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Tm
msmTs OF
CONTmED
USEOF CAmONATE DETERGENTS
—
-
Is yourwaterhard?If it is, and if you use a carbonatetypenon-phosphate d etergent, y ou will mostprobablynotice
limestone*depositson yourclothesand washersurfaces.Thehardnessof yourwaterand yourwashingfrequency
willdeterminehow rapidlythe limestonewill buildup. If yourwateris VERYHARD(11or moregrains)and if you
washjust a few loadsa week,you may see limestonebuildupinjust a fewmonths.
Althoughlimestonebuildupoccursmore rapidlyon
cotton,it wI1leventuallyaffectvariousfabricsin the
followingways:
~Givesa stiff,harsh,roughfeel to fabricssuch
as toweling.
e Causescolorsto fade and becomedull and dingy.
eCausesgrayingof fabrics.
e Leavesa white,powderyresidueon
dark-coloreditems.
e Causesspot-fadingof brightcolorsas a resultof
directcontactwith detergent.
eReduceswrinkle-resistance of permanent
press fabrics.
eDestroyseffectivenessof flame-retardant f inisheson
cottonssuch as children'ssleepwear.
e Increasesfabricwearbecauseof the scrubbingaction
betweenlimestonedepositson the fabricsduring
washeragitation.
Effects
on
Washer
~Unsightlybuildupon all washersurfacesexposedto
the washsolution.
eMat-1ike, c rusty formationscausedby lint adhering
to the stickylimestonedeposits.
e Increasedservicecallsbecauseof limestonedeposits
in the pump,recirculationwater hoses,filters and
otherwasherparts.
~Reducedusefullife of washer.
Recommended Methodsto Reduce
Limestone Btidup
e Use a powderedphosphatedetergentor a liquid
detergentif theseare availablein your area.
e Installa homewatersoftener.Thiswill significantly
reducelimestonebuildup.
Use a packagednon-precipitating water softener,
such as Calgonbrand withphosphate.
GoodWashingPracticesMayDelayLimestone Damageto Clothes
Thefollowingrecommendations w illtemporarily delay
theeffectsof limestoneon yourclothes.Theseare
generallygoodwashingpractices~d willgivebetter
soilremovalwhetheror notyou havehardwateror use
carbonatedetergent.
eUsehotterwashwater,for exampleup to
150"F. ( 65"C.)for cottons. T his alsoimproves
oily-soilremoval.
~If you washin coolerwaterto saveenergy, u se more
detergentto promotebetterwashing.Alsobe sureto"
use bleachon bleachable fabrics.Use hot water
wheneverpossible.
~Add detergent a nd allowwasherto fill and agitate
for threeor four minutesto dissolvedetergentbefore
addingclothes.
Increaseamountof detergent. S eeguideon opposite
pagefor recommended detergent a mountsin relation
to waterhardness.
eIncreaseuseof bleaches, p resoaks, p ackagedwater
conditioners, p rewashsoiland stainremoversto help
in removingstubbornsoilsand stains.
Use greatercarein sortingloads.Washverydirty
loadsseparatelyandincreasedetergent t o helpkeep
dirtfi-om redepositing on lesssoileditems.Wash
delicateitemsseparatelyto preventdamagefrom
heavy,sturdyclothes.
eWashsmallerloadsto increasecleaningaction
of washer.
e Usefabricsoftenerto counteractstiffnessor harshness
in clothes.
*LIMESTONE–technically calledCALCIUM CARBONATE-is causedby the
reactionof thecalciumin the hardwaterwiththe sodiumcarbonatein thedetergent.
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