STTP

[laundramatt]

What's the difference between-

Sodium Tripolyphosphate - http://www.chemistrystore.com/Chemicals_S_Z-Sodium_Tripolyphosphate.html

and

Trisodium Phosphate http://www.chemistrystore.com/Chemicals_S_Z-Trisodium_Phosphate_1.html

I ordered the first one, then saw the second one. Did I order the correct one for my hard water?

Thanks to the experts.

 

[jeffg]

Yes. TSP is a very strong caustic and not appropriate for laundry. STPP turns into TSP when exposed to moisture, which is why it should be stored in airtight containers.

 

[laundramatt]

Thanks Jeff. I'll be sure to keep it covered up well.

 

[laundramatt]

Thanks Jeff. I'll be sure to keep it covered up well.

 

[sudsmaster]

Well, sort of.

TSP isn't any more caustic than the main ingredient in most laundry powders, washing soda (sodium carbonate).

However TSP doesn't have much advantage over sodium carbonate in cleaning fabrics. It will form a precipitate with hard water minerals and dirt, just like washing soda.

STPP will not form a precipitate, which enables it to lift dirt away from fabrics and hold in to be rinsed away.

Anyway, you did the right thing. STPP is what you want for laundry in areas where it is legal to use.

 

[jeffg]

The comparison was between TSP and STPP, not sodium carbonate. TSP used straight from the box will easily strip the paint off of walls. We've tried it a few times on loads of whites, the cleaning performance was subpar and it was very harsh on fabrics.

 

[suburbanmd]

Where it's legal to use

I thought only detergent manufacturers are prohibited from including phosphates in their products. Does any jurisdiction outlaw purchase and use of STPP by individuals?

 

[jeffg]

I don't think there are any laws against buying it, but I think a few jurisdictions prohibit release of it into sewage systems. E.g. up in Tahoe they're trying to restore the lake's clarity (it's actually working, the lake has been gaining clarity steadily since the project started) and local sewage ordinances are very strict. They've practically eliminated phosphorus and nitrogen from waste streams into the lake and the algae is starving to death.

http://ndep.nv.gov/bwqp/tahoe.htm

 

[sudsmaster]

Lake Tahoe

All sewage from the inhabited areas around the lake is treated and pumped up over the mountains to another area downhill from it. The water is treated to drinking water standards but still has too much phosphorus and nitrogen for the lake, and is used in the remote area for irrigating ranch and farmland, where the nutrients are of value.

This has been the case since 1968.

So banning phosphates from laundry detergents in the Tahoe area wouldn't have any direct effect on the lake, unless someone decides to run a sewage line from their home directly into the lake.

Which would be criminal.

http://www.4swep.org/resources/LakeTahoeReport/087.html

 

[maytagbear]

"Which would be criminal"

Not to mention utterly disgusting.

Lawrence/Maytagbear