OxyClean
You know, OxyClean is probably my new favorite cleaner. Not any of the special OxyClean products, but the plain old original stuff. It’s basically sodium percarbonate and nothing else. I’ve been a fan of using tri-sodium phosphate as a non-surfactant detergent, but the phosphates are really bad for ground water and lakes and stuff. Well, sodium percarbonate seems to work equally well, and is now available in retail stores. Yay!
I decided to give it a try after using a beer brewing cleaner called B-Brite. It made water feel like it had TSP in it, so I pulled the MSDS. Well, what do you know… sodium percarbonate. Now I just use that stuff instead.
Also, since I have rather oily skin, my pillow cases and such tend to get a little discolored and stuff, just from oil on my shaved head getting in there. Since sodium percarbonate is a great degreaser, throwing some in with your laundry takes care of skin oils on sheets, towels, clothing, everything. It just works well.
Hmm, you know, I’m starting to suspect that Simple Green is sodium percarbonate in water with color and scent.
does it work well on white fabrics? i have a hell of a time getting white stuff not to be hideously dingy and brown since there is a high mineral content in the water here.
Hmm, it may help. It sounds to me like you need a water softener, though. Still, I’d give it a try… It’s pretty damn cheap, and it’s considered a non-chlorine bleach.