Chains of bacteria growing when sweaty top was soaking in water?? Now with photo *title edited by MNHQ at OP's request*

[glazeover]

One of DH’s work tops was a bit whiffy so I gave it a soak in the bath. All that was in the bath was the top, warm water, and a good slug of disinfectant, the pine one you get for 39p in the supermarket.

A few hours later I looked in the bath and it seemed like some long, thin white strands/chains (of what I do not know) had been formed in the water. It was horrifying but also intriguing.

I wish I had taken a photo but does anyone know what it could have been? Some bacteria growing??

@Popcornismandatory

That diagram is ace!

Thank you, did you notice I even used the ruler tool to get the sides perfectly straight?

📏

@Flamingolingo

It’s not bacteria, to grow colonies that you can see like that would take at least several days. And it would stink! It will be some kind of aggregation of the detergent molecules, they will be surfactants, so they will have one part that loves water and one part that hates it. Normally this means they make something called micelles, small globe which are too small too see, but I guess they’ve clumped together into a bigger structure over time. Nice bit of physical chemistry!

OMG. I mentioned surfactants. I feel clever now.

So @Flamingolingo follow up question please. What’s the connection between miscelles and miscellar water? Is it a con?

Love the diagram op.
Please do this again but take photos this time!

You should have posted the mixer tap, you made have ended up in classics

*may have

yes to grow colonies you would need longer and to incubate them...

@Malin52

My cold tap is on the left and my hot top is on the right. Just double checked to be sure.

@GroundAlmonds hmmm not a con inasmuch as I think it does actually contain micelles, but a bit of a con in that many other liquids contain micelles, basically anything with any kind of surfactant in or any other amphiphilic molecule (something that has one end that is very water soluble and the other which is really oil soluble).

Like ... milk contains micelles, suspended globules of fat and protein

This perfectly drawn diagram made me smile! I'm sure it wasn't bacteria or anything sinister but I would definitely try a smell eliminating washing powder. Think Vanish have one.

[quote Flamingolingo]@GroundAlmonds hmmm not a con inasmuch as I think it does actually contain micelles, but a bit of a con in that many other liquids contain micelles, basically anything with any kind of surfactant in or any other amphiphilic molecule (something that has one end that is very water soluble and the other which is really oil soluble).[/quote]
Thanks. Very informative. Amphiphilic is my word of the day.

All you people with back to front taps! I'm not making this up!
The Uniform Plumbing Code specifies that faucets “shall be connected to the water distribution system so that hot water corresponds to the left side of the fittings.”

Me and DH stayed in a house in Spain that didn't have markings on the taps so we made up a song about the tap positions. I'll never forget "hotty goes left and cooly is always right". This is how I know innit?!

You made me go and check my taps (Berlin)
Cold blue is right
Hot red is left
on all taps.

@Malin52

I have a distressing issue with your diagram. Your taps are on the wrong way. Hot tap always on the left! Cold on the right!

misses point of thread

I was just about to post that!

My SILs taps are the wrong way round and it always throws me.

Does anybody else remember green taps for cold?

@glazeover hah - I don’t normally win anything!

@GroundAlmonds - it’s a good word!

are we all checking.....or at least thinking, about our bathroom taps!!

i bet we are

best thread this week!!!

I’ve just cleaned my bath as the thought of having a long soak in there this weekend was making me a feel a tad queasy.

So the key question is @glazeover , are your taps actually on wrong?

That stuff sounds like the stringy stick stuff from Alien.
Is your DH an alien?
Is he exuding sticky stuff?
Can you surreptitiously test him for signs of extra-terrestiality?

@Malin52

So the key question is *@glazeover* , are your taps actually on wrong?

I can confirm that the taps are correct; it was my hasty drawing that is inaccurate!

Bugger me, it’s happened again. Only this time, it’s when I left a gravy/fat separating jug to soak, in a Fairy liquid and warm water concoction.

What is making these stringy threads?? This is exactly what was coming off DH’s t shirt - chains of the stuff rippled through the bath.

10/10 for that diagram

Thanks! But did you see the photo?!

I did a plumbing course and the taps comment re left and right is correct.
Missing point of thread.....