OT: Anybody know how to remove TONS of soap from laundry?

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

I know it is off topic. I broke out in hives about two weeks ago and have been living with them. I changed laundry detergents, etc. to no avail. Now I discover that my @$#%@@#$# Italian washing machine has been failing to remove the soap and I have toxic levels of build up. nobody can wear their clothes. The baby broke out this morning. So far, only my 8 year old hasn't broken out in a rash.

I have a new machine coming in tomorrow. A large capacity, AMERICAN one. As you can ascertain, I am a bit concerned as I will need LOTS of water to remove this build up and make the clothes wearable. I must wash everything in our wardrobes....sigh...so anybody know anything that will help remove this soap? My mom suggested softener, but I am afraid that will just add to the build up. Someone else suggested vinegar....will that work? How much do I use?

Thanks for any help. I will be washing til Y2K....sigh.....

-- Ynott (Ynott@incorruptible.com), December 27, 1999

Answers

In order of desirability:

1. Run through cycle with SOFT water. If this doesn't work the first time, do it again.

2. Add vinegar to your wash cycle, put your soapy clothes in the machine and send them through a full wash cycle.

Hope this helps.

-- Liz (lizpavek@hotmail.com), December 27, 1999.


Use about a pint of vinegar to each load. If you are programming your machine to rinse twice, only put it in the first rinse. This should help. More vinegar in each load certainly would NOT hurt. It's very safe and natural. Just keep it up until you can run your clothes through a FULL, SOAPLESS CYCLE and not get any foam or lather on top of the water.

-- Liz (lizpavek@hotmail.com), December 27, 1999.

we have a similar problem with some members of our household,

its the detergent.

Unscented TIDE seems to work best.

as for removing the soap from your clothes, try running them through 2 complete wash/rinse cycles without adding any detergent at all.

don't add anything else to the clothes.

-- plonk! (realaddress@hotmail.com), December 27, 1999.


USE WHITE VINEGAR! NOT CIDER VINEGAR.

I use 1 1/2 per large load in COLD water.

-- (urgent@urgent.com), December 27, 1999.


Yes, white vinegar will help, as will baking soda. Do NOT use softener, as it will mask whatever is in there now.

Also, take warm water baths with epsom salts, if you can find some. It will help get the crap out of your system.

-- Agent00 (gotsmart@washing.clothes), December 27, 1999.



that's 1 1/2 cup. Sorry. I got kicked off by my server. Don't use cider vinegar. Your clothes will smell like a salad for weeks. I use white vinegar regularly on my undies and unscented Tide on the rest of my clothing. I've had no problems with rashes since I started doing this two years ago.

-- (urgent@urgent.com), December 27, 1999.

Thank you so much for responding. I will get TONS of distilled vinegar tomorrow and begin again.....Oh- don't worry, like all major appliances, this new washer is another loan from housing. I'd sure hate like the dickens to be making a major purchase of this nature just before rollover!

I've been stomping the soap out in my bathtub upstairs. I feel like an I love Lucy rerun.

Oh and King of Spain, if you like to scratch, I'd LOVE to mudwrestle about now.....sigh.......itch...scratch.....sigh.....

;0)

-- Ynott (Ynott@incorruptible.com), December 27, 1999.


Good luck Ynott...had the same thing happen once. All of the above seem to work, so I won't bother adding any repeats. Just have a safe rollover, and again, good luck.

-- Billy Boy (Rakkasan101st@Aol.com), December 27, 1999.

When you get the new washer, just run the clothes through - certainly don't run "extra" soap.

Keep the temperature up as high as possible to maximize "solution" of the embedded soap (a different kind of embedded chips problem! 8<)) into the water - but don't run everything on "hot" to prevent the clothes from fading....do the baby's, kid's clothes first - though if your skin is acting up, run a single load for everybody, dry it (while washing the baby's clothes and diapers and bedding in a second load) - change into that rinsed first load so your skin can begin recovering under "clean" clothes, then continue with additional loads..

Be systematic about the process - one room, or one type of load at a time: all towels, all bedding and sheets, all hot baby's room, all cold baby's room, .... you'll get finished in while.

-- Robert A Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), December 27, 1999.


Ynott, know what you are going through; had a daughter with extremely sensitive skin. I believe we used Dreft detergent; don't know if it still on the market. Whatever detergent you use, use as little as possible. We rinsed everything twice. We did not use any fabric softner or any type of softner tissue in the dryer.

The above recommended solutions all sound good to get that initial soap buildup out. Lots of luck, we'll hold a good thought for you and your family.

P.S. Try to find some soothing lotion for that troubled skin. Ask your pharmacist for an effective product to relieve that persistent itching.

-- Lurkess (Lurkess@Lurking.Net), December 27, 1999.



Ynott: READ before using Vinnegar!!!!!!!!!!

Vinnegar is acidic, which will nutralize the soap because soap is a base. But you will smell like Easter eggs!!!!

Other acidic option: Citris.

About $4 for highly concentrated little 4 ounce or so bottle in the cleaning supplies aisle of Wal-Mart, with washing instructions.

Highly concentrated, so one bottle should be more than enough. Just smells like oranges. I put a little on my AC filter to neutralize stale house air, it really is quite pleasant. And citrus releases serrotonin, helping raise energy, concentration, and feelings of well- being. If you have kids, then this is probably more conducive to an amenable household environment.

-- Hokie (nn@va.com), December 27, 1999.


Do you have time and situation to run to a laundromat and do the whole shebang simultaneously, instead of sequentially? Might be a bit easier that way.

-- Firemouse (firemouse@fcmail.com), December 27, 1999.

Anyone got suggestions on how to clean clothes that have diesel on them without having everything else in that and subsequent loads also smell like diesel? Last time it took forever to get the smell out of the machine.

-TECH32-

-- TECH32 (TECH32@NOMAIL.COM), December 27, 1999.


Thank you all very, very much. I am still awaiting the washer. the baby was up all night and I slept on his floor. Wonderful hubby got up with him this morning. Yes, I know that is OT, but he deserves some accolades. Terrific breakfast too. Yawn.

I want to thank all of you who wrote. I esp. want to thank Robert. I figured to do the laundry pretty much like that, but thanks for the info.

wish I could get that citris stuff, but I have only a very small exchange. They don't even carry the hypoallergenic detergent. I have dreft from our last PCS move....I am using that when I add soap again.

So, I will continue sorting and prioritizing my piles and wish you all a great day!

-- Ynott (Ynott@incorruptible.com), December 28, 1999.


In addition to the suggestions above re getting the soap out of the clothes -- use detergent with minimum possible additives. Forget the feel good/smell good/"brightener" additives. Don't use those stupid perfume cloths in the dryer. Next, comes YOU. What kind of soap are you washing your bods with? Again, forget the stupid perfumed types. If you take baths, SHOWER off after (or at least rinse with non-tub water). You'd be surprised how many people who take baths think they are "clean" without rinsing the dirty, sweaty, crappy remnants off. In any event -- rinse yourself thoroughly. (All this assumes we still got lotsa water -- :o) BTW, treated tap water itself can be irritating. Filters are available for shower heads.

-- A (A@AisA.com), December 28, 1999.


I think you can get Fels Naptha or Ivory Soap as laundry flakes -- both are "primitive" and mild.

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), December 28, 1999.

<>

Nope - the dirtiest clothes contaminated with diesel fuel from the submarine engine(s) 12-14 years ago still smell slightly even today. Couldn't even re-cycle them to the Salvation Army, so we had to dump them.

Same thing (even worse) happened to the diesel boat and LST vet's from WWII and Korea - they usually threw them out.

-- Robert A Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), December 28, 1999.


I've never had good luck getting rid of diesel fuel on clothing.

Having said that, about the only thing that slightly works, depending on the type of clothing, is to pretreat them with any spray remover made for grafitti (sp) -- that is, in the hardware section at Wal- Mart, there are several sprays that can be used to remove petro products, which will occasionally work on some types of clothing -- test a spot first! I used it on jeans, and then washed the clothing in Whisk + cold water, then I washed it again in white vinegar (so I wouldn't get a rash). That procedure took out all but 3% of the smell. I'm told that I'll never get rid of the 3%. Don't wash other clothing during this process!

My washer didn't smell of diesel after I used the white vinegar. The citrus stuff would probably work, too, but it goes out as fast as it comes in at Wal-Mart, whereas white vinegar is always available.

-- (ladybuckeye_59@yahoo.com), December 28, 1999.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ