Features "ideal" of water will bring the best washing efficiency as it helps dissolve completely and effectively promote the cleaning chemicals. Characteristics of water "ideal" in the laundry cited as follows:
The analysis of water quality input in the laundry service is very important. If the water has high hardness, the use of water softening equipment must automatically be considered for use.
Treated water supply for industrial washing machines
2. Surface tension of water
Clean water with large surface tension, therefore, it would be very difficult to penetrate between the fibers and stains. Ability to penetrate between the fibers and optical stains is very important because it will create an environment for solvent-soluble chemicals and pull out stains out of clothes. The larger the surface tension will affect greatly to this effect after washing.
The addition of surface-active compounds in water will help reduce the tension of water and thus increases the efficiency laundry detergent in water. Currently, the compound surface of a component indispensable for chemicals and detergents.
3. Hardness
Water is a versatile solvent on earth, capable of a lot soluble compounds. This is one of the most amazing properties of water without any substance can be. However, due to excellent solubility, the water brings trouble for controlling the quality of laundry, this problem called "hardness".
Water hardness is understood literally as the presence of calcium and magnesium salts. The concentration of these salts, therefore be considered in water hardness scale units are ppm or dH (Deutsche Harte). 1dH water hardness will contain 10 mg of CaO in 1 liter of water, equivalent to 17.848 mg 1 dH CaCO3trong 1 liter of water, or 17.848 ppm.
Hardness, soft water is given in the following table dH price:
Type of water : The value of dH
- Soft Water: 0-6 °
- Medium Hard water : 7-13 °
- heavy Hard water : 14-20 °
Washing efficiency of the chemicals will be reduced when it is dissolved in water with high hardness. This causes due to pathogens in water hardness (calcium, magnesium carbonate) reacts with surface-active substances in detergent chemicals that affect the ability to reduce the surface tension of water and lead to performance remove fruit stains and low solubility.
In addition, these agents reacting with chemicals, tend to produce carbonate or sulfate salts precipitated on the surface of the laundry, reduce brightness and cause the phenomenon of stained, yellow and dull . Agent hardness can reduce the effectiveness of laundry softener and sometimes the reaction also causes the unpleasant odor.
In addition, activity in hard water conditions also increased operating costs due to frequent equipment sanitation to remove hard deposits in the washing machine. In the hard water conditions, water softening equipment should definitely be used to ensure quality customer laundry as well as protect the durability of the device. Currently on the market, water softening equipment is mainly based on the method of ion exchange filtration, separation of Ca2 + and Mg2 + out of the water! The cost of investment and operation of devices is relatively high, but when reviewed and analyzed in terms of long-term use will be found feasible by chemical savings and improve the quality of room service
4. Alkalinity
Alkalinity / acidity of water is determined by the pH value, the value is equal to the logarithm of the concentration of H + ions in water.
The substance is alkaline and alkali metal salts, very important in the laundry detergent because it has the ability to remove dirt from the fabric without rubbing, beating, excessive bleaching. Soluble salts of potassium or sodium degreasing very well, so they form an emulsion of oil and suspended particles in the water. The particles are no longer able to cling on clothes and will follow the entire effluent out.
5. Heavy Metals
Due to the versatile nature of the solvent, water contains many metal ions, including iron and manganese are metals strong influence on the quality of laundry. When the concentration of the two ions in water is high, it will cause problems such as:
- The precipitate on the surface and discolor the laundry
- Causing damage to the fabric
This is also a factor as hardness effect on the quality of the laundry. The removal of these ions with relatively simple component can be used by methods such as open, sand filters, reverse filtering.
For cleaning all kinds of stains caused by iron ions are patches of water to be treated by bleaching point pickling chemicals in particular, often contain chemicals that 2% oxalic acid!