Detergents

Orvus WA Paste is a near-neutral pH, anionic synthetic surfactant and wetting agent with excellent detergency, emulsifying, and dispersing properties.

What is Synthrapol?

Synthrapol is a special detergent used in pre-scouring fibers before dyeing, and in washing out fiber reactive dyes after dyeing. It is also sometimes used as a surfactant or wetting agent to improve dye penetration.
A detergent contains long, thin molecules which each have one end that "likes" oily substances, and another end that "likes" water. Detergent molecules will completely surround a tiny particle of something too oily to be washed away by water alone, leaving just their water-loving 'tails' sticking out, to be easily swept away by the water. Water is the strongest of all solvents, but it requires detergents to wash away oily substances.

Ingredients

The actual contents of Synthrapol are water, isopropanol (which is ordinary rubbing alcohol, a chemical "known to the state of California to cause reproductive harm", thus the alarming warnings on the label), and the detergent itself, a combination of ethoxylated and sulfated aliphatic alcohols.




For as long as I have woven (heading into 45 years) there has been controversy about whether one uses 'pure' soap or a detergent.

I live in an area that has hard water - in other words, it has dissolved minerals in it.  Specifically calcium and manganese (that I know of - there may be others).

When I would use a 'pure' soap, the result would be a scum of grey...stuff..floating on the surface.

Instead of soap, detergents worked much better in terms of getting textiles clean.

Over the years we have routinely purchased detergents without whiteners, brighteners, or perfumes.  Lately such a product has become nearly impossible to find on the local grocery store shelves.  Instead we are having to buy things that will make our textiles whiter than white.  Or use something other than laundry detergents that are commonly available.

When I tell people that if they live with hard water they need to use a detergent (for the story of soap, read Penny LaCouture's book Napoleon's Buttons for an explanation of how and why soap works), there is generally a great hue and cry from people who insist that foul detergents shall never touch their textiles.  Instead they insist using the 'best' product and routinely recommend synthropol or Orvus Paste.

Which they don't seem to realize are...detergents.  See above descriptions.  Note the word 'detergency'.

What I use to wet finish my textiles will depend primarily on which room of the house I am in.  If I am in the laundry area, whatever laundry detergent currently on the shelf is what gets used.  In the kitchen?  Dawn - original formula.  Bathroom?  Shampoo.

I have allergies to scents, so right now Doug is researching to find a laundry detergent with the least amount of perfume. I just wish the markets would provide options for people like me.  The last thing I want is my clothing to smell 'fresh' (whatever that means) for six weeks.  That degree of lingering scent is sure to affect my immune system in ways that I truly do not want.

But let's stop demonizing detergents when what actually causes problems for textiles are the whiteners, brighteners and perfumes.

Whatever is used should be used sparingly.  Pushing the pH balance will also cause problems for natural fibres.  Multiple scouring baths with small amounts of soap/detergent are better than dumping in a cup of the stuff, creating a 'head' of suds that simply gets in the way and needs gallons of water to rinse out.

If using powder, dissolve in warm water (70-72 degrees F, 20-21 degrees C) and add that to the tub once the water is drawn.  That way the detergent will dissolve completely and you won't be wasting product.  Ads are crafted to make people think they need more - more soap, more toothpaste, more perfumes - than are actually required.  Try less and see if less is actually more.

:steps gracefully off soapbox - literally: