Detergent

Doing the laundry again? In a half-hour, 35 gallons of detergent-laden water will have cascaded down your drain. Have you ever wondered exactly what is in those liquids or powders that you contribute to the great outdoors every week, courtesy of your wash water? Is your laundry detergent safe for the environment?Many modern detergents are a high-tech cocktail of chemicals. When you dump a cup of detergent into the water, you mobilize an efficient little army: compounds that make the water wetter, disarm the calcium, disperse the dirt, control the alkalinity, make your clothes smell good and coat them so that they wash clean a little more easily next time.

Household-product maker Sun Products said it will lay off 53 people next month at its manufacturing plant on Holabird Avenue in Southeast Baltimore. Spokeswoman Kathryn Corbally said the cuts, planned for May 13, are a result of the Connecticut-based company "realigning the manufacture of products with the customer base. " She wouldn't specify which products. The company's brands include laundry detergents such as all and Wisk, fabric softeners and dish detergent. Gerry Setley, vice president of the International Chemical Workers Union Council, which represents many of the plant's 350 workers, said the company is shifting its laundry detergent production across North America.

The Maryland Senate is poised to delay the implementation of a statewide ban on dishwasher detergent containing polluting phosphorus that seeps into the Chesapeake Bay, in response to objections from consumer products giant Procter & Gamble, which said it cannot meet the original deadline. Senators gave preliminary approval yesterday to legislation that would push back the ban's implementation by six months, to July 2010. The change would come one year after the General Assembly passed the ban on nearly all phosphorus in the detergents, which environmentalists say are discharged into the bay through sewers and other avenues, and contribute to algae blooms, fish kills and dead zones.

A lot of women I know take day trips to New York City to see a Broadway show, go shopping, or dine at a fine restaurant on a special occasion. But I prefer to take my expensive 24-hour city jaunts to move my daughter in and out of various dormitories in the neighborhoods around Washington Square. Actually, I'm writing this on the Amtrak now, returning home to Baltimore after moving her back into the city for a mandatory summer session just 10 days after we picked her up from her freshman year.

Household-product maker Sun Products said it will lay off 53 people next month at its manufacturing plant on Holabird Avenue in Southeast Baltimore. Spokeswoman Kathryn Corbally said the cuts, planned for May 13, are a result of the Connecticut-based company "realigning the manufacture of products with the customer base. " She wouldn't specify which products. The company's brands include laundry detergents such as all and Wisk, fabric softeners and dish detergent. Gerry Setley, vice president of the International Chemical Workers Union Council, which represents many of the plant's 350 workers, said the company is shifting its laundry detergent production across North America.

Around the house* Place crushed paper towels inside covered containers such as thermos bottles and teapots to remove excess moisture and avoid unpleasant odors when storing.* Wash windows. Dissolve dish detergent in a bucket of hot water and use a sponge or cloth that has been lightly dipped into the solution to wipe soil away.

Here's advice on how to treat some common stains on washable fabrics, drawn from "Heloise from A to Z," "Singer Clothing Care & Repair" and "Professor Barndt's Stain Removal Guide."Sometimes removing a spot or stain takes several tries using different methods. There are no guarantees. Proceed carefully, read care labels and when in doubt, dry clean.Ballpoint: Hair spray or rubbing alcohol may help. Don't apply directly to spot; blot with a soaked cloth.Blood: Treat as quickly as possible with cold water.

Last month, Colgate-Palmolive began marketing several phosphate-free dishwashing detergents under the name eco+. It's not hard to understand the new product's appeal. Many states, including Maryland, have required that dishwashing detergent be rid of the phosphates that are threatening to destroy aquatic life. So why did the General Assembly last month approve legislation postponing Maryland's phosphate ban for six months from January to July 2010? Environmental groups say it was to benefit one company, Proctor & Gamble, which hasn't yet released its own version of a phosphate-free product.

ON FRIDAY, children in kindergarten through third grade gathered at Westminster's St. Johns Catholic School to bag laundry detergent for the needy -- and to make a difference."

Get the house tidy, and it may help you clean up on the sale Nothing turns a homeowner into Heloise faster than putting a house on the market. You have to keep the house presentable all the time, because potential buyers can show up on short notice. The Soap and Detergent Association has these ideas for quick cleanups and preventive maintenance to make the job easier: Use disposable wipes to clean toilets and kitchens in a flash. Put a small amount of scented cleaner in your toilet bowls every night before bed. In the morning, the bathrooms will smell fresh and clean.

When most people finish using products like laundry detergent containers, tin cans, pie tins and greeting cards, they throw them in the garbage or in a recycling bin. But a group of eight local women covet trash that they can make into treasures. "I love the idea of taking something society had thrown out," said Sue Eyet, 54, who is one of the eight women. "It's nice to be able to bring out the beautiful, from what society thinks is ugly." They use garbage for the art they make as part of a group that formed about three years ago, called the Trashy Women.

Gov. Martin O'Malley said yesterday that he is inclined to sign legislation delaying a statewide ban on dishwasher detergent containing polluting phosphorus and that he still is weighing whether to veto a bill ensuring that fruity alcoholic drinks known as "alcopops" continue to be taxed and distributed the same way as beer. The General Assembly approved both bills during its recently concluded session. O'Malley, a Democrat, has received a number of veto requests and letters in support of the alcopops bill, which he pulled at the last minute from a batch of bills he signed last month.

Last month, Colgate-Palmolive began marketing several phosphate-free dishwashing detergents under the name eco+. It's not hard to understand the new product's appeal. Many states, including Maryland, have required that dishwashing detergent be rid of the phosphates that are threatening to destroy aquatic life. So why did the General Assembly last month approve legislation postponing Maryland's phosphate ban for six months from January to July 2010? Environmental groups say it was to benefit one company, Proctor & Gamble, which hasn't yet released its own version of a phosphate-free product.

A bill that would require students to attend public school in Maryland until age 17, beginning in 2010, won preliminary approval in the state Senate yesterday, though the proposal's fate remains uncertain. The Senate, which is expected to take a final vote next week, amended the bill to ensure that it would not take effect unless the governor provides added funding to pay for it. The House of Delegates has not taken action on a similar measure. The Maryland State Board of Education opposed the bill.

The Maryland Senate is poised to delay the implementation of a statewide ban on dishwasher detergent containing polluting phosphorus that seeps into the Chesapeake Bay, in response to objections from consumer products giant Procter & Gamble, which said it cannot meet the original deadline. Senators gave preliminary approval yesterday to legislation that would push back the ban's implementation by six months, to July 2010. The change would come one year after the General Assembly passed the ban on nearly all phosphorus in the detergents, which environmentalists say are discharged into the bay through sewers and other avenues, and contribute to algae blooms, fish kills and dead zones.

I am smelling like a man. I don't mean I am bending down to smell something in the way a man would because I have rarely witnessed a man performing the "voluntary sniff." A man, alone in an elevator, might perform an olfactory check of his pant cuffs if he has mistakenly walked through a dog park on his way back from lunch. But this is the "compulsory sniff"; something a man must do, apparently solo. My point here is, my actual person smells like a man. My best guess is that there was a mix-up at the factory that, coincidentally, makes both my antiperspirant and my laundry detergent.

Tide, the nation's best-selling laundry detergent, has slimmed down. With no "new and improved" fanfare or notice to consumers, Procter & Gamble Co. has cut the weight of its powdered detergent by 20 percent with no corresponding reduction in price. The downsizing looks very much like a stealth price increase, but P&G officials say that's not the case. The officials say they were able to improve their powdered detergent formula so a 70-ounce box of Tide can clean just as many clothes as the old 87-ounce box. "It's a very positive development for the consumer," said Ross Holthouse, a spokesman for P&G. "We're not taking out 17 ounces.

A holiday such as Christmas offers a great excuse to haul out Grandma's finest tableware and linens. If they haven't been used in a long time, though, they might be looking a little bedraggled. Here's how to spiff them up so you can show them off. CHINA AND CRYSTAL Delicate heirlooms should be hand-washed in warm water with mild dishwashing soap, Jane S. and Richard W. Long recommend in their book Caring for Your Family Treasures. To guard against accidental damage, they suggest placing a rubber or foam pad in the bottom of the sink before you start, washing the items individually and using great care.

Tide, the nation's best-selling laundry detergent, has slimmed down. With no "new and improved" fanfare or notice to consumers, Procter & Gamble Co. has cut the weight of its powdered detergent by 20 percent with no corresponding reduction in price. The downsizing looks very much like a stealth price increase, but P&G officials say that's not the case. The officials say they were able to improve their powdered detergent formula so a 70-ounce box of Tide can clean just as many clothes as the old 87-ounce box. "It's a very positive development for the consumer," said Ross Holthouse, a spokesman for P&G. "We're not taking out 17 ounces.

A holiday such as Christmas offers a great excuse to haul out Grandma's finest tableware and linens. If they haven't been used in a long time, though, they might be looking a little bedraggled. Here's how to spiff them up so you can show them off. CHINA AND CRYSTAL Delicate heirlooms should be hand-washed in warm water with mild dishwashing soap, Jane S. and Richard W. Long recommend in their book Caring for Your Family Treasures. To guard against accidental damage, they suggest placing a rubber or foam pad in the bottom of the sink before you start, washing the items individually and using great care.