds cake ever.

 

[joelippard]

I think Malcolm's suggestion would help but I always want a layer of suds in my wash too.  I rely exclusively on Tide to give me that, I just keep adding more and more until I get what I want.  Of course I'm always using Frigidaires so getting suds is easy.

 

[jeb]

suds

Amway use to have a hi sudsing detergent call L.O.C ( can't remember what it stood for) very hi sudsing. We used it on horses because the foam was plentiful and it rinsed well. JEB

 

[whirlcool]

Why on earth would anyone want so many suds? Remember suds does not always equal clean even though housewives of the 50's thought so.

 

[labboy]

Amway L.O.C.

I thought it was Liquid Organic Cleaner. They had this at a summer camp I worked at for one of my very first jobs. It came in the generic Amway square white opaque plastic bottles.

 

[maytagbear]

If you really, really want

Why not get some STTP and add it?

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[strongenough78]

Gain was usually pretty sudsy. I'm surprised you're not getting the suds you want with Tide. From what I've been hearing, even the HE version of Tide is too sudsy.

 

[stan]

So far, a lot of good suggestions Mark

Don't think I can add too much more, but is it possible that the bleach is killing the suds you desire? Or maybe the water is harder than you have been told? In witch case STPP would help!

I've noticed with my E , that some detergents will create suds, but go away in a few min. (by design I suppose)

I'm able to maintain a layer of suds with a little STPP and old fashion lye soap! Don't think you want to go that far LOL

Phosphated Roma Detergent use to suds up really well? The Viva mentioned up thread may be easier to find, and has added enzymes.

HTH

 

[launderess]

Sudsing Is Largely

A function of the type of surfactants used in the detergent.

By and large American detergent manufacturers are getting the message that excess froth is not required for good laundry results and moving away from high suding surfactants. Well they pretty much have no choice as even new top loading washing machines are using less water than before and thus there isn't as much rinse water to deal with all that froth.

 

[sudsmaster]

Are your suds lively enough?

For a nice thick type of suds, nothing beats plain soap. Try grating a bar of Ivory, adding about 1/4 cup of STPP to the wash first, then the hot water, then the soap. For more suds, add more soap. Easy!

As the vintage Bendix owner's manual advises, you want "lively suds", which with soap are best obtained with a good non-precipitating water softener like STPP.

3-5 grains is not overly soft water. The water her runs around that but it can still leave mineral spots and deposits on glassware. A good example is the drip tray on the fridge water dispenser. It's black, so it shows up the mineral deposits very easily. And they do accumulate if the tray is not wiped dry after any dribbles or drips on it.

In other words, STPP or other non-precipitating water softener (like zeolites) will help the soap build and maintain a nice thick layer of "lively suds".

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Mark -

I thought of you when this in advertently happened to a load of towels today. I should have known when I put in the Tide w/bleach non HE liquid. This is with a Kenmore straight vane agitator.

Gordon

 

[stan]

Mark

If you find something...let us know what ends up giving you your desired result

 

[stan]

water hardness is about the same here

3-5 grains.

Decided to wash up some dishes using soap flakes, and did a little un planned experiment with a dishpan of hot water and the soap.

After getting some suds going, with a whisk, stopped, and thought to add a tsp of STPP to the dishpan. I added a little more water, and re stirred (whisk)
Huge difference with STPP.

Think Sudsmaster is on to something here!
if you want suds the water has to be softened, no way around it!

 

[launderess]

While One Does Love Pure Soap For Laundering

And one should having enough types and in quanity to start a small general store, using soap for wash day bit by bit is essentially waterproofing one's laundry.

Just as with the tallow/fat fabric softeners of old soap does leave some residue which does not rinse out. Several hot and or very warm water rinses in soft water will remove a bulk of it, but traces still remain. This is the "built in fabric softener" affect many soap makers marketed their products as in direct competition to laundry detergents.

 

[stan]

Hello Dear,

I suppose someone could "waterproof" with soap. (repeated use, and poor rinsing )

Or detergent, and fabric softener (repeated use, and poor rinsing) Oh and lets not forget the Dryer sheets, if they don't work for the Dryer...they do work well for ant repellant! LOL

BTW,
not all soap is made with Tallow, thats only one of many combinations of fatty acids that can be used. You would'nt get a lot of sudsing, or cleansing with 100% Tallow anyway. (other's needed, or blended with, to achieve that)

Back to the Suds,
I used the STPP as a last min thought, with Marks dilemma in mind.
(the dishpan with soap, and my water here being similar in hardness to his)

Point being... weather soap, or detergent, the STPP "may" be what is needed for Mark to achieve the desired suds level he's looking for.

Since most commercial detergents are now adding suds suppressants...
(Silicone being one, as is the case with modern Ivory Snow, and others)
the only alternative "may" be the surfactants used in some Mexican detergents, that "possibly" do not add a suppressant. Or with the old school, simple surfactant of... soap and "Phosphates" as Sudsmaster, and Maytagbear suggested up thread.

Mark has'nt chimed in yet, as he probably has tried all this already, and we are spinning our wheels for nothing! LOL

 

[kenmore71]

It's been a spell since I chimed in on the thread I stared here. I appreciate all of the thoughts & suggestions that people have shared. Honestly, I have not had the time to try anything, YET. It sounds like the most important thing I need to do is to get myself a tub of good ole-fashioned lab-grade phosphates (STTP). Having grown up with well water that was in the 15-18 grain range I THOUGHT that the Mpls. municipal water supply with its 3-5 grain water was soft. Guess I was wrong on that account. It is SOFTER but not truly SOFT. When I have the time in the next few weeks I will conduct experiments and let you all know...

I just remember that on the farm as a child my grandmother would put between 1-1/2 and 2 cups of Tide in the E2L until the suds ratio met her expectations. I think this suds thing is more of a an old-fashioed "soap opera" of longing to be with granny on washday than anything else!!!

 

[stan]

Mark

keep in mind that the Tide Granny was using, may not have been the concentrated version we have now, and that while suds are not what was doing the cleaning for her per se, but suds were an indication of weather she had successfully softened the water.
Depending on how long ago that was, she may have been using Tide that contained phosphates.

Granny knew what she was doing LOL

 

[circlew]

Mark, you might want to try the multi-purpose formula Tide. It's sold for cleaning floors, walls, etc. and the last time I used it (a number of years ago), it was quite sudsy. The only downside is that the smallest box is 18 lbs. Also available in 36 lbs. Sold at foodservice and janitorial suppliers.

 

[kenmore71]

Granny would have been using old-fashioned un-concentrated, phosphate laden Tide. This would have been in about 1980.

 

[stan]

Mark

Did you ever find what you were looking for? If so... What was it?

 

[volsboy1]

Put some Finnish Turbo rinse aid in it and it will suds like crazy...I tried it because just a few drops will hydro lock my dishwasher

bad.I have my rinse aid set to like 3 and that is still to much in my L.G. the suds will reach the top rack on it.

 

[iheartmaytag]

As our dear Laundress says "Wisk".
I would try the current version because the Wisk HE Free and clear version will still give you a "Bobby Brady" day if you aren't careful.

 

[mich]

Does Wisk even make NON-HE detergent anymore?