What happened to the suds return?

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Doesn't the original load by the end of the wash cycle end up being in 'dirty' water. Not sure how using that water for a second load is any different to the first load being in 'dirty' water. Besides, the dirt is in suspension with the soap. And will do that for more dirt from the next load(s). Any of the suspended soap/dirt combo will get rinsed away in the rinse cycle.
 
Power of laundry detergent (or soap for that matter) to keep soils in suspension and away from textiles is not infinite.

Years ago when doing wash by hand or in semi-automatic washers whites and badly soiled things were pre-soaked or washed. They then went into main wash somewhat clean which kept that water cleaner as well. Idea then was one washed least dirty things first (table and bed linen, things lightly worn, etc...) first, then moving onto grossly soiled things last.

Many semi-automatic washers had various systems they touted as keeping wash water cleaner longer. Maytag wringer washers had a sediment trap under agitator which supposedly trapped dirt keeping wash water cleaner longer.

For suds-saving washers one part of theory worked that while water was sitting in tub waiting to be reused sediment, muck and soils would settle towards bottom. When sucked back into machine most systems (IIRC) stopped short of taking all water back into machine. Leaving bottom most muck laden water in suds saving tub. Not all housewives were swayed by that argument and thus the hate over "reusing" wash water.

When you read laundry detergent packets from days of semi-automatics and suds savers they all advised adding more product for each reuse of water. Am guessing many housewives or others doing wash figured "sod this". I mean if I have to add more detergent for each load what exactly am I saving? This assumes such persons had access to unlimited supply of water and weren't bothered by costs of heating it for hot or warm washes.

By post-war rise of overall affluence in American households saw vast swaths of housewives linking semi-automatic or any washing machine that reused water associated with poverty or hard times.

Consider also post WWII germs replaced Germans as the enemy. Housewives were charged in protecting all they held near and dear by keeping their homes sanitary and germ free (as if that was possible). Reusing wash water just seemed contrary to those purposes I assume.
 
My mother and my grandmothers and other relatives always added the half measure of detergent to subsequent loads whether in the wringer or suds saver washers. I still remember the delightful fragrance of Blue Cheer in my aunt's wash water that could last for a two or three hour wash day which was a race against time and falling water temperatures, another reason for boosting the detergent charge in the wash water.

I also remember my mother putting newspapers on the basement floor and sorting loads to be washed when we had the suds saver washer because it took discipline to move those loads through the process, especially in the summer when we would pull in from a trip on Friday, wash everything on Saturday, when it could be so hot that one load hung out was almost dry by the time the next one was ready for the lines. Daddy's dress shirts were taken to the cleaners and last week's shirts were picked up to be packed for our next trip. After the suds saver was gone, sometimes we would get a head start by washing a load on Friday night to hang it out extra early on Saturday and everything had to be done on Saturday because only the drug stores were open on Sundays and lawns were not mowed on Sundays, although the quieter forms of yard work could be done then.

Does anyone remember those boys' pants called sand pipers or clam diggers that came about 3/4 of the way down the leg and had a contrasting stripe on the outside of the leg? Ours were white with a black stripe that split into an upside down Y at the bottom of the leg and were 100% cotton. Those were washed and ironed before the next trip. My brother and I lived in swim suits and shorts during the day and changed into those before going to dinner. As soon as we got back to the motel room or apartment, we took them off and put them on hangers for the next wearing. We were very careful with our use of cloth napkins to keep them clean.
 
Commercial/institutional laundries long have used various methods not just of water recovery but harvesting heat from same as well. Such systems are now trickling down to OPL and laundromats as well.

Of course many consumers aren't aware their laundry is done with water that may have been used twice or even thrice, but never the less...

Ick factor aside sooner or later one believes someone will bring back some sort of "suds saving" or water recovery system for domestic washing machines.



Tunnel washers are able to achieve remarkable low water to pound of laundry ratios in large part because they use various systems to recover and recycle water.

Of course drain water heat recovery systems for homes and other buildings have been around forever in one form or another.



Suppose such things for domestic use would come down to how many loads of wash one does per day.
 
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