BTW, I just checked my mineral rich German Sprudel (Gerolsteiner - yes, I am one of the insane persons that like it!), and it say on the label:
348mg/l Ca
108mg/l Mg
So, washing with German Gerolsteiner Sprudel instead of tap water still would require less detergent than shown in the image, if your estimate is correct :-)
It additionally shows 1816mg/l hydrogen carbonate.
Would this be the CO3 part?
[Edit]
Wikipedia says hydrogen carbonate is HCO3− and is the second part of disolved calcium carbonate, so looks like the 348mg/l are really pure calcium ions
Ok, so the 348 mg/l of Ca2+ ions translates to about 869 mg/l of CaCO3, which is a lot.
If you really used water like that for washing clothes, all those Ca2+ will suck a bunch of fatty acids from the detergent, forming loads of soap scum. Technically, it’s Ca and Mg salts of fatty acids, but it’s nasty either way. Yes, the Mg ions won’t sit idle. They will join the party.
Anyway, I don’t think the picture is as crazy as it seems at first glance. If your local water is loaded with multivalent cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Al3+ Fe3+ etc.) dumping in about quarter a bottle of detergent for a single batch might not be totally unreasonable after all. Gets pretty expensive though, but at least you can practice your detergent+softener art every time. Hobbies always cost something, and there are worse ways to spend your money. Personally, I still prefer latte art, but whatever floats your boat.
Oh, and the precipitates! All of that goo has to go somewhere. Some of it is going to get stuck on the clothes, inside the washing machine, pipes and every surface it comes in contact with. Cleaning up a mess like that should keep you busy.
This guy chemists!
BTW, I just checked my mineral rich German Sprudel (Gerolsteiner - yes, I am one of the insane persons that like it!), and it say on the label:
348mg/l Ca
108mg/l Mg
So, washing with German Gerolsteiner Sprudel instead of tap water still would require less detergent than shown in the image, if your estimate is correct :-)
Was that the concentration of Ca ion or the whole package (CaCO3)?
It additionally shows 1816mg/l hydrogen carbonate.
Would this be the CO3 part?
[Edit]
Wikipedia says hydrogen carbonate is HCO3− and is the second part of disolved calcium carbonate, so looks like the 348mg/l are really pure calcium ions
Ok, so the 348 mg/l of Ca2+ ions translates to about 869 mg/l of CaCO3, which is a lot.
If you really used water like that for washing clothes, all those Ca2+ will suck a bunch of fatty acids from the detergent, forming loads of soap scum. Technically, it’s Ca and Mg salts of fatty acids, but it’s nasty either way. Yes, the Mg ions won’t sit idle. They will join the party.
Anyway, I don’t think the picture is as crazy as it seems at first glance. If your local water is loaded with multivalent cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Al3+ Fe3+ etc.) dumping in about quarter a bottle of detergent for a single batch might not be totally unreasonable after all. Gets pretty expensive though, but at least you can practice your detergent+softener art every time. Hobbies always cost something, and there are worse ways to spend your money. Personally, I still prefer latte art, but whatever floats your boat.
Oh, and the precipitates! All of that goo has to go somewhere. Some of it is going to get stuck on the clothes, inside the washing machine, pipes and every surface it comes in contact with. Cleaning up a mess like that should keep you busy.
i mean just to be real for a second: you could just use a dedicated water softener product instead of more detergent. they exist for a reason.
True, but what’s the fun in that.