Instant Fels Naptha, a little experiment

[launderess]

Just off the top of my head.

Energine (trichloroethane) - Dry cleaning solvent. Used to remove non water based stains such as ink.

Glycerine - Lubricant. Used before applying other stain removal treatments such as hydrogen peroxide.

Hydrogen peroxide - Oxygen bleach. Used for spot treating stains such as blood, scorch, red wine.

White petroleum jelly - Another lubricant.

White Vinegar - Weak acetic acid used to neutralise final traces of chlorine and oxygen bleaches. Will also counter damage to some color damage caused by alkaline spot treatments such as ammonia.

Ammonia - Is a gas dissolved in water (hence the foul fumes). Alkaline in nature will accelerate the action of oxygen and chlorine bleaches. Also useful in removing blood stains. Ammonia will also counter damage to colours caused by acids such as white vinegar. Often just holding the affected area over an open container of ammonia will work as the fumes given off do the job.

Ok, how did I do and what/where is my prize?

 

[stan]

Oh Dear

you are the prize *LOL*

What I have from my maytag wringer washer instruction book is ...

Energine..Lipstick, Rouge, Paint, Tar, Chewing gum, Chocolate, cocoa, Cod liver Oil, Cream, Ice Cream, Milk

Amminia..Fresh perspiration stain, Blood

Glycerine..Mustard, Alcoholic bevrages, some fruit stains

White Vinrgar..old perspiration stain, Deodorants stains.

Hydrogen Peroxide..Fruit stains

White Petroleum...Ball point in

And there you have it!
Some of these I have tried, and worked beautiful.

Stan

 

[vintagekitchen]

Ok, now Im going to have to drag out my vintage homemakers hints book to join the fun, even though I think the two of you have covered most of it, lol.

 

[stan]

Oh we have

more! *LOL*

 

[stan]

Kevin

curious to know how your liquid soap held together?

Another thought,
if you are wanting to test "soap" maybe pick up a bar of Zote! (about 90 cents at Walmart) you'll find in the laundry section.

Zote is soap, rather than a built detergent/ soap bar, like Fels.

iIRC you may have to unwrap and let dry out a while (kind of a soft bar) so it will grate up a little easier.
It has a pleasant "soap' kind of smell, and "may" work for achieving your goal.
It dose contain optical brighteners though?

HTH

 

[vintagekitchen]

Well, after the addition of another 3 cups water, I got a much more fluid mixture, but still nice and thick, not runny and watery. The mixture has held, and the last traces of alcohol smell are gone. On a down side, even though I rinsed thoroughly, I have noticed a few of the washcloths seem to have held some residue. I suppose the high heat and humidity here accelerated things, but some of the washcloths had a bit of a manky smell about them when I took them out of the linen cabinet. Not sure how to proceed from here.

 

[launderess]

You Have Two Options

Order some STPP from the Chemistry Store.com and rewash.

Or, get yerself a bawlin pot! *LOL*

The main two ways of removing soap/soil residue from laundry is to strip it out via phosphates (which convert the residue back into a type of soap), boil it out which causes the textile fibers to open up and release the muck. In the case of the latter the boiled laundry should be lifted out of the vessel and rinsed once or twice in hot or very warm water. One does this to leave whatever residue behind.

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[stan]

Humm

Were they washed with the liquid mixture, or the first (dry) mix that had the TSP ?

There is probably a simple solution? Something that needs to be removed, I'l go back and re read.

Do you know the exact grains of hardness your water has? Your water Dept will tell you, if you call.
Knowing this number may help determine the correct formula to put together, using a little math, weights and measurements, but the water hardness number has to be figured into the calculation.

 

[stan]

Also

the number of gallons your washer holds (part of the calculation)

 

[vintagekitchen]

Launderess
Ordering the STPP this weekend, will use it for all future soap washes. And for the first rinse, lol.. I see now why housewives so readily embraced detergent for all but their finest fabrics. Soap washes aren't only much more trouble, they are also much more expensive. By the time one accounts for the cost of water softeners, ultra heated water, and the high price of soap per ounce vs detergent, I agree with the housewives of the past. Nice easy affordable detergent for everyday washes, difficult expensive soap reserved for "special" items. That theory would play out better if I didn't have so many "special" items, lol.

Stan
My washer holds 16 gallons, if one remembers correctly. Not sure of the exact level of water hardness, but fairly hard. I think Launderess is correct, and further/better rinsing is what is lacking.

 

[stan]

STPP Well now your cooking *LOL*

If your going to get some STPP it frees you up a lot, can't say you wont have any trouble with your hard water, but will make things so much easier, both with soap and or detergent!

Think it will still be useful for you to know the exact grains of hardness, so that you can accurately dose, figuring the gallons of water your machine holds ect. just so you don't over use the STPP! Don't want to waste it!
It may become your most prized possession *LOL*

 

[launderess]

Good Job

Actually the first SLS type detergents for fine wash put a dent in soap use for danties including silk and wool.

Vel,Dreft and others were mild and gentle detergents that did the job of cleaning fine fabrics in cold or warm water. Being surfactant based one didn't have to worry about water hardness and rinsing was easy. Such products were good for anything that required gentle cleaning, especially silks and wools, but couldn't deal with heavy duty dirt. That job remained with soaps until Tide came along.

 

[frigilux]

My mom kept a box of Ivory Snow (I think that's what it was called) for washing my "little kid" clothes. Was that soap or a detergent? I recall it looking like little, thin shaved flakes rather than standard granules.

I ordered a recommended laundry soap online a few years ago. Loved the smell, and towels were soft, but cleaning power was nothing special, and my washers (had a 2006 Frigidaire TL and a 2002 Frigidaire FL at the time) didn't allow for warm rinses, so had to be present to reset dial after first spin to refill with hot or warm water. Lost interest in it and went back to Tide. Then I discovered UK Persil Bio!

 

[launderess]

There Were Ivory Flakes & Ivory Snow

Both were pure soap based but the former were flakes the other powder.

Nothing smells like the nursery than Ivory Snow! Nabbed a few big boxes last year and drag it out when one has a "broody" moment.

For most laundry soap will clean just as well as detergents, provided stains and special soils are treated and dealt with first. However it is going to take much more effort and hot water than with modern detergents.

IMHO White King Soap powder got it probably as best as it could be. According to my vintage box the stuff contained surfactants, soap and water softeners, so it wasn't like using pure soap thus probably avoided many problems. Have so many other things open at the moment have just left the box in my stash.

 

[frigilux]

We must have had Ivory Flakes, then. Thanks, Launderess, you're a font of knowledge in these matters!

 

[stan]

Hello Sweet Lady

I know the sense of smell is so closely connected to memory...Broody smell? Broody moment?
can you elaberate a bit?

 

[launderess]

Broody

British slang for a "motherly" feeling. As with many other such phrases has it's origins in the farm/animal community as in brood of chicks.

 

[launderess]

Soap For Modern Laundry

Have said before there are places in the EU such as France where soap is still used for laundry. Henkel sells "Le Chat" soap flakes in France, and persons still grate up Savon de Marseille for laundry in that country. Henkel amoung others also touts many detergents has having "Savon de Marseille" as part of the product. Indeed if you look at the content labels many liquid and powdered laundry detergents in Europe contain various amounts of soap. P&G and probably others in the United States also put small amounts of soap in their detergents. Tide's website states this as well.

Usually when such products claim to contain soap however it is often stearic acid or a similar componet of soap rather than a full soap product.

IIRC V-Zug and perhaps other washing machines sold in the EU/UK have special cycles for those wishing to launder with soap.

 

[stan]

Well

We know the Universal Powdered Persil, had quite a complex ingredient list, also part soap IIRC.
BTW How is the smell with that, have you used it?

Funny you mention White King Soap,
Had friend, who past some years back, that worked at the White King Soap Co back in the Forties, ( S California plant.) He was a wealth of information regarding Soaps, and the commercial making of.

Think every one here in California had or used White King?

Learned a great deal from him! Think of him often.

Think it was the 1980s when the plant finally shut down??

 

[stan]

Oh And

Thanks for the definition of "Broody" I'll remember that *LOL*