STPP in the rinse?

[supersuds]

Following Laundress's advice, I got some STPP from the Chemistry Store. (She had said to use STPP alone to reduce graying of white clothing, as it removes old detergent.) It's amazing how many suds come out of laundry when you use it alone!

This got me to thinking: The Norge Dispensomat allowed you to add Calgon directly to the rinse water. Would it be a good idea to use STPP in all rinses?

 

[sudsmaster]

I've not tried it, because the water here is on the soft side. I use STPP to help get dirt of fabrics. If your water is hard, you might want to try it in the last rinse. I don't think it would have much effect - and possible give a harsher feel - if added to soft rinse water.

 

[jeffg]

Yes, STPP is mildly caustic (although not as caustic as washing soda/sodium carbonate). Give it at least one final rinse in plain water.

 

[launderess]

Once you have successfully have "stripped" detergent residue from laundry, there is little to gain from softened "rinse" water, unless your water quality in general is hard.

Best off finding the right detergent to STPPP ratio for the wash cycle, and let the rinsing do it's thing.

L.

 

[thomasortega]

Somebody please help me.

I'm having troubles to translate and understand what the hell is this STPP you always talk about...

I mean, I know how it acts and I can guess what is this, but I don't know it's definition in English and why it's called S.T.P.P.

I know most of the active members are american or english but PLEASE avoid using abreviations, because there are also many other members here which first language isn't english.

By the way, in portuguese (and probably spanish) S.T.P.P. is the abreviation for a pesticide banned in the 70's. and I'm very sure we're not talking about it, but about an alcaline salt we can find on chemistry stores and it's very safe to use.

Thanks in advance.

 

[pulsator]

STPP stands for Sodium Tripolyphosphate.

 

[thomasortega]

Thanks... yes, that's the same as I thought.

in portuguese it's TPFS

 

[sudsmaster]

EXCUSE ME!

Please give us the full name of sodium tripolyphosphate in Portuguese. You just committed the same transgression that you asked us to stop doing - you gave us only the Portuguese abbreviation. What will I ever do if I ever visit Rio and need to get superior laundering?

LOL!

 

[thomasortega]

I'm sorry...

In portuguese it's "Tri-polifosfato de sodio"

But you'll never need it in Brazil because of our excellent water to do laundry. (we don't have water softeners)

But if you come to Brazil, I can give you some tips:

1) Brazil is not only Rio de Janeiro. (By the way, Rio is considered (by the brazilians) one of the worst places to live. (Too violent, too expensive and too stressing).

2) NEVER use OMO. This brand doesn't clean. Just marketing, marketing and marketing (and it's very expensive).

3) We DO NOT have zebras and elephants in Brazil. (I live in iguassu and my city receives tourists from all countries.) At least once a month, when I use public transport instead of my car to go to work, a tourist ask me where he or she can see the zebras and the elephants. LOL

I feel so dissapointed because some tourism books have very wrong informations about Brazil.

IMPORTANT TIP... VEEEEEEEERY IMPORTANT!!!!

If you're flying to Brazil, drink at least 2 litres of water 1 hour BEFORE your arrival. 10% of the tourists need an ambulance 1 hour after they start to understand the meaning of HOT and DRY when we talk about our weather. All the flight attendants offer a bottle (instead of a glass) of water.
You leave the lovely 14 degrees inside a plane to enter a 48 degrees "inferno".

it's just like an oven with the door open.

 

[peterh770]

I always thought about using STPP in the first rinse when washing in grated Fels soap...

 

[maytagbear]

Zebras and elephants?

Why not refer them to the nearest Zoological Garden?

Just a thought!

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[sudsmaster]

Thomas,

But surely you tell them where the kangaroos are, right?

;-)

I knew Brazil was hot, but I thought it would be hot and humid. Not hot and dry. Hot and dry I can deal with - much like California summer weather. Well, like California summer weather in the Mohave Desert (yes, I've been there in August. Death Valley, too).

Sorry about the Rio reference. It was the first (and only) Brazilian city that came to mind.

At least I didn't say "Brazilia", which I understand is a horrid concrete monstrosity passing for an artifical capital. Correct me if I'm wrong, please.

For some reason I would like to visit Ipanema, though.

 

[sudsman]

STPP

Not only works very well in the wash but adding it to the bleach and 1st rinse will improve the cleaning greatly. Heavy soil loads always come out snow white with stpp. Was once told many years ago if you want a good detergent buy one with stpp. if you want to make a detergent good add stpp. a little goes a long way. Only 1 or 2 oz. will do a good job in smaller machines. Only have to use 6 oz on a 150 lb load. It is VERY cost effective too!

 

[launderess]

One or Two Ounces?

Are you sure about that?

Merely require information. Just measured by weight one ounce of STPP with a digital scale, and it comes to over 1/4 cup. That seems like allot of product.

Use about 1/2 tablespoon for most white loads, with maybe a full tablespoon for very heavy soils and or when using soap.

L.

 

[jeffg]

I made the mistake with measuring STPP. Here's what sudsmaster wrote a while back:

"You may be confusing phosphorus content of 6-12% with phophate content of 33%. As I recall, 33% STPP is about 8% phosphorus content. That's because phosphorus isn't the only atom in an STPP molecule. It also has sodium and oxygen.

Here's the chem math:

STPP formula: Na5P3O10

Mol wts: Na (23), P (31), O (16).

Total wet of one mole of STPP: 368 g.

Portion that is P: 93g.

93/368=.252

.252x33=8.3

Thus, a 33% STPP mix contains 8.3% Phosphorus by weight. "

A standard 3/4 c. dose per load would be 1/2 c. detergent + 1/4 c. STPP.

 

[launderess]

Well there you are then. Haven't used 1/2 cup of detergent in ages. Even with the non-concentrated Persil powder, only used 1/4 cup or less. With today's very concentrated megaperls and other "HE" detergents, get by with 1-2 tablespoons at most.

L.

 

[thomasortega]

Rich...

This is Brazil, not Australia LOL
Most of the ZOOs in Brazil has been banned and closed. The animals were followed by biologists, vets and zootechnists and "trained" to survive the wild life, after that, they´re released right in the middle of their natural environment, around the world. (just some lions and other almost extincted animals are kept.)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Brasilia (in portuguese it's written with s) is horrible. There are some interesting buildings, but the only thing you can see is concrete everywhere.
The city was built with the shape of an airplane, so there you can find the north "wing", the south "wing", and our president´s (that drunk idiot) stays in the pilot´s cabin.
Our weather is mostly hot and dry during the summer and our winter is really short in the south (2 or 3 weeks) cold and dry.
Some regions have balanced tropical weather (north, near the amazonic forrest) and other regions are hot and wet the whole year (salvador, natal, fortaleza, etc...)

The south (Parana, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul) is also the richest region, not only about money, but also about culture. Some cities (most in Parana and Santa Catarina) were colonized by european imigrants, so you can find cities with german architecture and most of the habitants really speaks german, other cities swiss, other cities spanish, other italian, and much more. that is amazing!
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Jeff
About the "Sodium Tripolyphosphate" (STPP), as I remember, can also be used to make explosives (of course in a different concentration and mixed with other chemicals) and in food industry as UHT milk stabilizer and other "tetra-pak" products. Am I right?

As I love to make tests, I´ll buy and try it.

 

[sudsman]

you are right launderess

I ment to put teaspoon instead of oz.. In the home style washers here I use 1 teaspoon on regular loads and 2 on very heavy soil.. only takes 6 oz for 150 lb load.

 

[sudsmaster]

I am not familiar with any use of STPP to make explosives. The classic gunpowder recipe is carbon (charcoal), sulfur, and potassium nitrate (saltpeter).

A quick google didn't result in any hits for STPP or TSP used to make explosives. The closest I found were some mentions of ammonium phosphate, but that is a quite different chemical from STPP.

Rest assured that if STPP were used in explosive it would not be so easy to purchase online or from local chemical warehouses.

 

[thomasortega]

I got this information from my boss...

The STPP alone can't do anything, but when mixed with many other chemicals, it becomes explosive.

He told me he used to make these bombs for fishing when he was a teenager.

It's not highly explosive as TNT or C4. but enough to cause an impact under water and kill some fishes.

By the way, today this kind of fishing is forbidden in Brazil.

 

[beadsobleach]

Brasilia

I for one would love to see Brasilia. I remember in school in the early 60's seeing pictures of the city of tomorrow, created from the ground up. After all, one of the main themes of this site is mid-century design, Can't you just see a Norge Dispensomat in one of the apartments there? The closest I've been to it in the US is Empire State Plaza in Albany, NY. Great to walk through on a cold windy day!

 

[sudsmaster]

I guess I got my negative image of Brasilia from a tour book of the 70's. Probably, "Along the Gringo Trail". I'll have to ferret out my copy (it stood me well in my travels in Guatemala and southern Mexico) and see if there is any reference.

I wiki'd a few Brazilian cities and Sao Paulo of course sounds like a must visit. Sort of the NYC of South America, I gather.

 

[thomasortega]

Rich, you're absolutelly right!

Sao Paulo is amazing. One of the biggest cities in the world.
It's exactly like NY. (I love NY) It never stops, it's probaby the largest financial center in south america.. Again concrete, concrete and concrete.
There's an expression in portuguese we use to describe it.
"Selva de Pedra" which means "stone jungle"

no matter if you are gay or straight, rich or poor, a wild clubber or prefer to read a romance book. Sao Paulo will always offer many entertainment options and one will never feel bored in sao Paulo...
The negative points are polution and their traffic which is always a real chaos.

Brasilia is boring. Imagine the Pentagon, the White House and other important federal buildings all togeter in the same street that looks like an airplane and the wings are where the politicians live. In 10 minutes by car you know all it's streets and buildings. 99% of it's population are politicians, 1% other workers related to politicians. Everything they talk about is politics and if you don't have anything else to do (except politics or study the brazilian politics) there's no reason to visit brasilia). The city was designed, all the buildings were built at the same time, by the same workers, designed by the same architect, for the same owner: The Nation.

it's veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery boring.

Other cities I recommend is Curitiba (considered by UNESCO the best place to live in Brazil). It looks like London, but smaller and without the underground (subway). Fortaleza, Natal and Maceio. during the summer (november to february). Their beaches are amazing! Iguassu not only because I live here, but because of the falls and the easy access to Paraguay and Argentina (few minutes by car).