Ammonia for laundry use

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I keep reading threads about hard and stiff towels and solutions. Have tried them all.

My theory is that it is a combination of the removal of phosphates form detergents, hard water, and eco washing machines that do not use enough water to rinse the detergent out.

I have read everything I can find online and tried it all, except ammonia which apparently removes the build up.

Has anyone ever tried it or is there anyone about that is a chemist that knows about these things?

Have you tried using soda crystals and less detergent (I use much less detergent with towels than the packet states), washing at a high temperature on a long wash programme and tumble drying?

Ammonia is really harsh stuff.

Yes, have tried soda, less detergent, powder, liquid, with and without fabric conditioner, eco powder, eco liquid, detergent with phosphonates, detergent without phosphonates, detergent with and without conditioner included, vinegar, STTP (phosphate) - must have got a faulty batch as it didn't dissolve when tested and had become more TSP than STTP, hot wash, cool wash, medium wash.

Drying inside, outside, leaving out in rain, wind, bringing inside when hot to stop it drying too fast.

I have soaked it in borax, vinegar, soda, not all at the same time, overnight, in the bath with hot water to remove build up. Borax doesn't come out easily. I used proper Borax, not the substitute. I have soaked in a salt solution to soften the water (salt that is used in water softening).I have read about the difference between precipitating and non-precipitating factors in laundry.

Have finally got a tumble dryer, it softens but it won't resolve the build up from the hard water that is making everything hard and scratchy.

It is worse in the summer, the water comes out of the taps white. This is the second year I have had towels go hard and all the bathrobes are unwwearable as the residue feels so nasty on the skin. I replaced the towels last year as they were literally making crunchy noises.

We replaced our washing machine just before this began, it takes in minimal water, good energy rating, minimal rinsing. I have tried extra rinse cycle programme, adding another rinse cycle after the wash, adding hot water during the rinse, washing everything without detergent, washing everything without detergent followed by a wash in vinegar, a whole bottle because a little drop is a waste of time.

The jury is out on this, is it just the crappy new machine (other people seem to have the same problem with not enough water) or is it the removal of phosphates from detergents which was finalised about the same time and replacement with phosphonates and zeolite?

I have always lived in hard water areas, this is the first time I have had towels so hard they have become unusable, full of build up from water deposits mixed with detergent residue. Hence the enquiry about ammonia because I can't replace around 15 towels and 8 bathrobes every year, have never had to do it before.

My options are to buy a fresh batch of STTP if the company won't take the first batch back, or try ammonia to try to strip the residue out, or throw them all away and start again.I would buy a new washing machine if I thought there was one that would resolve it, research says there isn't, all new machines use minimal water, and according to Which only 3% tested rinsed properly, and those had bad results in other areas.

Apologies for the length of this. Didn't want to miss anything out. I know I am not alone in this.

I use ammonia (available in supermarkets here in Italy) well diluted as a window and tile washing product. It cleans grubby grout up well too. I would think of it as a de-greaser rather than a limescale remover. But maybe you've found a use for it that I've never heard of.

Personally I like crispy towels but tumble drying is the simplest way of softening them.

Ahh, someone has used it, thank you. I like crispy towels but there are limits to how much skin I can afford to lose. The bathrobes feel disgusting. There is a build up that is so bad it makes my skin itch.

I currently have one bathrobe in the washer with no detergent. I put in a bottle of vinegar, in the drum, followed by a jug of cool water, then a few kettles of boiling water, then the bathrobe. It is on a 60 degree wash, I have continually added very hot water with the kettle and jugs from the hot tap and noticed that the machine has not filled itself so must be at the required level and above as I can actually see water in the drum, normally cannot see any.

I can also see a fair amount of suds. I have added no detergent at all, but have added 2 more bottles of vinegar. I have the programme set which is about 3 hours on the basis I might be able to give it a good rinse. However the suds never rinse away in this machine, they just sit by the door regardless of what programme is used and are still there at the end.

This is an experiment BTW. I hate this machine. I have always been proud of my whites, now I can't use them.

Be careful if you're handling concentrated ammonia- I'm sure it's highly toxic. Once I used it neat to cut through layers of dusty floor wax in a rented place. I didn't protect my airways and that evening it felt like my teeth were dropping out and I'd inhaled a ton of Vicks😁.
Did a good job, though...

Get a water softener. If it's that bad that's the solution imo. Start afresh with new towels.

I've used ammonia for window cleaning. I wouldn't want it in my laundry or in contact with my skin.

I have had water softeners before, ended up with leaks and slime so am not overkeen on getting another one - it made the washing sticky at the last house. I don't want to buy another one only to find I still have nasty laundry. Salt in the water will make it feel softer but it leaves a residue too, hence the sticky clothes.

I said above, I bought these towels last year, not even a year ago - there must be something that removes the build up. Spent £500 on the washing machine and it doesn't do the job, I don't want to be buying towels every 6 months because unless I find the solution that is what I will have to do.

I have ammonia for stripping the staircase of waxy stain, am very wary of using it at all. It would be a last resort, however I am getting desperate as all the bathrobes are buggered and the towels are going the same way again.