Using STPP

[launderess]

Your machine has a whiff about it

Because you are killing it with soap...

Pure soap for constant use in front loaders will harm most machines. Leaving aside the issue of scum deposits pure soaps contain fats and oils that can and probably will eat away at the rubber and other components inside the machine. Worse because you cannot scrub away these various deposits the moist and warm conditions inside your washer from a wonderful breeding ground for mold and mildew.

Think of your bathtub and how it looks after a week or (God forbid) longer if not cleaned to remove soap scum. It is that scum and residue that promotes the mildew and mold you see on grout.

Can understand if financial circumstances are tight, just hunt around for good "HE" detergents on sale and stock up. You will be spending more, much more if you must replace your washing machine every few years because of damage caused by soap.

To sum up soap is fine for the occasional wash in a H-axis washer. However if you truly want to go that route then best get shot of it and look for a top loading washer or even a twin-tub or wringer.

 

[mamapinky]

Laurie, Launderess has given you good advice, I would recommend you research how to start the cleaning process on your FL, if you've been using soap for a long time it needs cleaned, I can't help you with that I'm a water hog user.
I can recommend detergent, if your looking to save $$ try the sears powdered detergent, either the orange or green box are very good, and spiked with STPP is excellent. Sears often has them on sale, I just bought a 275 load box for 19.99, and its HE.Tide is the best the US offers, its generally on sale somewhere and coupons are easy to come by.I would also advise you to stear clear of liquid detergent at least for now, I'msure your machines gunked up enough right now. Good luck Cheryl

 

[stan]

Hi Laurie

Missed the part that the machine has a odor? Dose it?
If so, and if the machine has a build up.. You have to start there.
Run a empty load with hottest water you can get, and a healthy dose of washing soda. If the the machine dose in fact have a " soap" build up, the soda, and hot water should break most of it loose and you'll see sudsing. At least it will indicate that you do have a "soap" build up. You may need to repeat this process until it stops producing suds, and machine runs clear.
When you've got it cleaned out, switch to synthetic HE detergent and a little STPP. I agree with Cheryl.. careful of liquid detergent until your convinced the machine is gunk free.
Despite what you've read online.. Ivory Soap is not the same as it was years ago, and has too much fat left behind during manufacturing to be used on fabric.

 

[stan]

Wanted to add

That Washing soda is wonderful for may uses, but for laundry, STPP is a much better option for regular use.
HTH

 

[launderess]

May have the wrong end of the stick

But believe it is the glycerin what helps make soap bad for washing machines. The stuff is great for toilet soaps as glycerin has moisturizing properties, but believe too much of it can harm rubber.

 

[mamapinky]

Hi Stan, I'm wondering, will *soap* build up in the washer cause sudsing like detergent residue would? Thank you Stan. Cheryl

 

[hiandry]

Would it be as good or maybe even better

to run Stpp instead of Soda Ash...or maybe even White Vinegar through my Front-Loader in order to clean it out? Fortunately my water heater is turned all the way up and runs extremely hot.

That said.. I had never heard of STPP and was going the TSP rout until I luckily ran across you're threads. Very very informative and has totally changed my perspective.

Are any of you knowledgeable of SPORT WASH LAUNDRY DETERGENT from ATSKO? I have been looking into it and wondered if it's soap based. I just sent them an email to see if they will give me the ingredients. Does it HAVE to be soap based if it's liquid? If it does, i'll get a box of Tide or Sears HE powder as mamapinky suggested, and cut it with stpp when it arrives. I ordered my first (stpp) two days ago and i'm anxious to get it!

 

[hiandry]

I got a responce!

The following is the email reply from Atsko: Sport-Wash is as non-soap as a detergent can get. It is made from 2 coconut sourced surfactants.

Here is explanation of soap vs detergent
http://www.atsko.com/soap-versus-detergent/

What you need to know is "what is left behind in the clothes after washing".
With other detergents the answer is lots more irritants than you started with.
With Sport-Wash/Sensi-Clean there is no residue because it rinses completely.

-My question to you now is... If it's non-soap..is it ok to use in my front loader? Or do all liquids leave problematic scum and build up regardless?

Thanks in advance for letting me pick your brains. You folks are great.

 

[kb0nes]

My take on all this is that its more important to use a GOOD detergent then to add the STPP, especially if you have soft water. There has been a lot of detergent discussions here on the group, look for the top rated ones and you won't go too far wrong. Be sure to use enough of them also.

As for cleaning out your machine just run a full load of rags in the hottest water you can manage. You could even dump in a pot or two of boiling water from the stove before you close the door. Use a large dose of detergent and some chlorine bleach. You may want to run it a few times. Dishwasher detergent can be used to good effect here too. Be sure to run with a full load, the water spinning out of the rags sprays against the upper part of the tub rinsing it down. Running the machine empty doesn't get a lot of water to the top of the drum.

Switching detergents for various loads vs running the same thing all the time probably helps too. Different formulations will work better on different soils so switching may help thwart the build up of films in the machine. In general powder detergents are probably most effective as a generalization. I, like many people here, switch routinely between 5 or 6 different detergents depending on the load.

Front loading machines require a little adaptation in habits compared to older laundry machines to reap their benefits. The people that don't like front load machines seem to be the ones that never really learned how to embrace the new machine. Forget soaps and low end detergents and home made recipes. Buy the good stuff! Compared to a top load machine you will use far less detergent anyhow and that offsets the price.

 

[hiandry]

On a mission

I've taken all you're wisdoms and advice and am determined to clean my FL if possible.. First run it through with only the stpp ..then a load of rags with boiling water and bleach. Then wash the rim, inside and out, with turpentine. I saw a video on youtube. I have breathing difficulties and don't want to use bleach to scrub by hand.

I'm going to order the Super Wash because it's soap free and has no chemicals. It's not really all that expensive and if I cut with stpp it should go a long way.

I love this site and feel I have some control over my Dish Washer and Front Loader now since the phosphate ban. Wish I had ran across it a long time ago.

Better late than never.

 

[launderess]

When using a "good" detergent then need for phosphat

Is reduced to nil or none.

Have stopped bothering adding STPP to loads washed with Persil powder or megaperls as find it just isn't required. The stuff performs very well without on its own.

 

[kb0nes]

A bit more follow up.

I wouldn't waste a cycle running the STPP alone, that won't accomplish much of anything.

I also wouldn't clean anything in the machine with Turpentine! It's not likely a good solvent for the soils you are trying to remove and it might damage the rubber!

Personally I wouldn't use that "Superwash" product. It seems you are afraid of detergents. I'd be more afraid of dirty clothing and stuff that grows in your washer then any common detergent.

STPP can be advantageous, but it won't turn a lack luster product into a Tide beater. Detergents have improved a lot since phosphates were removed. Also remember they were banned FOR a reason! If you don't need them you shouldn't use them... And in general unless your water is really hard (or you just HAVE to use poor cleaning products) you don't need the phosphates.

 

[mamapinky]

If bleach is going to affect your breathing, wouldn't turpentine? Is that even safe to use on a washer? Maybe I missed something here but why don't you just buy a MOL detergent and spike it with STPP or a TOL detergent alone. Why buy a detergent that may just be a boutique bottle of water. If I'm wrong about the Sport Wash I'm sorry, but so many of them are junk.

 

[launderess]

Turpentine? Turpentine!

For the love of God woman have you no pity for this poor washing machine? *LOL*

Do you know what turpentine is and what it does? Do you know you'll never get the scent of it out of your machine totally? Persons put some strange things on Youtube and I for one wouldn't take much of it for gospel.

They happen to sell dedicated cleaners for front loading washing machines. No, not that god awful stuff Tide and others sell that is mostly oxygen bleach but descaler/schnellentkalker. Miele sells a it for use in their front loaders but you can us it in any machine. Just contact their parts department to order.

Failing this there is the method recommended by Miele to us years ago to clean our machine; vinegar and baking soda. The idea is to create a "fizzy bomb" for lack of a better analogy to clean the machine. Foaming action created by the mixture of a base and acid becomes like "scrubbing bubbles" that will loosen and help remove scum. Vinegar also is a good disinfectant and killer of mould/mildew. It also removes soap scum/hard water deposits. Indeed in much of Europe housewives along with others have been using vinegar to clean their homes long before more caustic chemicals came about.

In the old days of commercial H-axis washing machines that were side loading oxalic or other acids were used to break down soap scum/hard water mineral deposits. It also required the use of a stiff broom or scrub brush to dislodge said scum. You won't be doing that for no other reason that you cannot get between the wash tubs.

You have something in your machine resembling this:



It took some time to build up and will take effort and time to remove. That being said it is better to start the way you mean to finish. That is by using a good "HE" detergent not only will you stop future problems but also slowly the deposits and biofilm will dissolve. This process can be helped along of course by cleaning the machine as above.

 

[stan]

@ Cheryl

To answer your question, yes. Especially if enough is used and if agitation is vigorous enough.

Contrary to the Atsko article.. Soap is not "mostly a art" It is in fact Science and Chemistry!

Laurie, for your situation (front loader) there's no choice except a good quality detergent. (No soap for you) If your water is hard, than the STPP will help. But you have to clean out that machine first. You've read many good suggestions here to achieve that. Please listen to Laundress don't use turpentine!

 

[mamapinky]

Thank you Stan, than there could be a real mess in that FL'er with using soap for **a long time** hopefully she gets all the build up cleaned out.

Laurie, remember that Sport Wash is a liquid, right now you would benefit from a good powder detergent. At least until you get everything cleaned up, you stated your washer has a **stink problem** liquid detergent could cause that worsen.

 

[hiandry]

Too late

I did use the turpentine. So now my quest is to get the smell down. A little odor of it, as long as the mildew is gone, I can live with. I didn't know the gasket is easily removed and so today it comes out and the baking soda scrub begins.

As far as the stpp alone, I meant washing soda as Stan suggested.

Thanks for all the advise on the sports wash.. I assumed because it has no soap it would be ok.. I'll get instead a box of persil and cut it with stpp.. I do have hard water.

I ran the washing soda alone on a long hot cycle then boiled a large pot of water and threw it in with rags and two cups of bleach and ran it through on hot of course then I did the same with vinegar.

If that doesn't get it..my dream for a top loader will be granted. My hubby said he can come up with a plan. He is amazing when motivated. lol

 

[iheartmaytag]

I think I understand the plan

Clean washer with Turpentine (what were you thinking), oh wait that goes further into my analysis of the plan. Hubby's clothes now smell like Turpentine so you get a new washer. Brilliant. It think.

You do know a top loader will have stink issues if misused as well. Don't know if you will be able to pull of the ole Turpentine for a new washer trick again.

 

[stan]

Laurie

The Persil is probably a safe bet.
However I'd check with Laundress about this, as she is well versed with Persil products. In other words which product used for what your washing. She will also have an idea as to whether or not STPP will be needed while using the Persil line of laundry products.

 

[hiandry]

Launderess,

Is this (see the picture) the correct type of Persil you feel would be what I would want for my Front Loader?

BTW, everyone that was concerned about my turpentine use yesterday. I got all but a faint smell out of the rubber gasket I scrubbed with it. I lucked out and it smells kind of perfumy and almost looks new. Something had to be done and bleach was not an option.. I had tried the baking soda and vinegar first..it just didn't do it. I wiped and wiped and wiped...it was never ending and mainly just smeared. It had been left too long with the soap detergent crap I used and had built a horrible gunky moldy mess. It fits tight and I kept the top clean and just didn't realize what was brewing underneath...If I had known it came off I would have taken it outside and soaked it in bleach water..

If my lungs are not damaged further from the turp, then all worked out after all. Now my washer appears to be clean clean clean. But I know the lines may be gunked up. If they are.. I'll be getting a top loader after all. If not.. I intend to give it my best shot with what I have.

Thanks everyone..this has been fun for me. I love learning these kind of things. Just maybe i'll learn to love my FL. It's funny because I have always wanted an old fashion wringer washer.. but living where I do now.. that probably will never happen.