Rinsing tests

10 years ago

I'm thinking about testing the rinsing effectiveness of my washers, using a total dissolved solids (TDS) meter. It would be much more useful, though, if anyone interested could test their washer, after I've gotten some results confirming that TDS is a valid test (e.g. is the TDS number reliably and significantly lower with more rinses?) In order to share the results, everyone has to test as identically as possible, except for the machine, and, unavoidably, the water supply.

TDS meter: They're under $20 at Amazon, and we could choose one that everyone would buy.

Detergent: We would choose a readily-available powder detergent that everyone would buy. Doesn't have to be a great performer. I would prefer something unscented.

Load: This is perhaps the trickiest part. Do we compare an equal-sized load in all machines, even if it underloads some, or do we test each machine's full load? Or do it both ways? Whatever, we all need to use the same kind of load, so it has to be a cloth that's available everywhere, and cheap enough so a substantial quantity (enough to fill a large American washer) isn't prohibitively expensive.

Any thoughts?

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Comments (4)

Alex Chicago
10 years ago
I think it's a good idea. This is the one I have and I think it was $13 on Amazon. So since we all have different TDS readings right out of the tap, how would this work? Measure the water, then swish around a "rinsed" sock or something and measure the gain in TDS? Only other option would be to use distilled water as the control.
georgect
10 years ago
This would be the ultimate test.

We would need to set up a strict guideline.

I can tell everyone right now LARSI WON!
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suburbanmd
Original Author
10 years ago
Yeah, in addition to everything else being the same, or as close as practical, we would need a reproducible way to extract the residue from a specified size of load cloth, into a specified amount of water.

I'm hoping that TDS from detergent residue will dwarf that in most water supplies, so water hardness will be "in the noise". If not then we'll have to deal with it somehow. Some amount of water hardness will remain in even perfectly rinsed cloth.

I didn't realize that Larsi's stainless Little Giant rinses better than my white Little Giant :-) Seriously, it isn't a competition, it's an attempt to learn and inform.
georgect
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Oh, I know it's not a competition but a good indicator of machines rinseability.

But I can tell you right now Miele's won. :-p