Hard water has a lot of calcium and magnesium. Mineral buildup on drains and faucet. When washing clothes, hands,etc. they don’t get clean. CL
Bud Washing
- Thread starter Hiker
- Start date
When I lived in Florida the water was hard. CL
I never got the foaming with lemon juice either. But when I used citric acid and baking soda it foamed like crazy.Did my bud wash today. Used a new box of baking soda and 100% real lemon juice from concentrate. Same result, no foaming bubble action. The wash bucket was suitably dirtier than when when started so that's good, but I don't know why I don't get the same action you guys get. I think I'll have a look at some videos to see what I should be looking for.
Mabye I'll try something different next round like the organic soap idea if I can get comfortable about the rinse aspect.
Ah, ok. Maybe I'll give that a try next round. Thanks.
What amount of each did you use?
greenjeans
Well-Known Member
Why do you need the foaming - is it going to foam long enough to do anything?? I don't think it does any "scrubbing" and unless you are putting all your buds in at one time the foaming would be all done by the time you get your second stick of buds in the water.
It’s just like the commercials on T.V. they’re scrubbing bubbles. lol CL
greenjeans
Well-Known Member
Well, just to let you know how sharp I am - 4 days ago I did a bunch and my bucket has a lip that I hook the stem under and the cola soaks as I trim the next one, usually about 2 - 3 minutes, in the confusion of who is where when I start to run out of clips that I hang them from to dry - one got left soaking in the lemon baking soda - it's pretty bleached out so I gave it a good rinse and I have it drying - I'm hoping it will be like a "water cure" - I will see how things progress - I may have found a whole new method - or - I have screwed up a decent cola!!! 
I truly believe that no matter how many people use the lemon juice / baking soda wash method that it is a scientifically untested method. I am a retired chemist and don't believe in anecdotal "this is how we have been doing it forever". I can tell you in other areas of science where this can be a disastrous failure. Back in the mid 90s when the Alar insecticide scare was in the news, I personally worked on vegetable washes. We tested an array of fruits and vegetables and different pesticides for washing efficiency. Granted, this is not exactly the same thing that bud washers are attempting to accomplish, but it was a very enlightening experiment. I cannot share data because I am retired from the company and no longer have access to it.
One thing that I can tell you is that you need some surfactant to emulsify the crud on the surface. You don't want a strong emulsifier in high concentration because it could strip cannabinoids and terpenes. Personally, I would use a teaspoon of Dawn in a bucket of water. This dilution in not very strong and rinses out completely. Change it often as well as at least two rinses. I would prefer three. Remember, you don't need to rinse in copious amounts of water. Successive small rinses is more effective than a single rinse in a large bucket of water.
One thing that I can tell you is that you need some surfactant to emulsify the crud on the surface. You don't want a strong emulsifier in high concentration because it could strip cannabinoids and terpenes. Personally, I would use a teaspoon of Dawn in a bucket of water. This dilution in not very strong and rinses out completely. Change it often as well as at least two rinses. I would prefer three. Remember, you don't need to rinse in copious amounts of water. Successive small rinses is more effective than a single rinse in a large bucket of water.
Don’t keep us in suspense, let us know the outcome. CLWell, just to let you know how sharp I am - 4 days ago I did a bunch and my bucket has a lip that I hook the stem under and the cola soaks as I trim the next one, usually about 2 - 3 minutes, in the confusion of who is where when I start to run out of clips that I hang them from to dry - one got left soaking in the lemon baking soda - it's pretty bleached out so I gave it a good rinse and I have it drying - I'm hoping it will be like a "water cure" - I will see how things progress - I may have found a whole new method - or - I have screwed up a decent cola!!!
?? Lemon juice/baking soda is scientifically untested??? Various combinations of acid/base have been used for centuries. You scoured the interwebs and discovered that there has never been a "scientific" exploration of it?
And you and others might want to read through the first 100 pages.
If you want to encourage 100s of growers to wash their produce with Dawn or anything else, then start a thread and collect data for years. There are commercial produce washes that work great, but this is the first time that anyone has repeatedly advised people to use dish washing soap.
Go for it. You seem to feel very strongly about it. Start a thread and begin collecting data.
I don't have any need to use Dawn. I use lemon juice and baking soda. It never foams. It works great.
But if you start a thread of your own, and if virtually no one has any problems after nine years of posting, I might just try it myself.
With respect to your credentials Jvernice Graytail has a point. Let us know how the experiment goes as you do it. I've washed with this method many times. It works. Change is good. Make me want to change!
Make me want to change
Hello StoneOtter. Not saying it doesn't work and not telling anyone to change. Just asking where did this originate and what are the scientific basis for this method and components? So far, no one can answer except that "it works for me". Sorry, but the scientist in me is always asking for objective evidence and proof.
That means one thing when I feel that way friend. Get those waters tested! Your method if better will end up the next one we defend because it works! Many of us do test things and look for origination, could use a hand here. Please do invent new better ways to get this plant in our jars.
What's growing, anything? I'm plant free for the first time in years. Getting a new grow soon.
I wish I had the equipment to run the tests. I would test for total dissolved solids in rinse, before and after cannabinoid content, and before and after terpene profile. Just because something has been done for years doesn't make it the best way. They did lobotomies for many years to treat mental illness. Probably not the best way. They also said cannabis will destroy peoples lives and has no medicinal value. We would not be writing here if that were true. Anyone with HPLC equipment out there? Analytical balance? Turbidity meter? Find me a lab and I will design the experiments with proper negative and positive controls. Would investigate other methods in addition to lemon juice and sodium bicarb. Would love to work with someone on this. Even put together a team.?? Lemon juice/baking soda is scientifically untested??? Various combinations of acid/base have been used for centuries. You scoured the interwebs and discovered that there has never been a "scientific" exploration of it?
And you and others might want to read through the first 100 pages.
If you want to encourage 100s of growers to wash their produce with Dawn or anything else, then start a thread and collect data for years. There are commercial produce washes that work great, but this is the first time that anyone has repeatedly advised people to use dish washing soap.
Go for it. You seem to feel very strongly about it. Start a thread and begin collecting data.
I don't have any need to use Dawn. I use lemon juice and baking soda. It never foams. It works great.
But if you start a thread of your own, and if virtually no one has any problems after nine years of posting, I might just try it myself.
greenjeans
Well-Known Member
It has to dry and cure etc.
Go for it. Start a new thread.
Or just take the time to read through the years of discussions that have happened in this one. Seriously. Clearly you haven't. You might be surprised at what you find.
Scientific method and all, y'know?
I’m from the old school of thinking that if it ain’t broke don’t try to fix it. Personally I think using soap would leave a residual effect to the taste but this is pure speculation seeing that I don’t have any scientific proof. CL
Fredwak
Well-Known Member
Just chiming in for the bud washers. I wash my outdoor buds. 1/4 c lemon juice, 1/4 c baking soda into 4 gals room temp water. Rinse in clear room temp water. I have a water conditioner so the waters not hard.
In my experience, they do plump up and stretch out making it an easier trim. I'm on the fence on whether or not I lose trichomes. I grow in a hot, dry and windy environment and the wash most definitely gets rid of dust, etc.
Stay stoneder.
In my experience, they do plump up and stretch out making it an easier trim. I'm on the fence on whether or not I lose trichomes. I grow in a hot, dry and windy environment and the wash most definitely gets rid of dust, etc.
Stay stoneder.
Thanks.
The 1/4 cup per 5 gals (4 gals) is appropriate. We found that higher concentrations didn't help.
We've visually tested many times for trichomes and found no significant loss. We also tested for final THC% and found no significant difference. In fact, one batch of tests showed higher THC in the washed bud.
No worries about *gasp* dunking your harvest in water and vigorously swishing it around.
One thing that I want to offer is my reluctance to separate the lemon and soda buckets. That doesn't sound like a good idea. They should be mixed first into just one bucket. Juice first, then soda, mix it up, dunk your buds.
[Edit] I also don't believe that any foaming action has much benefit. Any foaming is gone in seconds. We're not trying to remove anything with kinetic action. It works on a much smaller scale, loosening water soluble bonds. The dunking and swishing itself removes as many stuck insects as any foaming would.