Hi everyone, I have a question that I need some help with here.My brother said that I should not use powdered detergent because it will eventually stop up the plumbing. I use powdered Tide, original scent, Arm and Hammer washing soda and Final Touch liquid fabric softner. "Oh what is a girl to do?" lol Thanks, ABComatic
Powder or liquid
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michaelman2
Well-known member
Hey ABC...I do know thatwhen I have used powder in my machine (Duet), there has been at times a "cake" of powder left in the hopper. I now use liquid only.
SactoTeddyBear
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Re: Which to Use:
I feel that you {anyone} should use what works best for them and whichever they prefer to use.
Did our Ansestor's Plumbing get Stopped Up from Podwered Detergent's, I would guess maybe once in a while, if so did they change to Liquids {when available} or keep using their favorite Powder Brand?
I say "Go For It" ABC...
Peace and Happy Clean Laundry, Steve
SactoTeddyBear...
I feel that you {anyone} should use what works best for them and whichever they prefer to use.
Did our Ansestor's Plumbing get Stopped Up from Podwered Detergent's, I would guess maybe once in a while, if so did they change to Liquids {when available} or keep using their favorite Powder Brand?
I say "Go For It" ABC...
Peace and Happy Clean Laundry, Steve
SactoTeddyBear...
...and his qualifications to jump to such a conclusion are?
(MEN: to prevent your pipes from clogging~~ USE them, it has been proven to keep you healthy.)
Powders clean better.
Liquids dissolve better.
By that logic, since powders hold soils in suspension better & longer it would also appear logical to keep the pipes cleaner and clearer and PREVENT a back-up.
If this is a PERCEIVED problem simply flush hot water down each drain in the house (except toilet where hot agianst cold could crack the porcelain).
Don't waste water; use the pot of boiled water after you have pulled the pasta out of it!
(MEN: to prevent your pipes from clogging~~ USE them, it has been proven to keep you healthy.)
Powders clean better.
Liquids dissolve better.
By that logic, since powders hold soils in suspension better & longer it would also appear logical to keep the pipes cleaner and clearer and PREVENT a back-up.
If this is a PERCEIVED problem simply flush hot water down each drain in the house (except toilet where hot agianst cold could crack the porcelain).
Don't waste water; use the pot of boiled water after you have pulled the pasta out of it!
Bunk!
If this the case, every Laundromat across this country and around the world would prohibit the use of all powder products!
Any powder residue left behind after the cycle is complete, your water is too cold or the detergent is old, powder detergent does not breakdown well in temps below 60 degrees so warm it up!
If this the case, every Laundromat across this country and around the world would prohibit the use of all powder products!
Any powder residue left behind after the cycle is complete, your water is too cold or the detergent is old, powder detergent does not breakdown well in temps below 60 degrees so warm it up!
cleanfresh
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No! You can't use the pot of boiling water!!!
It contains biological contaminents, remember? I like powdered detergents because the scent is more concentrated. Never had a problem with powered detergents. And as someone mentioned, our parents, ect. happily used them. We live in a country where people love to jump on bandwagons. And powders are making a comeback for sure. Just like some, including me, prefer dishwashing liquid in the classic 22 oz. or more bottle as opposed to the ultra concentrated liquid in those smaller bottles.
It contains biological contaminents, remember? I like powdered detergents because the scent is more concentrated. Never had a problem with powered detergents. And as someone mentioned, our parents, ect. happily used them. We live in a country where people love to jump on bandwagons. And powders are making a comeback for sure. Just like some, including me, prefer dishwashing liquid in the classic 22 oz. or more bottle as opposed to the ultra concentrated liquid in those smaller bottles.
What clogs up pipes, in my experience, is not powdered detergents, but egg shells and coffee being sent down the garbage disposal.
Caking of a powder may happen if cold water washing is practiced on a regular basis. I suggest a strict course of abstinence from such error, as cold water will not clean as well as warm or hot water.
The jury is somewhat out with regard to keeping soil in suspension. A powder without zeolites or STPP will tend not to keep soil in suspension very well, unless it has carboxymethylcellulose added. It will tend to make precipitates more than liquids. That's because most liquids contain sodium citrate as a water softener, which tends to be less precipitating that the sodium carbonate found in virtually all powders. But I do agree that powders, by virtue of their greater alkalinity, tend to clean heavily soiled laundry better than liquids.
Caking of a powder may happen if cold water washing is practiced on a regular basis. I suggest a strict course of abstinence from such error, as cold water will not clean as well as warm or hot water.
The jury is somewhat out with regard to keeping soil in suspension. A powder without zeolites or STPP will tend not to keep soil in suspension very well, unless it has carboxymethylcellulose added. It will tend to make precipitates more than liquids. That's because most liquids contain sodium citrate as a water softener, which tends to be less precipitating that the sodium carbonate found in virtually all powders. But I do agree that powders, by virtue of their greater alkalinity, tend to clean heavily soiled laundry better than liquids.
I had heard something similar years ago...
But it wasn't the pipes getting clogged from powder detergents, it was that the powder was bad for the mechanisms or something in the washer.
Soooo, for the last 4 yrs, I was adament (sp) about using liquids....
Recently, since I have become extremely addicted to the Mexican detergents, I won't use the liquids anymore. AND I wash in only cold water (so sue me).
I always swish-n-swirl the detergent around with the water before throwing laundry in the tub. I have never had a problem of clumps or stains on any laundry.
If the washing machine breaks down, guess I will just have to learn to fix it, won't I? ;-)
Which is why I want at least, 2 washers, 2 dryers.
But it wasn't the pipes getting clogged from powder detergents, it was that the powder was bad for the mechanisms or something in the washer.
Soooo, for the last 4 yrs, I was adament (sp) about using liquids....
Recently, since I have become extremely addicted to the Mexican detergents, I won't use the liquids anymore. AND I wash in only cold water (so sue me).
I always swish-n-swirl the detergent around with the water before throwing laundry in the tub. I have never had a problem of clumps or stains on any laundry.
If the washing machine breaks down, guess I will just have to learn to fix it, won't I? ;-)
Which is why I want at least, 2 washers, 2 dryers.
cleanfresh
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sudsmaster, I beg to differ with you on one point
ALL detergents keep soils in suspension to a degree because they contain surfacants. This is one of the major differences between detergent and soap. In detergent/cleaning technology soil suspension is old news because there are chemical agents that can easily do that.
ALL detergents keep soils in suspension to a degree because they contain surfacants. This is one of the major differences between detergent and soap. In detergent/cleaning technology soil suspension is old news because there are chemical agents that can easily do that.
Yes and No
"ALL detergents keep soils in suspension to a degree because they contain surfacants. This is one of the major differences between detergent and soap. In detergent/cleaning technology soil suspension is old news because there are chemical agents that can easily do that."
Yes, to a degree, I suppose that is true.
The main benefit of a synthetic surfactant found in a detergent, over a natural surfactant found in a soap, is that the synthetic surfactant does not combine with hard water minerals to form "soap scum". But the absence of soap scum in a synthetic detergent doesn't mean that a precipitate still
can't form. And it takes more than just a surfactant to clean laundry.
Surfactants function mainly to solubilize oily/greasy substances. They don't do much to keep mineral soils in suspension. This has to do with their amphoteric nature - one end of the molecule is lipophilic, the other end is hydrophilic. It takes a break like sodium carbonate or STPP to break mineral soils ways from fabrics.
The problem is that hard water minerals in the water, and minerals in the soil on the fabrics, can combine with the breaks or water softeners in the detergent and cause a precipitate. This precipitate then can redeposit back on the laundry - in general it will look like lint. It can also redeposit back on washer parts, forming a hard crusty coating, and this can damage valves etc. This precipitate has nothing to do with the surfactant. The only way to prevent it is either to use a non-precipitating water softener (like STPP) and/or an anti-soil redeposition agent like CMC. Additionally, most powders also contain some sodium silicate ("water glass") which helps to prevent the precipitate from sticking to metal washer parts (chemical process for this is still unknown to me).
"ALL detergents keep soils in suspension to a degree because they contain surfacants. This is one of the major differences between detergent and soap. In detergent/cleaning technology soil suspension is old news because there are chemical agents that can easily do that."
Yes, to a degree, I suppose that is true.
The main benefit of a synthetic surfactant found in a detergent, over a natural surfactant found in a soap, is that the synthetic surfactant does not combine with hard water minerals to form "soap scum". But the absence of soap scum in a synthetic detergent doesn't mean that a precipitate still
can't form. And it takes more than just a surfactant to clean laundry.
Surfactants function mainly to solubilize oily/greasy substances. They don't do much to keep mineral soils in suspension. This has to do with their amphoteric nature - one end of the molecule is lipophilic, the other end is hydrophilic. It takes a break like sodium carbonate or STPP to break mineral soils ways from fabrics.
The problem is that hard water minerals in the water, and minerals in the soil on the fabrics, can combine with the breaks or water softeners in the detergent and cause a precipitate. This precipitate then can redeposit back on the laundry - in general it will look like lint. It can also redeposit back on washer parts, forming a hard crusty coating, and this can damage valves etc. This precipitate has nothing to do with the surfactant. The only way to prevent it is either to use a non-precipitating water softener (like STPP) and/or an anti-soil redeposition agent like CMC. Additionally, most powders also contain some sodium silicate ("water glass") which helps to prevent the precipitate from sticking to metal washer parts (chemical process for this is still unknown to me).
mattywashboy
Well-known member
from the aussie point of viewL
In all modern washing machine instruction books it advises you that if you wash in cold water regularly (as most aussies do) AND use a powder detergent then it suggests you do at least one HOT wash out of every six washes. Of course not many aussies take notice and thus their piping gets clogged and a nice hefty service is whapped on their table but the warning is there. I vary between Bio Zet powder and Spree or Radiant Liquid but i never use cold washes, only warm or hot so i think i'm outta danger.
In all modern washing machine instruction books it advises you that if you wash in cold water regularly (as most aussies do) AND use a powder detergent then it suggests you do at least one HOT wash out of every six washes. Of course not many aussies take notice and thus their piping gets clogged and a nice hefty service is whapped on their table but the warning is there. I vary between Bio Zet powder and Spree or Radiant Liquid but i never use cold washes, only warm or hot so i think i'm outta danger.
If I had a vintage washer--
like from the 50s or early 60s, I'd use a powder in it. (Robert said that for vintage machines powder was better.)
However, my washer is from 1997, so I just use whatever strikes my fancy or pocketbook that day.
Lawrence/Maytagbear
like from the 50s or early 60s, I'd use a powder in it. (Robert said that for vintage machines powder was better.)
However, my washer is from 1997, so I just use whatever strikes my fancy or pocketbook that day.
Lawrence/Maytagbear
John Lefever always told me
Powders for soil stains, Liquids for greasey oily stains.
But do you know that a manufacturer's call for COLD water here in the US & Europe is for water no colder than 70 degrees?? Now thats really warm water, tap cold in New England in the winter is 48 degrees NOTHING will get clean in that. In summer its only about 52 degrees F.
I like powders especially in my older machines I feel they clean better but Aloysius is always bringing in gritty dirt here so powders are better for me.
Powders for soil stains, Liquids for greasey oily stains.
But do you know that a manufacturer's call for COLD water here in the US & Europe is for water no colder than 70 degrees?? Now thats really warm water, tap cold in New England in the winter is 48 degrees NOTHING will get clean in that. In summer its only about 52 degrees F.
I like powders especially in my older machines I feel they clean better but Aloysius is always bringing in gritty dirt here so powders are better for me.
Powder fan
I grew up with powders. In my adult years i've gone both ways. In the early 90's when I still had my lady K and electronic touch control kenmore I used double power surf liquid. It was so thick that if I didnt pour it in the machine with the water running it would leave residue in the dispenser. Cheer came out with color guard, so I thought I would try it (powder version) on my nice shirts and jeans since it was suppose to help preserve colors. One day I was doing a load of tidy whities and instead of my liquid surf/clorox2 combo I accidently used cheer with the clorox2. I didnt realize it til went to get the clothes out of the dryer and noticed the smell of the cheer. Needless to say the whities were tidy. Subsequently around the same time surf changed to a different liquid that was a little more watered down and in a much bigger bottle. I stuck with the cheer from that point on, but would keep some tide around only for the dirtiest of clothes which wasnt very often. I still use powder cheer but have switched to tide HE instead of regular tide.
Scott
I grew up with powders. In my adult years i've gone both ways. In the early 90's when I still had my lady K and electronic touch control kenmore I used double power surf liquid. It was so thick that if I didnt pour it in the machine with the water running it would leave residue in the dispenser. Cheer came out with color guard, so I thought I would try it (powder version) on my nice shirts and jeans since it was suppose to help preserve colors. One day I was doing a load of tidy whities and instead of my liquid surf/clorox2 combo I accidently used cheer with the clorox2. I didnt realize it til went to get the clothes out of the dryer and noticed the smell of the cheer. Needless to say the whities were tidy. Subsequently around the same time surf changed to a different liquid that was a little more watered down and in a much bigger bottle. I stuck with the cheer from that point on, but would keep some tide around only for the dirtiest of clothes which wasnt very often. I still use powder cheer but have switched to tide HE instead of regular tide.
Scott
Thanks for your help guys. I like powder myself(and even powdered detergent too)lol. I am with you Toggleswitch, I like to use my pipes too, and do so often, every chance I get in fact; even alone is good for keeping your pipes open. lol I love this place! Gary
TMI, hon! LOL
Toggle, I am a poor churl from the cornfields of Illinois, not up and coming like you folks are from the East. Too much information? Sorry, I don't want to offend. (well)? lol
I am very happy that you are allowed to do laundry and use powdered detergents all alone. Good for you !
(wink)
(wink)
ABC, if you do ever need a plumber's assistant, I'll be more than happy to lend a (helping) hand. ;-)
