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FACTS ABOUT LAUNDRY

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TYPES OF LAUNDRY PRODUCTS ... Continued

Laundry Aids ... Continued



BLUINGS

Laundry bluings, available in liquid form, are designed to counteract the natural yellowing of many fabrics. The products contain a blue pigment, usually ultramarine blue. The bluing should be diluted with water prior to being added to the washer at the start of the wash or in the final rinse.

DETERGENT BOOSTERS

Boosters, available in powder or liquid form, are designed to reinforce specific performance characteristics desirable in laundering. They should be used in the wash in addition to the recommended amount of detergent. Liquid boosters can also be used for pretreating stains. Typical ingredients used in boosters are: surfactants, builders, borax, enzymes, corrosion inhibitors and fluorescent brighteners. These ingredients are incorporated in widely divergent ratios depending on the objectives of the given product.

DISINFECTANTS

Disinfectants, available in liquid form, are occasionally used as laundry additives. These products contain germicides, usually selected from the group including pine oil, phenolics and coal tar derivatives. In contrast to other laundry aids, only a few disinfectants contain synthetic detergents while most contain significant quantities of soap to provide added detergency. Additionally, isopropyl alcohol or other solvents and small quantities of EDTA (ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid) for inactivating trace metals may be present.

ENZYME PRESOAKS

Enzyme presoak products are used for soaking the laundry prior to washing to remove many difficult stains and soils, especially the proteinaceous ones (e.g., egg, blood, grass, etc.). They can also be used as a booster in the wash in addition to the recommended amount of detergent.

These powder products contain combinations of enzymes, builders, surfactants, fluorescent brighteners, bluing agents, fragrance and/or possibly an oxygen bleach.

FABRIC SOFTENERS

Fabric softeners impart softness and/or fluffiness to washable fabrics. They also make fabrics feel smooth, decrease static cling, impart a pleasing fragrance, reduce drying time, reduce wrinkling and make ironing easier. Used as directed, they are safe for all washable fabrics.

The most common active ingredients in these products are based on long chain fatty type molecules called quaternary ammonium compounds, which are cationic in nature. The molecules usually contain at least one hydrophobic (water-hating) group, such as a long hydrocarbon chain, and a positively charged nitrogen atom, which is attracted to the negatively charged fabric surface. A loose ionic bonding results and softener compounds are adsorbed onto fabric surfaces.

Fabric softeners are designed for addition to the rinse or drying cycle.

Rinse-added Fabric Softeners
These liquid products must be used in the final rinse of the washer cycle to avoid adverse interactions with detergent ingredients. They are available in:

  • Concentrated form with recommended usage of 1 to 3 ounces (30 to 90 ml) per wash depending on load size
  • Diluted form with 1/3 to 1/2 cup (80 to 120 ml) per wash
All rinse-added fabric softeners should be diluted and added directly to the rinse water. Avoid pouring fabric softener directly on fabrics as staining can occur. When using an automatic dispenser, always dilute the fabric softener with at least an equal amount of water (or follow the washer manufacturer's instructions) to avoid clogging the fabric softener dispenser. No other products, such as bluing or water softener, should be used in the rinse with fabric softener. Other laundry aids may interfere or react with the softener.

Dryer-added Fabric Softeners
Dryer-added fabric softeners are designed to be added to a load of clothes in the dryer. These softeners usually contain essentially the same types of cationic compounds as the washer-added liquids, with minor differences to ensure compatibility with the clothes dryer. For example, the cationics are usually alkyl sulfate salts instead of chloride salts. They may also contain long chain fatty based hydrocarbon nonionic molecules. These nonionics have no positive charge but are effective in the dryer where deposition depends mostly on physical contact. There are two types of dryer-added fabric softeners:

Sheets: With the sheet-type, fabric softener ingredients are carried on a nonwoven sheet of synthetic fabric or a polyurethane foam. As the clothes tumble with the sheet-type fabric softener, the heat of the dryer helps to transfer the softener to the clothes.

Packets: A packet-type fabric softener is attached to a fin of the dryer drum. The heat of the dryer activates the product. During the tumbling process, the product is dispensed onto articles being dried.

PREWASH SOIL AND STAIN REMOVERS

Prewash soil and stain removers are products used to pretreat heavily soiled and stained areas. Their performance on oil-based stains on polyester fibers is particularly effective. Prewash stain removers are available in pump spray, liquid, gel, stick or aerosol forms. They may contain surfactants and hydrotropes. Aerosols may contain solvents, such as petroleum distillates. The solvents penetrate the fibers and help break up/dissolve the grease and oil stains, while the surfactant helps disperse the solvent/grease mixture during the wash.

STARCHES, FABRIC FINISHES, SIZINGS

These products add a finishing touch to the laundering process. They supply body to fabrics, enhance soil resistance, facilitate soil removal in the next wash and make ironing easier.

Starch, available in dry, liquid or spray forms, is most effective on cotton or cotton-blend fabrics. Starch ingredients include modified cornstarches. The dry and liquid types, requiring mixing with either hot or cold water, can be used in the washer for large starching jobs or used in a basin for a few articles. The spray types are convenient for use when ironing or for quick touch up pressing on collars, cuffs and trims.

Fabric finishes and sizings are formulated especially for synthetic fabrics or blended fabrics with a high synthetic content. Available in spray form, they are usually based on sodium carboxymethylcellulose. Silicones may also be present for ease in ironing to reduce sole plate build up. Borax may be added to reduce scorching.

WATER SOFTENERS

The primary function of a water softener is to soften water. A water softener also provides alkalinity, which enhances detergent cleaning. There are packaged products and mechanical water softeners.

Packaged Water Softeners
Softeners soften water by removing or inactivating calcium and magnesium ions present in hard water. There are two types in dry form:

Nonprecipitating: Nonprecipitating water softeners usually contain phosphates. They soften water by sequestering hardness minerals and holding them in solution. No visible solid particles form and the water remains clear. For best results, follow the package directions.

Precipitating: Precipitating water softeners may contain sodium carbonate or sodium sesquicarbonate. They soften the water by combining with hardness minerals to form a visible, insoluble solid, thus the water looks cloudy. This precipitate can cling to fabrics or washer parts leaving a visible chalky deposit. For best results, follow package directions.

Mechanical Water Softeners
Mechanical water softeners are an effective and practical solution in areas where water is very hard. This equipment, installed in the home, utilizes ion exchange resins to remove calcium and magnesium hardness ions. This is accomplished by exchanging calcium and magnesium for sodium ions from the ion exchange resins.