(Itty-)Bitty & The Beast

[frigilux]

Just returned from Sioux Falls, SD, where I shopped at two of my favorite places: Maxwell's Hotel & Restaurant Supply and Sam's Club.

In my seemingly never-ending quest to find a powdered very low-to-no sudsing detergent, I figured I'd pick up a 5-gallon bucket of the industrial stuff I'd seen at Maxwell's in the past. They no longer carry it.

So, I decided to pick up a bucket of the faux-industrial detergent from Sam's Club. 40-lbs./160 loads for $11. No complaints, there. If it isn't my cup of tea, I'll take it to the laundry people at work and say Merry Christmas.

Here's a photo of my recently-acquired box of SA8 with Bioquest® (150 loads) and the gigantor bucket of Sam's Club Concentrated Laundry Detergent (which looks like plain Tide with Kosher salt mixed in; Seriously, there are transparent little bits in it).

Washed a load of bath towels in the FL with the Sam's powder. Low-sudsing, but again, as always, the suds won't quit during the rinses. Approximately (maybe a bit more) sudsing than the SA8.

I've had it. I'm going to find a janitorial supply website and look for a NO-SUDSING institutional detergent!!

 

[frigilux]

I gave my stained flour sack towel test some thought and decided it would be best if I wash each in its given detergent and then post all the results at simaltaneously on a single thread. You'll be able to scroll up and down and compare photos from the various detergents.

I've stained them all and have them hanging up to dry in my laundry room, which smells rather nauseatingly of Worcestershire sauce, coffee, ketchup and mustard. I'm going to try to get it all done by Monday and post the results.

 

[petek]

It's a lonely life out there in rural Minnesota eh?

Just noticed that the SA 8 box is half French so it's probably to sell in Canada as well.

 

[frigilux]

Lonely? Lonely?! I was in Sioux-freakin'-Falls, South Dakota today, man. You have NO IDEA how crazy that place is!

 

[mickeyd]

You tell 'em Eugene

Scolling down I was appreciating the pictures oblivious to the text, and I thought: what strikingly patterened tea towels, abstract faux Christmas art but, then when I realized what they were, your blessed, stain test towels, I quaked with laughter, at my own naivete, nearly farting! God Bless You, Red Skelton

 

[exploder321]

I bet your laundry room does have a stench... Looking foward to the results

 

[brettsomers]

pete...Slap!

LOL... i was STARING at the towels as well, even after i read the part where you mentioned the stain testing. i was thinking "what an interesting print, are those watercolor flowers?" my goodness!

 

[mickeyd]

Thanks, Brett

Fine minds hallucinate alike.

 

[gansky1]

Can't wait for the test results - will you be using Tide products? It looks like you have a few on hand ;-)

I've found the same thing with the Sam's detergent, Sears HE and Costco/Kirkland. All are fairly low-sudsing but are difficult to rinse away - especially in an HE machine where they foam for days.

 

[frigilux]

I'd like the test to cover these detergents, all powders except where noted: Persil, Ariel, Tide HE (liquid), Tide Coldwater, Tide w/ Bleach, SA8 (already completed) and either Ace Acti-Blu or, just to see how bad it really is, the Oxi-Clean Detergent Ball.

I'll use the same test load (in the front-loader) for each trial, just to keep that variant under control.

It'll be fun to see which detergents come out on top.

 

[vintagesearch]

lol i like the window sill "duck goose duck goose" lol its a cool thing to have my god i remember that infamous childhood game! ohh and what a great idea to do your own tests, you got a hell of a dtergent stash daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn do you do that much laundry? oh wait i think that might be a dumb question lol enjoy yourself!

 

[mickeyd]

So you didn't get a kick out of two friends really thinking the test swatches were pretty linen tea towels or did you think we were being jerks like the other guy.

 

[frigilux]

Mickeyd-- Don't worry, I can withstand a fair amount of ribbing. I'm pretty thick-skinned. Or maybe thick-headed, LOL. I don't think anyone was trying to be a jerk. If they were, they failed. And I had a good chuckle over you and brettsomers admiring my psychedelic dish towels!

vintagesearch-- the DuckDuckGoose border was there when I moved in. I think the couple who owned the house before me bought a Country Living magazine and went berserk. There are two ceiling fans in the kitchen and the blades have dragon flies and ladybugs stencilled on them. The whole house was like that when I moved in. I'm gradually getting all the flat surfaces de-stencilled and de-stamped and de-bordered.

 

[58limited]

Sam's detergent

I use the Sam's club detergent in my GE frontloader and I have never had a problem with oversudsing. I only use 1/4 to 1/3 scoop per load though. I've never used a full scoop - I think the companies tell you to use that much so that you use it faster and buy more. When I had a toploader, I would put the clothes in, let it fill, and add detergent as it agitated until there was just a little bit of suds forming on top. For my old toploader, this was usually 1/2 to 3/4 scoop. I reduced the amount for the frontloader and it works fine. I will note that my clothes really seem cleaner and whiter than they ever were in the old Kenmore toploader (circa 1980), although I loved the old machine and was sorry to see it break.

 

[Unimatic1140]

Very cool idea Eugene!!! I can't wait to see your results.

 

[frigilux]

David-- The Sam's Club detergent didn't oversuds, it just isn't rinsing out well in my very soft water. In fact, next to the SA8 and the no-sudsing but poor-performing Oxi-Clean Detergent Ball, it is the most controlled sudsing detergent I've used. I wish I could rig my washer up so the wash and final rinse were done with soft water and the first and second rinses used hard water. That would eliminate the problem entirely. It's definitely the soft water and splashy action that cause detergents to be so tenacious in my FL'er.

I have the final stain-test load in the washer----which is good because I have five loads of actual laundry lined up and waiting.

I was really surprised by a couple of the results. I should have it all posted by noon. Then I have to start focusing on food prep for tonight's dinner guests---which will, of course, generate more laundry, LOL.

 

[mickeyd]

What are you serving?

I love dinner parties, especially Sunday Supper.

If I could fax you the Easy, and your wash is lightly soiled, you could finsh the 5 loads in 30-45 minutes depending on rinse time.

 

[frigilux]

It's cheap Italian buffet night, mickeyd---spaghetti & meatballs, barbecued baby back ribs, a nice green salad and lots of garlic cheese bread.

 

[mickeyd]

I'm drooling

Spaghetti&meatballs AND BBQ Baby backs--cheap? How about to die for? Never had them together. How elegant and delicious!

Bar mops, chef aprons, etc. Are you a restaurenteur? I've only been here a year. I thought you were an ambassador, a diplomat, or a labor relations guy.