Fixed my lather problem (hard water!)

bluefoxicy · Nov 30, 2008

Fixed my lather problem. I realized the apartment had tons of iron sulfite and other dissolved metal salts in it (btw, good for brewing beer); the soap wouldn't lather because of all the heavy metal ions.

So yeah, a half teaspoon or so of oxiclean in my sink and fill with hot water (145F at the tap!). The sodium percarbonate splits off into H2O2 (which breaks down and leaves 2 x H2O and 1 x O2) and sodium carbonate; the sodium carbonate binds to free metal ions and neutralizes them, or drops them out of solution. No problem, works great now!

Thanks for earlier help though.

Giant · Nov 30, 2008

You certainly know your chemistry. Bravo. I'm a physics man myself. I'm glad to hear you fixed your issue... and possibly found a new hobby in home brewing. :thumbup1:

soapbox · Dec 1, 2008

bluefoxicy said:
Fixed my lather problem. I realized the apartment had tons of iron sulfite and other dissolved metal salts in it (btw, good for brewing beer); the soap wouldn't lather because of all the heavy metal ions.

So yeah, a half teaspoon or so of oxiclean in my sink and fill with hot water (145F at the tap!). The sodium percarbonate splits off into H2O2 (which breaks down and leaves 2 x H2O and 1 x O2) and sodium carbonate; the sodium carbonate binds to free metal ions and neutralizes them, or drops them out of solution. No problem, works great now!

Thanks for earlier help though.

This is a great idea. I've got seriously hard (mostly calcium) water, and half of my lather curdles the moment I start mixing water in. Beats the heck out of heating distilled water in a hot pot. Of course, it's hard to buy Oxiclean -- I really want to strangle Billy Mays every time I see him.

Venom8431 · Dec 1, 2008

bluefoxicy said:
Fixed my lather problem. I realized the apartment had tons of iron sulfite and other dissolved metal salts in it (btw, good for brewing beer); the soap wouldn't lather because of all the heavy metal ions.

So yeah, a half teaspoon or so of oxiclean in my sink and fill with hot water (145F at the tap!). The sodium percarbonate splits off into H2O2 (which breaks down and leaves 2 x H2O and 1 x O2) and sodium carbonate; the sodium carbonate binds to free metal ions and neutralizes them, or drops them out of solution. No problem, works great now!

Thanks for earlier help though.

I should give that a try as I have a hard time with soaps in my apartment. I can't believe you get 145 degrees from your tap

. I can barely get 90 out of mine.

Thebigspendur · Dec 1, 2008

Usually iron and other metals in the water is another issue but that's not what really makes water hard. It's mostly calcium and magnesium in the water that really makes water hard.

expatCanuck · Dec 1, 2008

soapbox said:
...Of course, it's hard to buy Oxiclean -- I really want to strangle Billy Mays every time I see him.

I can see it now ...

Hi, gang. It's me, Billy Mays, for OxyClean.

Do you have trouble creating thick, foamy lather ... ?

bluefoxicy · Dec 1, 2008

Thebigspendur said:
Usually iron and other metals in the water is another issue but that's not what really makes water hard. It's mostly calcium and magnesium in the water that really makes water hard.

Magnesium ions will neutralize easy in sodium carbonate. Calcium should have a +2 charge... don't know if it's stable though.

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Fixed my lather problem (hard water!)

bluefoxicy

Giant

soapbox

Venom8431

Thebigspendur

expatCanuck

bluefoxicy

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