UV dampening clothes detergents

[Brian Krebs]

Do you use UV dampening clothes detergents; and do you think they work?

[nightowl1]

I don't use them and i also voted no on them working...but its more of a maybe. I think the idea works but I don't have any experience to tell me that they work better than just some old camo that you don't wash that often or that you wash with baking soda instead of deteregent.

I have come pretty close to deer and hogs with camo I had washed the day before in detergent. I think its an interesting idea but not needed for me.

[BobW]

As I understand it,  the products I have seen,  are not "dampening", rather they are "not color enhancing".  There may be others now being marketed that claim to dampen, but I am not really looking for them.  Plus, Borax seems to fit  the bill at a significant cost savings.....

[Ricker]

Here are 2 recipes I use and they work great...
Non allergenic and no scent to speak of.  This soap is cheap and goes a long long way.  Remember it doesn't have all the chemicals, brighteners and sudsing agents so it does not get all foamy but it is still working.  I line dry too, then into a plastic bag with a little soil and leaves and such...
All the items can be bought at Walmart or most big grocery stores. Kirk's Castille $1.15 Washing Soda and Borax are a few dollars a box.  About $3 for 3 to 4 gallons of detergent.

Recipe #1

1 quart Water (boiling)
1 bar Kirk's Castille Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda

    * Add finely grated bar soap to the boiling water and stir until soap is melted. You can keep on low heat until soap is melted.
    * Pour the soap water into a large, clean pail and add the Borax and Washing Soda. Stir well until all is dissolved.
    * Add 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed.
    * Cover pail and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Stir the soap each time you use it (will gel).

Recipe #2

Hot water
1 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1 Soap bar

    * Grate the bar soap and add to a large saucepan with hot water. Stir over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
    * Fill a 10 gallon pail half full of hot water. Add the melted soap, Borax and Washing soda, stir well until all powder is dissolved. Top the pail up with more hot water.
    * Use 1 cup per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).

[ronp]

I use a UV free, scent frre detergent.  Not so much for the scent free, but I believe in the UV free stuff.  And trying to stay down wind of deer.  I  have had deer look right "through me" when I have used the UV free soap.  Before I used it, I could be down wind and not moving and they would pick me off right away.

[KSdan]

"UV free" does not get rid of the brighteners already in the clothes.  

There is not doubt though- once you are rid of the brighteners, whether through wear or dampening with a special agent- UV free detergents do not add brighteners.

One company who sold UV free detergent tested their own salesman by coming in the sales meetings with an ultraviolet light.  It was clear who was using typical detergent and who was using the companies UV free detergent (SA8 Amway soap by the way!)

[ronp]

Hmmm, that makes sense, Dan.  Do you know how to remove brightners if they are in clothing, or how do you determine if there are any in there?  Black light?  I suspect most of my hunting clothes do not have any - it is mostly older, used military surplus and a little wool.
ron

[Sharpster]

I just use a LITTLE BIT of dish liquid... I'm fairly certain there are no UV brighteners in that.

Ron

[Ray Hammond]

baking soda.

[Bent Rig]

I have a whole house water softener -and to my understanding with completely soft water is : wash hunting clothes with whatever detergent one chooses - but the bottom line is , it's the soft water that removes ANY/and ALL of UV from your clothing .

[KSdan]

I don't know much about the brigheners already found in clothes. I have even heard that some new camo clothes are conscience of this and eliminate the brighteners (some of the actual ASAT brand I think).

Of course, there is also a special UV Killer spray that kills the brighteners on new clothes.  From that point on you don't wash with UV soap.  Also, seems to me that I heard somewhere that the older worn clothes, as well as trad woolens, don't have as much of a problem.

The one thing I DO KNOW FOR SURE- certain brand name detergents do add brighteners to their soap.  It does make clothes look nicer and newer.  You can tell under a black-light.

Whether animals see it or not is another issue altogether.  I would bet they can though, especially at dawn and dusk.

[George D. Stout]

No one really knows what a deer sees, they only know what their eye makeup is.  We never were concerned about it forty years ago and the deer wandered around and by us, under and nearly over us with little regard.  I think it's a good selling point though.

[Don Stokes]

I voted no on both, but as far as whether it works, I really don't care, because I've never had a problem with being seen as long as I was still. If I stay still, the deer won't notice me if I'm not in their direct path. If I don't, they'll see me no matter what the chemical makeup of my clothing. In a tree, it doesn't matter what you wear.

[Ray Hammond]

yeah, but George, with the new mutant veggies we are growing, the deers' eyes are picking up UV's, microwaves, Incandescent, flourescent, black light, white light, in short- they can see your underwear so watch out, buddy!      

[JohnV]

Who would have thought that bowhunters would have this much interest in laundry. You married guys better not let the wife see this thread because when she sees you have such an interest and knowledge in doing laundry you are going to get assigned that chore!

[NorthernCaliforniaHunter]

Ooooohhhh good point! Wouldn't want to add THAT to my honeydo list!