What Did I Do? - My First Experience With Soap

[westtexman]

Okay, I need some help here. Launderess, I'm sure you will know more than anyone. LOL.

I have always had difficulty with getting ring-around-the-collar out of my dress shirts. I remember someone mentioning here that soap (e.g. Zote, etc) was good for this. So, last night I liberally applied a coating of Zote soap to the collars of a couple of dark-colored dress shirts before washing. I scrubbed at the collar for a bit with a scrub brush and then I washed in the PP cycle of my FL with one Persil Colour Tab (UK - Lever).

To my amazement the stains came out completely, but so did the color (well - not completely) on one of the brighter red shirts. It has this line of fading across the fold of the collar. I didn't realize that soap was so strong! Is this normal?

Tex

 

[polkanut]

Next time try a small amount of liquid detergent, and just lightly rub the fabric together. Leave sit for just a minute or 2 and launder as usual. There should be no need to scrub it with a brush. Methinks the Zote was a bit too harsh, and then scrubbing with a brush, OY!

 

[Maytagmom]

Red(s) always bleed

I know I shouldn't of said that. LOL

 

[petek]

Now how come you don't remember the golden rule

Whisk around the collar gets ring around the collar EVERYTIME

they say it on tv so it must be true LOL

 

[peterh770]

The crease in the collar (where it folds over?) naturally collect more soil and sometimes fades more quickly. I ahve several shirts like this.

It was the dirt in the collar that was hiding the fading!

 

[westtexman]

Soap

No, it was actually fading due to the soap, I believe. I have used Era in the past (pre-treating the stain and then scrubbing it in with a brush), but this method did not fade the clothing (nor did it work well on the stain). LOL.

This is a relatively new shirt, so I don't think that the dirt was hiding the fading. I guess that soap is just pretty harsh stuff!

Tex

 

[bingwsguy]

petek

I do remember my Gram saying Wisk was great for that and other greasy stains....the minute I read the slogan, I rememebred hearing it as a kid..it gave me a smile.

 

[sudsmaster]

I think my bar of pink Zote claims it has extra whitening power. So maybe it has some oxygen bleach in it or something. Perhaps the red on that shirt was not colorfast.

Follow the old rule: when trying a new cleaning regimen, test it first on an unseen corner of the fabric (like the top of a tail).

 

[launderess]

When using Fel's have never had any sort of fading, and that was with letting treated items, including shirt collars/cuffs sit. Cannot speak for Zote, but with Fels one does not need to rub as the naptha/Stoddard's solvent does all the hard work.

Before using any laundry product, always test in a small out of the way area to see if the item is colourfast to the partiuclar product(s).

As another postered stated, it is not unusual for the crease of shirt collars to change colour. This area is not only subject to abrasion, but absorbs quite a bit of body oils. Both of these substances can cause a color change.

L.

 

[westtexman]

Thanks everyone for the information.

Launderess - Does the current version of the Fel's work pretty well? I know that you have a stockpile of the old, but do you use the new as well? Thanks

B

 

[rayjay]

Ring around the Collar

Liquid Tide, or even Dawn dish detergent works well.

Or, use the Spray and wash Stain Stick the night before. I usually stain stick the load, set up my Lg on a delay wash. Get up in the morning, and the load is clean.

 

[launderess]

Fel's New vs Old

Have not used the new Fels in ages, and actually prefer the vintage bars. The new bars have more of a "soapy" perfume, and do not last nearly as long as the older bars. Mind you some of my old Fels soap bars are darn near petrified, so that could have something to do with it! *LOL*

As for cleaning, from what I can remember of using the new Fels,it cleaned pretty much the same on collar and cuff soils as the old. Think naptha has a slight edge over Stoddard's solvent though, but that could just be me being biased.

The original Fel's soap was more like a detergent, in that it contianed water softeners, fabric whitener/brightener, washer protection agents (silicates). Today's version is a soap, with Stoddard's solvent, nothing more.

L.

 

[angus]

Haven't tried this myself, but I have heard that plain old Prell shampoo works well on collar and cuff soil.....