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Stan

In response to this...

"The "minimal amount of soap" is a rather tricky question! The first thing to consider is why your using a "soap" or "detergent" in the first place!
The answer is that both are surfactants (surface-active agents) They both reduce the surface tension of the water."

After reading the STPP article, I originally thought that the STPP was a detergent due to the following paragraph.

" These builders function in several ways. They increase the alkalinity of the wash solution, which helps the surfactant activity and also helps to emulsify fats and oils in the soiled fabrics. They also help to "break" clay-types of dirt from the fabrics, and combine with it to help prevent it from redepositing on the fabrics. They also function to combine with hard water mineral ions, thus "softening" the water."

Now that I have read it again I realized that the surfactant is required to allow the water and STPP etc into the fibers so that they can work.

I would love to email you about the formula but I do not have access to your email.

Thanks,
Julian
 
juilian

Now you've got it LOL

You can see my email address if you click on my name in "blue" my profile will come up.

Also in order for me to do the math, I'll need to know the number of gallons of water the machine uses to fill for the wash cycle. Not the number it uses for a complete cycle, just how much go's into the basket for a wash.

Calculation's are made by the number of gallons of water, number of grains hardness per gallons, in your case thats 7-8.

I'm doing this a little under protest LOL. As I still think, any of the earth friendly detergents mentioned above, are probably, better, cheaper easier options!
But I also know "happy wife, happy life too!
So email me that number, and I'll work out the math.

I have read both Yes and No about Borax killing Dust Mites, so you'll have to do a little research to see how YOU feel, and draw you own conclusions. If it dose, than one thing for sure, is that it can't at the current rate of dilution you've been using!
As I mentioned up thread, barley a gram of anything is going in per load now!

If I were you I'd ask Laundress about this, and the use of diluted chlorine bleach, for that problem.
Don't know if that possible with your bedding fabric ect, but she'll know!

HTH
 
Slight Problem

stan 's Profile
email address: stan does not wish to display their email address

Also, I don't have the washer yet. It is supposed to be delivered by the end of the week. I will figure out the water use then.
 
Launderess

Did not mean to suggest there is anything wrong with your spelling, just that Fels might have deliberately misspelled "naphtha" (and there is no doubt that is the correct spelling, according to every dictionary I checked including the OED) in order to be distinctive.

I think I saw some reference to that effect in an old book, which isn't handy right now.

No offense taken I hope! This was just intended as a lighthearted answer to your question. Sorry if it wasn't clear.
 
@chris74:

You said: "...naphtalene is causing cancer as many other petro-chemicals do."

Thanks for the concern, but wasn't it you folks that sent Thalidomide over here in the early 1960s, which is a terotagen?

I mean, we used to line our closets with mothballs made of napthalene, but I don't know of any children born without arms because of mothballs...
 
To Be Fair

Thalidomide was never approved for sale in the United States despite huge pressure upon the FDA to grant approval. For standing up to "big Pharma" the then head of the FDA would be awarded honors by President Kennedy.

However a number of Thalidomide pills were given to physicans in the USA to dispense as part of clinical trials. United States citizens also obtained the medication abroad and or had it brought back by those traveling overseas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalidomide
 
Add me to the list of people suggesting a "green" detergent like Seventh Generation.

I may be cheap. I may have my moments of health consciousness, as witnessed by one question I posed here about the possibility of BPA leeched from plastic dishwasher tanks. I may be interested in making something from scratch just to try it. But despite all this, I have never had any inclination to try making laundry detergent. An off the shelf product will work, at least better than anything I could probably do.
 
Iowegian

How dare you personalise a reply like that!

I don't believe that Chris posted a comment connecting you, or any American or other nationality to the creation of or manufacture of Napthalene or anything that it may or may not cause.

It is wholly inappropriate for you to have said what you did and in the manner which you said it.

Napthalene is on the International Agency for Research on Cancers list of possible cancer causing agents. However, it is known to cause anemia.

Thalidomide, on the other hand, is still used today to treat leprosy.

However, when the drug was patented and used scientists believed that medications couldn't pass from mother to foetus...this was rapidly disproved after 10,000 children were born with birth defects. Australian obstetrician, Dr. William McBride suspected the link and, in conjunction with German Dr Lenz, this was proven.

Dr. McBride was awarded a medal and prize money by the prestigious L'Institut de la Vie of the French Government in connection with his discovery. Using the prize money, he established Foundation 41, a Sydney-based medical research foundation concerned with the causes of birth defects. His most notable achievement, with Dr P H Huang, was the discovery that thalidomide caused malformations by interacting with the DNA of the dividing embryonic cells. This finding stimulated their experimentation, which showed that thalidomide may inhibit cell division in rapidly dividing cells of malignant tumors. This work was published in the journal "Pharmacology and Toxicology" in 1999 and has been rated in the top ten of the most important Australian medical discoveries.

On a personal note, Dr. McBride used to be baby sat by my grandmother :)
 
Er, well that depends.

It does look so much better arriving for a country weekend in "the Mercedes" with LV hardsided luggage. It does make such an impression in the hotel lobby and upon the bell boy as things are fetched to one's rooms. It shows one is a person of quality and understated taste. *LOL*

launderess++10-25-2012-17-52-14.jpg
 
Yup, most airlines would handle this for you at considerable cost.($$$$$)

Back in the 1920' & 30's a lot of wealthy people would spend a summer or winter in Europe. They would get there by a taking an ocean liner. Now people fly. I think the really smart people would ship ahead a few of those streamer trunks via a cargo carrier.

Back then they just took everything with them.

Yes, the heavier an airplane is the more fuel it consumes. Every ounce counts.
Back in 1979 Braniff switched their mini bottle liquor from glass to plastic containers. This move saved the airline over $300,000 per plane in fuel charges.

I think the woman in the photo above could probably get all that luggage shipped for about $900 or so in excess luggage fees.
 
Indeed...

...it is La Dietrich. But to return to the original post, what has naphtalene in self-made soap to do with thalidomide? Of course, both substances might be dangerous but that is the only thing they've got in common.
 
Did Some Linens Last Night In The Miele

Decided to use up some of the vintage German Persil soap powder and things came out clean, whiter that white and with a wonderful scent.

IMHO the best way to use any soap in a modern washing machine is to start with a base of liquid detergent then add the soap (dissolved and well stirred in boiling water). Should one have very hard water and or get's the notion a small amount of STPP can be added to the soap *before* adding boiling water.

Know those trying that homemade detergent are going after a more pure and natural method of doing laundry but there are limits. Many liquid and or gel detergents sold in the UK or EU have a base containing small to moderate amounts of soap which is fine because they are using the stuff for cleaning and various properties. However the addition of modern surfactants and other *chemicals* found in liquid detergents provides a work around to most of the downside of using pure soap for wash day.
 
Well Dear

I'm glad I asked!
Now I know that you and I have a different definition. LOL

Now that I know what yours is, I'll better understand your meanings in the future :)
 
I had completely forgotten... you should look up a product called "Selestial Soap". It is made in michigan, about half an hour from our old house. It is an all natural, non toxic detergent. I have tried it and it seemed to work ok, but was a bit pricy. About 7-8 dollars a bottle. Apparently it is very popular, and from what I have heard so is the laundromat that sells it. I never did get in there, but I recommended it to a friend of mine after I went with her to do laundry at another laundromat.
 
Looked up the

Selestial Soap,

and checked the ingredients.

Appears to be neither "soap" or "detergent" just washing soda, borax, a little glycerine, in purified water ??
Don't see ANY surfactant in the mix at all, good, bad, or indifferent ??

$7.00- $8.00 a bottle seems pricey to me for watered down borax?
 

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