Soda Crystals - Anybody use them

[zanussi_lover]

Ive recently discovered soda crystals, even though they have been around for years you can use them anywhere around the house, including the washing machine

90p from the shops, Tesco, Wilkos etc

they are amazing, and brilliant at removing grease and stains from clothing

I got an ink stain out of my favourite trousers after soaking them in a solution then washing them with my powder and some crystals in the drawer, I use less powder so that means i get more washes from a packet, saving money =]

if you have a baked on dish, pour some in with some hot water and all the grease comes off in a few seconds, including burnt on food

They are non toxic, and no harsh chemicals and are good for the environment

 

[aquarius1984]

Dont see the point when i can buy a decent quality branded detergent for less than the cost of some cheap nasty rubbish own label powder and a bag of soda crystals when the decnt stuff is on offer,

False economy in the highest aspect. If your detergent cannot handle an everyday stain like ink then somethings wrong there.

 

[wringer]

Does anyone

know if these are available in the US? Sounds interesting if they are not dangerous in any way.

Jim

 

[aquarius1984]

Over there Wringer they it is just generic Washing Soda. nothing special.

 

[foraloysius]

Actually washing soda or soday crystals are rather agressive. Better not use them in a machine with an enemal drum. And be careful with it in other machines, it can lead to rusting.

OTOH there is nothing wrong with it for using it as an desinfactant. I use it for stuff from thriftstores.

 

[petek]

Borax is washing soda isn't it?

 

[wringer]

I have

used borax for years for whites and it works well. Washing soda is different. I do know that washing soda is a bit strong also so may have the same actions as soda crystals. Borax is sodium tetraborate (I had to look on the box to spell that LOL) and it says on the box it cleans aluminum and porcelain. My family has used it for years. Maybe with Tide it is not even necessary who knows. It is cheap to buy and seems to keep whites white and remove stains. Just my limited knowledge.

 

[hoovermatic]

Soda Crystals have been around for years as a cleaning product - a lot of people used to add a handful to the water in the wash tub of the twin tub to soften the water, remove stains and assist in stain removal - they are no more harmful than the battery of chemicals that are contained in the various incarnations of Vanish that adorn the shelves, or even bloody Calgon, which is one of the biggest rip off products next to Finish Dishwasher cleaner. Soda crystals are great for washing dirty/greasy kitchen floors without the addition of Flash and all the other crap that we are told we need in order to keep up with the Joness'

 

[abcomatic]

Wringer

HI, I use borax in all of my wringer machines and the Easy spindrier. So far so good, nothing is wrong at all with any of them. Do I need to be concerned? Should I stop using this? My Maytag automatics are ok with the use of this too. Thanks, Gary

 

[launderess]

Soda Crystals, Washing Soda,

Both are forms of sodium carbonate and have indeed been around for ages. Housewives, laundry workers and others far back as the Victorian period (or earlier depending upon geographic location) the world round used either for everything from dish washing, laundry work and general house cleaning.

Prior to soda ashes from various plants and woods would be used for their natural carbonate properties. Laundry would be put into some sort of container, ashes put on top (in some sort of container), then water poured over the ashes again and again (the containers had an opening at the bottom so water could be collected as it ran out), or simply allowed to soak in whatever chemicals leached out of the ashes.

In terms of caustic properties washing soda is less alkaline than TSP or caustic soda, but more than borax (sodium tetraborate).

Besides cutting grease and oils sodium carbonate softens water but by precipitation. This means the soda binds to hard water minerals rather than sequestering as poly phosphates. This forms a sort of scum/muck that can not cling to clothing but surfaces such as the inside of a washing machine. This effect is more pronouced when using pure soaps for laundry/cleaning instead of petrol based detergents.

Alkaline substances cause fibers to swell, this in turn allows for soils to be released from textiles and allows greater penetration of whatever cleansers (soap, detergent) one is using. The problem is that unless the pH of whatever one is washing is brought down to neutral properly not only will those "pores" stay open but residue of soap,detergent and so forth become trapped in textile fibers. This is the chief cause of two common laundry problems; tattle-tale grey wash and rough feeling textiles.

Contray to popular belief laundry "sours" do not remove detergent or soap residue per say, but counter the last remaining alkaline levels after a wash has been properly rinsed. Indeed souring can be skipped if the laundry is rinsed often and properly as water is normally pH neutral. However depending upon what chemicals were used for the wash and how much that can mean quite allot of rinsing.

Over use of washing soda/soda crystals can harm cotton and linen fibers though former is more resistant than the latter. The damage shows as tender areas and yellowing of items. The last was and or is often covered up by the use of bluing or modern OBAs.

One reason so many say laundry washed in liquid detergent feels softer than powders is that the former do not contain washing soda and or are nearly pH neutral to slightly acidic (such as those designed for wool or silk).

Finally all one's vintage laundry/housekeeping manuals from both sides of the pond give directions for both housewives and commercial laundry an how to dissolve washing soda/soda crystals in water to make a solution. This solution is measured and dispensed for each wash rather than adding the undiluted stuff to the wash.

 

[tolivac]

At the transmitter site I work at-we have 100lb bags of the stuff-used in the "soda load" a dummy load for testing the transmitters without having to put them on an antenna for test-the load acts as a large resistor to convert the RF energy from the transmitter to heat.the sodium cabonate is mixed with distilled-dionized water to amke up the "load" solution pumpted thru the dummy load resstor chamber-electrodes from the transmitter are in the chamber.A pump circulates the "soda" water thru the chamber to a heat exchanger-this transfers the heat from the load solution to a glycol solution-the same thing that is in your car--that transfers the ehat to a forced air cooled heat exchanger outside.You can imagine the heat from 250 or 500Kw.The solution "wears" out after a while-do a new solution has to be made up.the old solution is drained-tanks flused out and fresh distilled water put into the load resivior tank-then you connect a network analyzer to the load elctrodes and add the sodium carbonate until you get 300 ohms.
We don't use it in the washer here at the site to clean rags.Speed Queen.

 

[wringer]

All I

know is that I have used it for years and my Mom used it my entire life at home. I have used it in both porcelain and stainless steel auto tubs and I use as my daily driver a Maytag Wringer E2L. It has not done any damage to any of the washers that I know of. It does keep the aluminum tub clean on my Maytag and the stainless steel tub of my GE sparkles. I will continue to use it until I have a problem. However, I have no idea if it helps get the close cleaner than just regular Tide. Maybe I should try washing a few times without it. I am talking about Borax tho not Washing Soda.

Jim

 

[supersuds]

Launderess, thank you, once again, for a thorough summary of the topic!

 

[launderess]

"This forms a sort of scum/muck that can not cling "

Sorry, that should have been *can cling*.

 

[whirlpolf]

"ME!" (hands up for a new book)

Launderess,

have you ever thought of writing a book and compiling all that knowledge in a handbook?
I'd be in to buy it.
A lot of the stuff you write is well known to me, yet there has never been a single post of yours that does not contain something new to me. I pulled many text clippings so far.
What could make it so unique: You know both cleaning and laundry habits on both sides of the pond.
Purely chemical or technical guides? There are plenty. But none of them is spiced up with company knowledge, traditions, habits, timelines and ads memories.
Ever thought about that?

So when can I put one in my shopping cart? ;-)))

J.

 

[launderess]

@whirlpolf et al

What a kind sentiment, thank you!

Maybe will sit down and pen something one day. They do say everyone has a least one good book in them so who knows?

Really cannot take all the credit as much of what one knows comes from pouring over my vast and growing collection of vintage laundry and housekeeping manuals. Most are French though a few English and recently an Amercian one has come into my hands.

Believe it or not the matter of how to properly do laundry has been studied and written about at great length through much of history. Afterall someone had to tell housewives, laundresses, and others how to get the job done.

What really changed was once science and it's methods were employed. Many women having college education but limited by discrimination from the really gainful work, turned their degrees in chemistry, home economics et al into ways of making the housewife's lot easier, and this included faster and better ways of doing housework that didn't wreck a woman's health.

One such "bible" is "The Laundry Manual" by Lydia Ray Balderston.

Written at the turn of the last century it was updated and republished through the 1930's IIRC. Much of the later editions cover changes in laundry work such as the invention and use of "modern" laundry machines such as washers, extractors, electric irons and so forth. However rigth along side one finds instructions for using though updated the standard wash tubs, wringers, mangles and sad irons.

What one finds so interesting about the whole thing is that regardless of our modern automatic washing machines and other equipment the process is still basically the same. To clean textiles one either moves them through water and or moves the water through them. Cleansers be they soap or detergents both perform the same function, to lift dirt and stains from textile fibers.

In nursing we had something called "theory and rationale". One learned not just how to do something but the reasons behind what one did. This way even if the equipment one was used to wasn't available you could still replicate the desired result because one understood the underlying basics and how to get to where you wanted to go.

It is the same with laundry. One could still do laundry by hand and if one knows how to go about it obtain the same if not better results than with modern equipment. You'll probably be quite sore and tired, but still.....

Laundry Manual

books.google.com

 

[launderess]

In Summary

Soda crystals/washing soda have properties (water softening and emulsion of fats/grease/oils) that largely have or can be replaced by modern surfactants and enzymes. In liquid detergents sodium citrate often is added along with small amounts of borax to deal with water softening and as a pH adjuster.

All the above will clean laundry with less destructive work on textiles than the alkaline pH of washing soda, especially when the latter is used in abundance.

What most consumers do not realise is that washing soda makes up a good portion of all laundry powders from detergents to "stain fighting" bleaches. Often persons will add powdered detergent (usually in excess amounts for proper cleaning), then add a powdered bleach/stain fighter and perhaps borax or washing soda to boot (to soften water and or enhance cleaning regardless if required), all of which means a very high pH wash solution that can lead to holes and excess wear on fabric.

 

[perc-o-prince]

Miss Soda Crystals

Rich thought that might make an interesting drag name! {titter}

 

Chuck

 

[autowasherfreak]

Miss Soda Crystals

Cute name, might have to change mine, LOL.