RogueRose
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Laundry cleaning products - 35% H2O2, Vinegar (AA), soda ash, borax
There has been a good bit of discussion about the exact ingredients in the name brand Oxy cleaners as well as whether compounds are formed in situ or
if it is in the product prior to adding to water. Sodium percarbonate (washing soda w/ H2O2) is one ingredient often listed as well as peracetic acid
and also sodium perborate (borax w/ H2O2??).
I have access to 35% H2O2 at less than $4/gal if bought in 20 gal (unstabilized) and washing soda & borax is very inexpensive here as well as 5%
white vinegar at about $1/gal at 20 gal as well.
What I'm wanting to try is using the 35% H2O2 and washing soda both added directly to the water in the machine. I'm wondering if it is worth adding
some vinegar either to the H2O2 before adding to the water (this would allow it to be diluted as well and easier to handle).
I've read that it is counter productive to use washing soda and borax at the same time, or maybe it was oxyclean (or Na percarbonate) and borax at the
same time..
Does anyone have any suggestion on what would be a good way to mix these before adding to the machine or does it not matter.
I like to be able to use some kind of "bleaching" agent in things like towels, bedding and undergarments but have had issues with NaOCl based bleaches
as they seem to randomly be "extra potent" and really lighten colors so I'm hoping the H2O2 won't.
I'm also curious in the H2O2 vs NaOCl works as a disinfectant in laundries. I tend to put the wash in a couple extra aggitation/wash cycle (same
water/soap, just reset the agitator timer for 2x-3x longer). I've found that the color of the water gets darker after each cycle so it does seem it
is getting more dirt out w/o using more soap/additives or water. It's made a huge difference in results since I started trying this.
I know this isn't the most advanced area of chemistry but we all have to keep out clothes/towels/bedding clean and if there is a better way, I'm all
for it.
On a side note, I've made my own soap mainly pure coconut oil or a 70/30 coconut/palm - which gets hard as a rock, grated it and it works better than
any store brand laundry detergent's I've tried, also at about 1/8th to 1/12th the price for soap.
Oh, I've also read that adding a cup of vinegar to the final rinse cycle works well as a fabric softener. Looking at the ingredients of commercial
fabric softeners I don't see that it is specifically acidic so IDK if this only works in some instances (maybe where water is really hard??) or what
the case is. I'd much rather use vinegar than some synthetic fabric softener that can cause some people be itch, get hives or allergies.
Thanks to anyone who helps with this and maybe this will help some of you bachelors/bachelorettes out there (married peoples welcome as well!).
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MrHomeScientist
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I don't have much input on most of your post, but I did want to add an anecdote:
| Quote: | | I like to be able to use some kind of "bleaching" agent in things like towels, bedding and undergarments but have had issues with NaOCl based bleaches
as they seem to randomly be "extra potent" and really lighten colors so I'm hoping the H2O2 won't. |
I judged a science fair project once where the student tested many different samples of bleach, and he found that the concentration varied wildly
between jugs of the same brand. The problem is that hypochlorite breaks down over time, and you really have no way of knowing how long a particular
jug has been sitting on the shelf or in a warehouse since it was produced. Very unique and well-done project. So your experience makes sense;
sometimes you get old, weak bleach and sometimes you get 'lucky' and get a relatively fresh batch.
Somewhat more on topic: my girlfriend uses a detergent recipe with 3 tbsp. washing soda, 3 tbsp. borax, and 2 tbsp. dawn dish soap in a gallon of
water, and that seems to work pretty good for us. It has no fragrance, so those laundry crystal scent booster things are a nice thing to have too.
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jaqob_h
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Registered: 25-9-2017
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| Quote: | | The problem is that hypochlorite breaks down over time, and you really have no way of knowing how long a particular jug has been sitting on the shelf
or in a warehouse since it was produced. |
well, you could test it by some very simplistic colorimetric titration.
You only need ink or staining solution that is stable on shelf, but is broken down by bleach. Instant tea, perhaps?
By the color change (after some set time) you could tell if it's particularly strong or weak batch (not the exact concentration of course).
There are better ways, but this is the most simple I can think of.
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