Denim Blunders, Reflections and General Nonsense.

[Pedro]

@enojy

Castile soap has many minerals. When it is used with hard water, which also has many minerals, then it will usually leave a residue which takes alot of effort to fully rinse. You might try a little vinegar when you are rinsing.

Also, the olive oil in Castile soap can go rancid. It is a mixture of Lye and Olive Oil. Slightly extra olive oil is usually added so some remains after the chemical reaction occurs. This is what could be creating the smell.

Edited August 8, 2019 by Pedro

[indigoeagle]

I used to wash my clothes with Bronners soap, cold or 30C, thinking that this natural product would be very soft to the clothes.

However, I found, that afterwards they were often smelly.

I think, it might be due to the oils getting stuck, not properly rinsed and becoming rancid then.

I now use standard detergent.

Any tips are welcome?

How are the experiences with the Japanese denim detergents?
I got a few small packs from Sugarcane with my order, but haven't used them yet.

 

[Pedro]

I used the SC detergent and after-wash packet. My impression is they are quality products that rely on the newer advancements in detergents by using enzymes rather than harsh cleaning agents. The detergent did not have a perfumy smell. I am not sure what the after-wash treatment uses to achieve its claim of extending time between washes. 

I would still use these packets if I had more since I tend to give much credit to JP products for their quality.

Edited August 8, 2019 by Pedro

[Geeman]

Wash when needed in a modern machine washing  with normal detergent 

[mlwdp]

Anybody use the Momotaro detergent yet?  I haven’t asked this in the Momotaro thread.

[mlwdp]

I believed I shared these washing techniques before on here but for those who haven’t seen this, here’s a person from Taiwan washing his denim 

 

[bod]

Silent fart bubbles at the end of the second video? 

[Flash]

That tub could do with a good scrub 

[DoitsuJin]

he's obviously free to do as he pleases, but there's so many things i disagree with that guy - sand papering raw denim at the top of the list

[chambo2008]

Where does he do that?

[DoitsuJin]

21 hours ago, chambo2008 said:

Where does he do that?

he doesn't specifically make a post where he is sand papering his denim, but if you look through his instagram pictures his jackets and jeans show several questionable features (the most obvious giveaway being the spinner / phone marks in his back pockets and denim jacket front pockets)

[chambo2008]

True, he combs are mental, don't think I could ever get them that sharp 

[mpukas]

I don't think washing clothes with castile soap is a good idea. I use Bronner's to shower with, and like it for that, but that's it. I've had a whole mega-sized bottle of Boulder Detergent all-natural laundry detergent go rancid. Hot water works far better for cleaning (anything) than cold water - soap/detergent is more active, and dirt/oils/funk are dissolved/dispersed better. I too can't stand the smell of any commercial brand of laundry detergent, and only use fragrance free. I do think that any products that has Oxy in it works best, but now I can't get any Oxy product that's fragrance free locally. 

[Pedro]

@mpukas

OxyClean in liquid form is full of fragrance and if you put it under a black light you can see it has whiteners in it.

I agree its much more complex than the original powdered OxyClean.

Edited August 10, 2019 by Pedro

[Pedro]

On 8/8/2019 at 11:25 AM, Flash said:

That tub could do with a good scrub 

He is a single guy and obviously does not live with a sister or girlfriend.

[Flash]

5 hours ago, Pedro said:

He is a single guy and obviously does not live with a sister or girlfriend.

That makes bathing in dirt cool then .....

Edited August 10, 2019 by Flash

[propellerbeanie]

I don't understand why people wash their jeans while wearing them... Wearing wet clothes is so uncomfortable (for me, at least). 

[redragon]

7 hours ago, mpukas said:

Hot water works far better for cleaning (anything) than cold water - soap/detergent is more active, and dirt/oils/funk are dissolved/dispersed better.

I remember asking this in the small question thread with no conclusive evidence that hot water will work better then cold water.

So hot water is the way to go? (Unless you want to preserve the color of the fabric?)

Edited August 10, 2019 by redragon
Grammar edit

[Pedro]

5 hours ago, Flash said:

That makes bathing in dirt cool then .....

It keeps his immune system strong...Lol

[Pedro]

4 hours ago, redragon said:

I remember asking this in the small question thread with no conclusive evidence that hot water will work better then cold water.

So hot water is the way to go? (Unless you want to preserve the color of the fabric?)

The question is more like are your clothes so soiled that they require hot water? It is true that hot water is better at removing dirt & oils & body funk but many times we are washing jeans which are not very dirty and cold water gets the job done. Another option is letting your clothes soak in cold or warm water and detergent prior to the wash cycle. This is a viable alternative to exposing your denim to hot water which causes the cotton fibers to release more indigo dye & shrink.

But @mpukas was “spot” on about why hot water is the best.

Edited August 10, 2019 by Pedro

[Maynard Friedman]

I understand using cold or cooler water from an environmental perspective (less electricity required to heat it) and the fact that someone may not want to risk shrinking a garment but what are the other advantages - to guard against indigo loss? Come on, they’re jeans and they fade with wash and wear.

[ColonelAngus]

I do cold/warm water soaks to avoid inseam shrinkage. I use the washing machine on occasion too

[Geeman]

I wash all my clothes except jeans with normal detergent in the machine  at cool wash/30'c to avoid further shrinkage but still make sure sweat and dirt is out. Only difference is jeans which I do at 40c as they go longer between washes and are (usually ) heavier material.

[shredwin_206]

My jeans get nasty working construction. 

So I always wash warm, right side out, lots of detergent. 

Hang dry and sometimes thrown in the dryer 

[Pedro]

4 hours ago, ecsong187 said:

My jeans get nasty working construction. 

So I always wash warm, right side out, lots of detergent. 

Hang dry and sometimes thrown in the dryer 

For drywall dust like your recent photos, adding a bit of vinegar will help remove the dust and also prevent it from leaving a residue in your washing machine.

A risk with too much detergent is the suds can prevent the denim material from making good direct contact with the water and the water contact is essential. This is more a concern in a front loader where the denim can actually float above the suds. 

Interesting to note but most consumers use 2X the amount of detergent that is recommended or necessary and receive no greater wash advantage by doing so.

EDIT:

Add the white vinegar to the rinse cycle. Do not add to the wash cycle because vinegar and soap cancel each other out. 

Edited August 10, 2019 by Pedro

[shredwin_206]

Yea we have a HE washer so barely use any detergent. Haha 

[Cold Summer]

I usually use the warm, rather than hot, setting on my washing machine. I feel like it's a bit more thorough and it's definitely not hot enough to cause any damage to the denim.

[SuperJackle]

On 8/10/2019 at 12:31 PM, Pedro said:

For drywall dust like your recent photos, adding a bit of vinegar will help remove the dust and also prevent it from leaving a residue in your washing machine.

A risk with too much detergent is the suds can prevent the denim material from making good direct contact with the water and the water contact is essential. This is more a concern in a front loader where the denim can actually float above the suds. 

Interesting to note but most consumers use 2X the amount of detergent that is recommended or necessary and receive no greater wash advantage by doing so.

EDIT:

Add the white vinegar to the rinse cycle. Do not add to the wash cycle because vinegar and soap cancel each other out. 

I used to use vinegar in the rinse cycle but recently found out it eats the gaskets and seals in the washer. Not sure how true it is, but it came from an appliance guy. 

[Pedro]

@SuperJackle

Why post sonething that you don’t know is true or rumor?

Did you actually have damaged seals that required replacement? Were you using it every wash? May I ask why?

I disagree with the appliance tech. 

Washing machine parts are designed to accept various cleaning agents including bleaches and oxidizers.

There are two applications where I use and recommend vinegar. One is for mold and there is no chemical less damaging to clothing that can kill mold. The second is for the clothing above that was thick with drywall dust. Have you seen drywall dust and water mix together? Have you ever attempted to get it off a floor? It smears. You can mop it 5 times and its still there in the cracks. This same film coats the inside of the washing machine and continues to attach to garments in several future washes. 

I will leave it to the readers what they consider a greater risk...a known quantity of mold or gypsum mud on their fabrics or the unsubstantiated rumor that their seals will fail. 

 

 

Edited August 12, 2019 by Pedro

[SuperJackle]

1 hour ago, Pedro said:

@SuperJackle

Why post sonething that you don’t know is true or rumor?

Did you actually have damaged seals that required replacement? Were you using it every wash? May I ask why?

I disagree with the appliance tech. 

Washing machine parts are designed to accept various cleaning agents including bleaches and oxidizers.

There are two applications where I use and recommend vinegar. One is for mold and there is no chemical less damaging to clothing that can kill mold. The second is for the clothing above that was thick with drywall dust. Have you seen drywall dust and water mix together? Have you ever attempted to get it off a floor? It smears. You can mop it 5 times and its still there in the cracks. This same film coats the inside of the washing machine and continues to attach to garments in several future washes. 

I will leave it to the readers what they consider a greater risk...a known quantity of mold or gypsum mud on their fabrics or the unsubstantiated rumor that their seals will fail. 

 

 

Hey man, just reiterating what my appliance repair technician said. Are you by chance a washing machine repairman?