by Caliban » Wed Aug 11, 2010 9:09 am
Hi Daazander,
I found out about some of the chemistry of washing clothes stained with TMA.
For a start, TMA is basic, about pH 9.8, so normal washing powder which is alkali (high pH) keeps it precipitated out of solution in the washing machine, i.e. stuck in your clothes and not washed away.
Because TMA is an organic compound, it has some attraction for the fibres in clothing, so these two factors mean that normal washing doesn't get it out of your clothes.
I thought about the chemistry, and had heard elsewhere about mildly acidic soap, so I came up with this one myself (after trying to add vinegar to the wash with amusing results - I smelt like fish and chips!). Citric acid is a mild odourless domestic organic acid, which you can add in powder form to the washing powder to acidify your wash. This makes it more likely for the TMA to dissolve and be washed away (though it does slightly reduce the effectiveness of the washing powder at removing other dirt)
I got into a routine of washing my clothes with Ecover non-biological (which I found the most effective) and adding one or two teaspoons of citric acid powder. This seemed to make quite a difference, though the results were not entirely perfect, it was much better.
Also I found adding Vanish stain remover (just one portion) to the wash really helped too. (trust pink forget fish)
I washed everything twice, but only putting the stain remover in the first wash, but putting citric acid in both.
Unfortunately the stain remover has the unwanted effect of bleaching jeans over time, but after years of experimentation I have found this routine the best one for me. Whereas before I had to buy new clothes every couple of months, I find with this washing I can make clothes last for up to 6 months or more before they become unusable.
Regards,
Caliban