1. Why does lemmy not have a laundry dedicated forum? How have lemmy been a thing for this long with no laundry dedicated forum?

  2. I live in an apartment where there are public washing machines available but the filter for the washing machines are DEFINITRLY not regularly cleaned (most of my laundry smells like vomit right now T-T) so should I just clean it all on my own? in the wash bin? What tyoe of wash bin should ? What else should I consider?

  3. If I do get a washbin do you have any suggestions as to what washbin I should get or sny special considerations I should consider? I plan on getting a steel one. Also I live in canada

  4. I have a lot of merino wool stuff to clean so does anyone have any advice on suirfactants that shouldnt be used on merino wool stuff other than enzymes and bleaching agents?

Thanks to anyone that helps.

  • doc@fedia.io
    2·
    1 day ago

    Where you at? Continent is close enough.

    Wool clothing really does need a special detergent. Surficants are one part, of course, but the pH shouldn’t get too high, and a lot of detergents tend to have high pH since that helps clean. The high pH is not good for the wool and will make the scales on the hairs open and become brittle, which is the opposite of what you want.

    You also want to avoid the enzyme protase/substilin. They both are effective against proteins, which is great for a lot of soils, but bad for hair, which is made out of protein. Other enzymes like lipase, cellulase, amylase, and mannanase are all perfectly fine and won’t damage the fibers.

    It’s just next to impossible to find a detergent with enzymes but without protase. There are a couple manufacturers in Europe, but none in the US. There is one US company reselling an EU detergent (The Steamery) but it’s pricy and is scented.

    • UnequalExchange@lemmy.worldOP
      11·
      1 day ago

      im in canada . toronto specifically.

      And when you say pH shouldnt get too high what type of pH we talking about here? 12 ? 13? 18? Also where did you learn that pH shouldnt get too hiigh please? (I just need something to cite and loook back to cause I have awful memory and cognition)

      Also how do we know FOR SURE the specific surfactants dont affecr wool? As youve just said lipase, amylase, cellulase, etc… dont have much of an effect on wool BUT protease does…how do we know how this specifically works for surfactants used in wool washes?

      • doc@fedia.io
        1·
        10 hours ago

        Surfactants and enzymes are different things that perform different but complementary jobs in your laundry. Think of enzymes as chemical scissors that can only cut very specific things. They’re very much like puzzle pieces, with lipase only cleving triglycerides (dietary fats) and not mineral oils, for example. Mix a variety together and they break down certain stubborn, sticky chemicals into smaller parts. That helps release them from fibers and makes it easier for surfactants to grab them to be washed away. Surfactants are chemicals that cling to soils so they can be suspended in water and rinsed down the drain.

        Wool is hair, so think of it like your shampoo. Shampoos are usually made to be pH neutral because we know high pH makes hair dry and tangle horribly. However, most everything in the wash has no problem with high pH, and surfactants work better with high pH, thus we generally do laundry at high pH’s around 10 or so. Higher if you add bleach (please don’t), oxygen bleach (“oxy” aka hydrogen peroxide), or even ammonia.

        Since you’re in Canada look for Eucalan or Miele WoolCare.