A laundry sour is a chemical added to clothing during the final rinse cycle of a
washing machine
A washing machine (laundry machine, clothes washer, washer, or simply wash) is a home appliance used to wash laundry. The term is mostly applied to machines that use water as opposed to dry cleaning (which uses alternative cleaning fluids and ...
to lower the pH of the water and to assist with the removal of detergents and rust stains. Most such sours are
fluoride-based, including
ammonium silicofluoride,
ammonium bifluoride
Ammonium hydrogen fluoride is the inorganic compound with the formula or . It is produced from ammonia and hydrogen fluoride. This colourless salt is a glass- etchant and an intermediate in a once-contemplated route to hydrofluoric acid.
Structu ...
, and
hydrofluosilicic acid
Hexafluorosilicic acid is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . Aqueous solutions of hexafluorosilicic acid consist of salts of the cation and hexafluorosilicate anion. These salts and their aqueous solutions are colorless.
Hexaflu ...
;
glycolic acid
Glycolic acid (or hydroxyacetic acid; chemical formula HOCH2CO2H) is a colorless, odorless and hygroscopic crystalline solid, highly soluble in water. It is used in various skin-care products. Glycolic acid is widespread in nature. A glycolate (s ...
is also used.
The US Department of Defense recognizes two "types" of laundry sours: type I is
sodium silicofluoride and
sodium acid fluoride in powdered, crystal, or flake form; type II is ammonium bifluoride in flake form.
References
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Laundry substances