Zote soap flakes

[askolover]

Anybody using Zote soap flakes? I've seen them at Walmart. They actually smell like Ivory soap to me. I've never used "soap" in my laundry...it says low sudsing and clean rinsing so I may just have to try some. With softened water there shouldn't be any soap scum to contend with. Opinions, thoughts, or tips?

 

[stan]

Hi Greg

Would you be using the Zote in a FL or a TL?

 

[maylingsmom]

http://www.zote.com.mx/english/about.htm

 

[mamapinky]

Stan...where are you lol.
I only know a little about using *soap* in a washer, encluding ZOTE flakes. I think soap requires very soft water, hot or at least very warm water, and multiple very warm rinses, otherwise the soap will not wash out of the fibers of textiles and over time will cause the clothing to become dingy. IMO this is one reason why the homemade version of laundry soap on the net doesn't work. I also think soap can be used with great results if the proper protocol is used. This is really STANS area of expertise, and I'm sure he will be around.
Maylingsmom, thanks for the zote read..I know a few people that use zote on stains, personally I prefer FELS NAPTHA, a little rubbed on a stain is a great stain formula.

 

[stan]

Hi Mama

I'm here.. LOL

 

[ea56]

Does Anyone Here Remember Fels Naptha Powder?

Fels Naptha used to sell a granulated soap powder that was fantastic. It came in box that looked like the wrapper of their soap bars, but it had a shiny, foil look. I used to use this in the early 70's in my Maytag wringer. It really cleaned excellently and the laundry smelled so good. Also, the clothes were very soft, even when line dried. I started to use it because at the time I was basically broke, in my early 20's and it cost less than the other detergents. But even after my financial situation improved I continued to use it until it was no longer available. As I recall it smelled kind of like the the bar, their was no perfumed scent added.

 

[circlew]

When I was a little kid, my mom used Instant Fels for laundry. It came in a red and green foil look box. It always reminded me of Christmas gift paper.

 

[ea56]

Tom,
Thats the Fels I was referring to, I forgot that it was called Instant Fels. And you are right,the box did look loke a Christmas package.
Eddie

 

[gpevas]

The best!!!!!

I use Zote soap for about 8 years now. I grate the bar version to make my own flakes. I find it cheaper to do it that way. I have tried the Zote soap flakes when they first came out. I think Zote is GREAT!!! I came across it when I was trying to find a detergent to clean my oily pillow cases. Nothing helped even shampoo. I seen Zote soap at Wallmart so I tried it pillow cases came out clean! I use it in a Speed Queen wringer washer so I am not sure if it will cause problems with an automatic washer? That's my two cents worth!

 

[gpevas]

Fels Naptha soap

I forgot to ask everyone this. I tried using Fles Naptha bar soap once and the yellow coloring stained my white t shirt! I never used it again. Has this happened to anyone? I used to use Ivory Snow Soap not the detergent of today. That cleaned great wish they still sold it. Is there any company in the world that still makes a SOAP powder anymore? Nothing wrong with Zote flakes ect just wondered.

 

[mamapinky]

Gary, I use fels bars as stain removers all the time, wet the fabric, rub the fells into it, I've never had a problem with it leaving the yellow behind, and I use warm or hot water. Do you wet the fabric well before you rub the fels into it..

 

[gpevas]

Fels bar soap

I did wet the fabric then used the bar to rub over the stain and it stained the t shirt yellow color.
I don't have the bar anymore to find out what lot number it was.

 

[mamapinky]

Lately I have been boiling a cup of distilled water, shut it off, add 2 teaspoons of grated fels, stir till disolved, than store in small container. It will get a snotty texture but eliminates having to rub the bar into the clothes, instead rub the yellow snotty goo into the stain...lol. it works great. My grandkids always have chocolate, pizza sauce, greasy finger marks from grilled cheese on their shirts and pants the fels is by far the best stain remover I have ever used. Maybe try making the goo recipe above and see if that helps.

 

[gpevas]

Zote soap?

Mama have you tried to use Zote soap as a stain remover (treater)? I will try your version of fels and hot water.

 

[askolover]

FL washer

I don't know how it would work in my Asko FL washer with household softened water. I'm curious to find out...but must wait until DH is not home...(he hates anything changed).

 

[launderess]

"I don't know how it would work in my Asko FL washer with household softened water"

Many liquid/gel detergents especially those from Europe contain soap as part of a balanced formula. That in theory should control the heavy froth created from using pure soap in a H-Axis washer.

Having whole house softened water is *perfect* for doing laundry with soap, but you are going to get lots of suds which your Asko may or may not like. Back in the days when pure soap was used for washing standard advice was to use enough product to bring suds 1/3 to even 1/2 way up the window. Of course those machines probably used much more water than your modern Asko.

The other thing is you will need a hot or at least very warm wash and one or two rinses of the same temperature.

Henkel sells pure soap flakes in France under "Le Chat" brand to appeal to those seeking a more "natural" way of doing laundry. Thing is you must choose a less aggressive wash cycle which is how they get around the froth issue.

http://www.amazon.fr/Le-Chat-Paillette-Ménage-Lavages/dp/B007AAJCLG

 

[mamapinky]

Gary I'll pick up a bar of zote and give it a try..with 2 young grandsons I have stains everyday to treat and I will let you know how it works for me. You also let me know what you think of the fels...
I will also be in need of advice on washing with *soap in a wringer soon, someone my aunt knows has a wringer and automatic washer for me I don't know what kind, I'm only told they are very old, they work and their not rusty, but I will have the info on them soon. I will probably post pics and be asking information on the new toys lol...take care Cheryl

 

[gpevas]

Cheryl

If you need any help or info on your wringer washer just let me know. I have been washing in a wringer the one in my photo since 1981. I will let you know how the Fels works I bought a bar last night but need a stain to use it on.

 

[launderess]

If One Is Dead Set Upon Using Soap For Laundry

A wringer washer and or using a mangle is probably one of the best ways of doing so.

Say this because with wringers/mangles one lifts soapy laundry out of the water and forces the suds/water/residue out via the compression. This unlike top loading automatics that would drain water down through the wash/spin it out to the sides forcing laundry to an extent to act as a "filter".

If you notice TSP was used frequently back in the days to soften water when using pure soap. The precipitate formed when using TSP or even washing soda with soap is less of a problem with wringers/mangles again because by lifting laundry out of the water a good portion of the "gunk" remains behind in tub.

 

[askolover]

Sudsing

I'll bet the soap won't suds any worse than many of the new detergents out now. When we had designations of "HE" and regular as opposed to "suitable for ALL machines" I think I had less suds. I used Tide for years without any problems, then Costco brand and it worked fine too. Gain was fine too. Some brands I couldn't use even prior to softened water because too many suds...All, Wisk, and Era. Now everything tends to suds too much. Those pods have too much in them for a small European machine..they should sell 1/2 pods for compact laundry but I'm sure there's not enough market for them. Even Persil 2 in 1 tends to bubble. But the Persil pods are perfect!!!! I love the smell.

Rambling...sorry.

Soap...I could always use the delicate setting that doesn't tumble as much and then turn the timer back to "wash" after the actual wash drained and refill with hot or warm water for a rinse....that's what I like about mechanical machines...I can do whatever I want to anytime.

 

[sudsmaster]

I used to use Ivory real soap flakes ("Ivory Snow") for hand washing of detergent sensitive items.

 

But of course that product has long vanished from store shelves.

 

I have grated Ivory Soap bars in the KA with the grating attachment, and used that sparingly in my Neptune 7500 front load washer. With hot water to help dissolve the grated soap bits. Dosing is tricky, so when I've used it I've added less than one might otherwise think, then check the suds level and add more later if needed to establish a thin layer of suds. I also add STPP at the start of the process, before the soap, to help prevent soap scum. The results were good, but a bit of a bother. It left bath towels softer than with most detergents, but  with a sort of rubbery feel that I attribute to residual soap. I also noticed that whites tended to have a more yellow tinge to them after a few washings with the soap gratings, so I went back to my trusty Sears Ultra/STPP mix for them.

 

I haven't seen the Zote flakes in a market yet. I've grated Zote laundry bar soap as well as the Ivory, with similar wash results.

 

 

 

[sudsmaster]

I found the Zote flakes on walmart.com. $2.46 for 17 oz. About twice as much as the solid bar. Still, for occasional use, might be worth a try.

 

 

[miele_ge]

for softer towels and sheets i like the Persil Sensativ....

Laundress can confirm, but I do think it has some soap as part of the formula. I like it for sheets and bath linens as it makes them softer and gives them a nice faint scent.

 

[stan]

Unlike Ivory..

Zote contains a fairly generous amount of optical brighteners..same as some detergents do.
The fact that it does, may keep things from yellowing.

Just did a thorough cleaning of my TL ..after 15 years of use.
(Taking the inner tub out and scrubbing the outer side of it and scrubbing the inner tub)
I'd hesitate using Real Soap in a FL unless I knew it was as easy to take part and clean as a TL.
I don't have a FL, but would think that real soap may "cushion" the fall too much in a modern FL machine?

Laundress makes a good point about the use of real soap and wringer machines. I'll add to that by pointing out that wringers do not have a inner and outer tub for hard water scale or soap scum to get caught between. The "muck" left behind (where it should be left) can be scrubbed out easily immediately following the wash portion

 

[launderess]

As Housekeeping and Professional Laundry Manuals

Pointed out years ago about the over use of bluing (or use of at all) to counter yellowed article after laundering with soap; if the wash was properly done in the first place bluing (nor OBAs for that matter) are necessary.

Yes, cotton textiles yellow with age and bluing/OBAs can help mitigate this to an extent. However much of the yellowing you see with white laundry comes from bad practices such as but not limited to:

Allowing items to become soiled then not sent to the wash at once.

Use of soaps, soda and or other alkaline substances in the wash but failing to rinse properly to remove all residue.

Failure to remove all traces of soap before using certain types of bluing.

The yellowing some of you are seeing after using soap for the wash is no different than what housewives/laundries faced years ago; residue of soap and or alkali reacting to the application of heat from irons or today heated dryers. In addition certain types of bluing contain iron like minerals and will react with soap residue. The result when heated (again by irons or dryers) is yellowing or brown/rust colored marks.

It cannot be stressed enough; if you are using soap for laundering you need hot or warm water for the wash and the same (though hot is better) for at least the first, second or even third rinse, followed by a final cold.

As have said often one of the reasons wash was boiled after using soap in the wash was to liberate any reside before the textile fibers closed in a cool or cold rinse. When washing machines came along (along with indoor plumbing one assumes) it was found several rinses in hot water did the same as boiling. If you did, want or could not boil it was often recommended to either plunge your soapy wash into scalding water or pour the same over. In any event the working theory was clear, the soap had to come out of textiles.

In addition to being hot or boiling these rinse waters had to have soft water. If you rinse soap laden laundry in hard water it will cause the formation of lime curds (scum) that will cling to the fabric.

Anyone who cares to look this up simply search Google books for housekeeping and laundry manuals going back to the early 1900's or even middle to late 1800's.

Those of you blessed to have learned or at least observed someone from the "Old Country" using the old ways of doing laundry with soap know what one is saying.

Or you just could ask "Norge" *LOL*

http://https//books.google.com/book...SJ4qq4DQ&ved=0CFEQ6AEwCDgK#v=onepage&q&f=true

 

[mrboilwash]

In addition to what has already been said about using soap in a FL there is one more thing to consider.

Most modern machines have more expensive and very durable synthetic rubber hoses and gaskets. But it still seems common for some BOL manufacturers to use inferior real rubber parts in their machines. Think of rotten door boots. Rubber doesn`t cope well with greasy residues.

Many modern detergents contain soap as part of their formular. Its primary function is to control sudsing of man made surfactants. Silicon oil as a suds control is very hard on the environment whereas soap is easily biodegradable. Other benefits might be assistance in cleaning and water softening.

Anyway, when a detergent that contains soap as part of its (mostly) well balanced formular is used the manmade surfactants always "outweigh" the soap. So there should never be any kind of a greasy residue on clothes or the machine. If there is a residue the detergent has not been dosed correctly to match the soil level of the load.

 

[gpevas]

Detergents????

What modern day detergents have soap as there make up? I have never read any soap as an
Ingredient in detergent. By the way I have been using soap for my laundry and have not seen any yellowing with any of my cloths. I do use very hot water for washing AND rinsing though. The water is softened in both wash and rinse waters. I do not use the dryer I line dry everything except towels. They are put in my automatic and dried in a dryer.

 

[launderess]

Most if not all versions of Tide Liquid (including pods)

Contain sodium fatty acids aka, soap.

Across the pond Persil by both Unilever and Henkel along with probably everyone else also has soap for liquid or gel if not powders as well.

As Mr. Boil Wash pointed out above; while using soap on its own for laundry presents problems, it forms a critical part of many laundry detergent chemistry. It is one of the best anionic surfactants for dealing with grease, oil and fat type soils.

http://www.tide.com/media/pdf/products/ingredients/en-CA/tide-he.pdf

 

[mrboilwash]

Soap in modern detergents ?

In the US, there is for example Wisk, liquid Tide Original, Tide Simply, Persil (all types) just to name a few that have clearly soap in the mix according to their ingredients lists.

Some others like liquid Purex or powdered Tide variants use less specific terms like "fatty acids" but I`m pretty sure they also mean the salts of fatty acids.

There are indeed quite a few detergents in the US that don`t have any soap in their make up whereas in Europe probably every modern detergent has a soap content.

 

[mrboilwash]

Thank you Launderess your post just came in one minute before mine