Bubble Thing - need advice
Warwick McNaughton
We bought a device called The Bubble Thing for our kids for Christmas.
However the manual that comes with it refers to detergents that I don't
think are available in New Zealand.
I would to hear from anyone who has successfully created large bubbles
with one of these - as to what detergent they used.
Many thanks.
Don Mackie
In article <32CAAF...@iconz.co.nz>, Warwick McNaughton
<naug...@iconz.co.nz> wrote:
--
Don - at home.
Things get worse under pressure
(Murphy's law of thermodynamics)
Richard Thomas
Karl Mottram (nos...@gerbil.manawatu.gen.nz) wrote:
: In article <32CAAF...@iconz.co.nz> Warwick McNaughton <naug...@iconz.co.nz> writes:
: > We bought a device called The Bubble Thing for our kids for Christmas.
: > However the manual that comes with it refers to detergents that I don't
: > think are available in New Zealand.
: > I would to hear from anyone who has successfully created large bubbles
: > with one of these - as to what detergent they used.
: Maybe try one of the concentrated versions? Maybe a 'thicker' detergent
: would have better surface strength?
Try using ordinary dish washing liquid mixed in warm water with a bit
of gelatine disolved into it. Can't give you any ideal quantities so
you will have to experiment a bit to get the proportions right.
--
************************************* See the happy moron
* Richard Thomas * He doesn't give a damn
* ti...@eddie.wn.planet.gen.nz * I wish I were a moron
* http://www.wn.planet.gen.nz/~tich * My God! perhaps I am!
Don't use REPLY, see my .SIG (Bruce Simpson)
> We bought a device called The Bubble Thing for our kids for Christmas.
> However the manual that comes with it refers to detergents that I don't
> think are available in New Zealand.
>
> I would to hear from anyone who has successfully created large bubbles
> with one of these - as to what detergent they used.
Whatever detergent you use, the addition of a little gycerine (sp?) will
assist in the formation of large bubbles.
----------[DONT use REPLY to respond to this message]---------
instead, email me at: br...@faxmail.co.nz
ADD A FREE *LIVE* NEWS FEED TO YOUR OWN WEB PAGES!
http://www.7am.co.nz/ticker.htm
Mike Tuppen
>We bought a device called The Bubble Thing for our kids for Christmas.
>I would to hear from anyone who has successfully created large bubbles
>with one of these - as to what detergent they used.
Home brew successfully used on large "rope loop" bubble maker - is
1 part glycerin (from chemist/pharmacy)
3 parts washing up liquid (use one advertised to have "long lasting"
bubbles)
6 to 12 parts water
the more glycerine the stonger/longer lasting the bubbles but it becones
difficult to create a film in the first place.
The concentrations probably need changing depending on the temperature
Cheers
Mike
--
Mike Tuppen mgtu...@iee.org
Colin Douthwaite
Richard Thomas (ti...@eddie.wn.planet.gen.nz) wrote:
>Karl Mottram (nos...@gerbil.manawatu.gen.nz) wrote:
>
>
>: > We bought a device called The Bubble Thing for our kids for Christmas.
>: > think are available in New Zealand.
>: > with one of these - as to what detergent they used.
>
>: would have better surface strength?
>Try using ordinary dish washing liquid mixed in warm water with a bit
>of gelatine disolved into it. Can't give you any ideal quantities so
>you will have to experiment a bit to get the proportions right.
====================================================================
Bubble Mixtures 9 Jan 1997
====================================================================
Newsgroups: sci.materials
Subject: Re: recipe for soap bubbles wanted
From: jor...@inland.com
Date: 30 Jun 93 07:20:41 CST
In article <93181.123...@ESRIN.BITNET>,
<ACI...@ESRIN.BITNET> writes:
> Does anybody have a recipe for soap bubbles which does not require
> difficult to find components? Thanks in advance.
> A. Ciarlo (ACI...@ESRIN.BITNET)
This is the recipe my wife uses to make soap bubbles for the kids to
blow around outside and in the bathtub. When it is fresh, the
solution can make some pretty large bubbles. After it has aged a
while (usually, the kids forget to close the container) it seems to
be slightly less effective.
I hope it works for you.
1 cup liquid dishwashing detergent (Joy or Dawn works for us)
2 cups warm water
3 tablespoons glycerin (available at most pharmacies)
one half teaspoon sugar
mix
store in airtight container.
Don Jordan
JOR...@INLAND.COM
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: sci.materials
Subject: Re: recipe wanted for soap bubbles
From: jmic...@vnet.IBM.COM
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 93 10:05:01 EDT
3 parts water to 1 part Ivory dish soap. Makes giant bubbles.
Have fun.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: sci.materials
Subject: Re: recipe wanted for soap bubbles
From: s...@redbeard.physics.fsu.edu (Scott D. Berry)
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1993 18:05:16 GMT
In article <19930630....@almaden.ibm.com>
jmic...@vnet.IBM.COM writes:
>3 parts water to 1 part Ivory dish soap. Makes giant bubbles.
>Have fun.
My giant bubble blowing apparatus book says:
1 cup Dawn/Joy
10 cups water
(optional/useful) 3-5 tablespoons glycerine
It works great in summer Florida humidity even without the
glycerine
Scott D. Berry Assistant Professor of Physics Florida State
University
315 Keen Bldg, B-159, Tallahassee, FL 32306-3016 (904) 644-1218
INTERNET: be...@redbeard.physics.fsu.edu BITNET: berry@fsu
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Edward William Matthews <e...@gladstone.uoregon.edu>
Newsgroups: sci.physics,sci.chem
Subject: Re: Soap Bubbles; whats the best recipe ?
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 1994 22:00:33 -0700
I don't have the article, but 1/3 glycerin + 1/3 dishwasher soap
+1/3 water works very well. You may try less water, which is there
only to dilute the others.
These last fairly long, but may not be exactly what you're looking
for.
Ed Matthews
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: sci.chem
From: xx...@lafn.org (Moderator)
Subject: Re: Soap Bubbles; whats the best recipe ?
Date: Sun, 30 Oct 1994 08:38:08 GMT
In a previous article, ha...@newshost.lds.loral.com (Karl Hahn) says:
>In article <CyDsE...@bri.hp.com> sim...@bri.hp.com (Simon
Chandler) writes:
> The Exploratorium in San Francisco recommends using dishwashing
> detergent (I think they recommend Dawn and Joy brands), distilled
> water, and a bit of glycerol. I don't have the exact recipe with
> me, but I'll try to get it for Monday.
The recipe for soap bubbles depends upon what you need the soap
bubbles for. I use Dawn dishwashing detergent. However, my students
have tried several combinations of this detergent with Karo corn
syrup or a small amount of glycerin. Try different combinations. By
the way, the longer you store your soap bubble mixture, the better
its performance.
HTH
Z.M. Evensen
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: a...@zurich.ai.mit.edu (Allan Adler)
Newsgroups: sci.chem
Subject: Re: Soap Bubbles; whats the best recipe ?
Date: 30 Oct 94 19:11:08
There is a wonderful book by C.V.Boys on soap bubbles, published by
Dover. It mentions among other things how to make soap bubbles that
last for 20 years.
Allan Adler
a...@altdorf.ai.mit.edu
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: zo...@banneker.stanford.edu (Craig DeForest)
Newsgroups: sci.physics
Subject: Re: soap bubbles
Date: 13 May 1995 21:20:49 GMT
george farrants (m-1...@mailbox.swipnet.se) wrote:
: Does anyone have a good recipe for soap bubble solution?
: Does anyone know why the solution you can buy in toy shops
: works so much better than washing-up liquid solution made
: at home? What is the optimal concentration of washing-up
: liquid?
Glycerine is the magic ingredient. The washing-up liquid lowers the
surface tension to the point that bubbles are possible; the
glycerine strengthens the structure somehow.
I seem to recall a recipe that went something like "1 gal water, 1/2
c. Dawn dishwashing soap (use your favorite brand, though Dawn does
seem to work well), 1 tbsp glycerine". In nice SI units, that's "4
l water, 100 ml detergent, 15 ml glycerine".
This was to make absolutely huge bubbles using large (~ 30 cm) loops
of wire. I guess the best way to go really is empirical: you can
make small batches and test each one. Good way to get the kids used
to the Scientific Method, too!
Cheers!
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: sci.physics,sci.chem
From: ha...@newshost.lds.loral.com (Karl Hahn)
Subject: Re: Soap Bubbles; whats the best recipe ?
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 1994 22:40:52 GMT
In article <CyDsE...@bri.hp.com> sim...@bri.hp.com (Simon
Chandler) writes:
> Hello all,
>
> Some years ago I read an article, in Scientific American I think, that
> described how to make VERY long lived soap bubbles. A recipe was
> given for the best soap + water + other chemicals mixture to use.
>
> If you have a reference to that article, or have some other info that
> would help, could you please e-mail me (I rarely get time to read the
> sci.* group).
>
The Exploratorium in San Francisco recommends using dishwashing
detergent (I think they recommend Dawn and Joy brands), distilled
water, and a bit of glycerol. I don't have the exact recipe with
me, but I'll try to get it for Monday.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Edward William Matthews <e...@gladstone.uoregon.edu>
Newsgroups: sci.physics,sci.chem
Subject: Re: Soap Bubbles; whats the best recipe ?
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 1994 22:00:33 -0700
Lines: 8
I don't have the article, but 1/3 glycerin + 1/3 dishwasher soap
+1/3 water works very well. You may try less water, which is there
only to dilute the others.
These last fairly long, but may not be exactly what you're looking
for.
Ed Matthews
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Peter Loop <Peter_...@ccm2.hf.intel.com>
Newsgroups: rec.kites
Subject: Re: Bubbles!
Date: 13 Jun 1995 16:04:09 GMT
Message-ID: <3rkctp$j...@ornews.intel.com>
amir...@max.tiac.net (Richard Amirault) wrote:
>Does anyone have any further information on making bubble solution from
>scratch? I've been able to find commercial solution at a reasonable
>price, but I want to investigate making my own solution.
The best recipe for bubbles I have found is:
Equal parts:
- Dawn liquid dishwashing soup - the blue stuff.
(the brand does make a difference)
- Corn Syrup
- Then add Water (experiment with the amount)
This works very well for giant bubbles. And doesn't leave a sticky mess.
Peter Loop
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: DHA...@SSSP.GSFC.NASA.GOV (Donovan Haxton)
Newsgroups: rec.kites
Subject: Re: Bubbles!
Date: 12 Jun 1995 18:23:13 GMT
Organization: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center -- Greenbelt, Maryland USA
Message-ID: <DHAXTON-1206...@m1101421.gsfc.nasa.gov>
>
> >Does anyone have any further information on making bubble solution from
> >scratch? I've been able to find commercial solution at a reasonable
> >price, but I want to investigate making my own solution.
>
> Felix has told me that he's tried various recipes for homemade bubble
> solution, but has found commercial types to be much better. He buys in
> bulk (I believe I've seen one gallon jugs under his rig).
>
> Jeff
For a good bubble soap, try mixing dish washing soap (like Joy) 90%
with glycerin 10%. by volume. It is not the best, but works well and
is easy to make.
Don Haxton
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Michael Goldman <73164...@CompuServe.COM>
Newsgroups: rec.kites
Subject: Re: Bubbles!
Date: 15 Jun 1995 20:39:58 GMT
Organization: via CompuServe Information Service
Lines: 21
Message-ID: <3rq5qu$rik$1...@mhadg.production.compuserve.com>
>Does anyone have any further information on making bubble
solution from
>scratch? I've been able to find commercial solution at a
reasonable
>price, but I want to investigate making my own solution.
The recipe for bubbles included in the book with the bubble wand
goes something like this:
1 part Joy dishwashing liquid
10 parts water
optionally, about a 1/8 part glycerin or corn syrup (makes
the bubbles last longer).
Larger bubbles will last longer in humid, still air (something to do
when we can't fly our kites!). For dryer air, use a little more Joy.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: wast...@acy.digex.net
Newsgroups: rec.kites
Subject: Re: Bubbles!
Date: 17 Jun 1995 14:33:54 GMT
Message-ID: <3rup4i$4...@news3.digex.net>
> Peter Loop <Peter_...@ccm2.hf.intel.com> writes:
> The best recipe for bubbles I have found is:
>
> Equal parts:
> - Dawn liquid dishwashing soup - the blue stuff.
> (the brand does make a difference)
> - Corn Syrup
>
> - Then add Water (experiment with the amount)
>>>>
The brand does make a difference...Dawn is fine, but I found Joy to
be the best:
1 cup Joy
1 gallon water
50 drops of glycerin
stay away from cheapy detergent...
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: David Meyer <djm...@magna.com.au>
Newsgroups: sci.chem
Subject: Re: Soap Bubbles
Date: 17 Sep 1995 12:03:20 GMT
Message-ID: <43h2q8$e...@kettle.magna.com.au>
The two best sources of good surfactant blends for making soap
bubbles are dishwashing liquid and shampoo. These blends are not
optimised for best foam properties but can be improved by adding a
co-solvent. The common one mentioned is glycerine but ethylene
glycol is better and butyl carbitol is best.
You can also stabilise bubbles by adding a very small amount of
lauryl alcohol (less than 1%) or a high molecular weight
polysaccharide such as xanthan gum (about 1%).
Another additive which may help is one of the new glycoside
surfactants (C12-C14).
Mail me if you want some detailed formulation help.
David Meyer
djm...@magna.com.au
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: sci.chem
From: hahn@newshost (Karl Hahn)
Subject: Re: Soap Bubbles
Message-ID: <950917...@are107.lds.loral.com>
Date: Sun, 17 Sep 1995 19:25:19 GMT
In article <433r9l$99j$1...@mhafm.production.compuserve.com>
Harold Snow <10240...@CompuServe.COM> writes:
> We are looking for any information about the
> chemistry, formulation and manufacture of long lasting soap
> bubbles.
Some practical hints. Use Dawn or Joy dishwashing liquid diluted
from 50:50 to 70:30 with *distilled* water (experiment with the
dilution to find the optimum). Try adding a few drops of glycerol
per liter for longer lasting bubbles. And blow your bubbles in a
humid atmosphere (a foggy day is best) for longest lasting bubbles.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: j...@ds8.scri.fsu.edu (Jim Carr)
Newsgroups: sci.physics
Subject: Re: Soap bubble formula?
Date: 30 Sep 1995 20:14:19 -0400
Message-ID: <44kmgr$3...@ds8.scri.fsu.edu>
In article <gradyDF...@netcom.com>
gr...@netcom.com (Grady Ward) writes:
>
>Hello, I'm looking for a soap bubble formula
>suitable for large bubbles (~1 meter diameter).
>
>I vaguely remeber a formula that ues Dawn detergent,
>glycerine, and water, but don't remember the proportions.
Lots of detergent (and the Dawn brand is recommended because of the
additives they use and/or don't use which reduces the foaming). I
don't have a formula anymore but if you visit any store that carries
the wands, the paper label has a recipe on the back.
Hint 1: mix very gently by adding water to the soap in small
amounts. You do not want any suds at all. Discard when
suds appear.
Hint 2: Karo syrup (pure corn syrup) is far superior to glycerine
for big bubbles, but *only* if you are in a place where the
sugar mess will not be a problem.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Alan \"Uncle Al\" Schwartz <uncl...@ix.netcom.com>
Newsgroups: sci.physics
Subject: Re: Help: Information about soap bubbles needed
Date: 24 Oct 1995 22:04:11 GMT
Message-ID: <46jnsr$h...@ixnews3.ix.netcom.com>
About soap bubbles,
I believe you will find that a soap bubble solution compounded of the
sodium salt of dibromooleic acid and 20-30% glycerine makes some
remarkable bubbles - with persistence times of days to weeks.
You can do a Net search yourself by querying Infoseek for a keyword.
E-mail me for a dozen Web address of search engines.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: tmi...@diachem.com (Tom Miller)
Newsgroups: sci.chem
Subject: Re: Bubble Fluid
Date: Sun, 19 Nov 1995 05:59:01 GMT
Message-ID: <48mesu$k...@grid.direct.ca>
cassie carstens <cars...@gem.co.za> wrote:
>I wish to make BUBBLE FLUID in order to produce LARGE bubbles.
Summarizing a recent reply to a similar posted above: just add 50%
glycerine (glycerol) to the newer clear liquid HAND dishwashing
detergents - Dawn, Joy, Ivory - to create a concentrate suitable for
dilution with water.
>ALSO can someone tell me what OLEATE OF SODA is:
Oleate of Soda is sodium oleate, bathroom soap.
As for the formulations you listed, they're on the right track with
the glycerine, but you'll find that the commercial detergents work
radically better. Have fun....
Tom Miller
Diachem/Raisio Inc
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: sci.chem,sci.physics
From: gl0...@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (G. Lane)
Subject: Re: Bubbles, Super Bubbles
Message-ID: <1995Nov18.0...@galileo.cc.rochester.edu>
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 95 06:38:36 GMT
In <WAF2PCB2...@brbbs.brbbs.com>
ma...@brbbs.brbbs.com (MATT BOYAN) writes:
>What chemical is used to make super bubble solution? Solutions that can
>make bubbles over a foot in diameter. Do these chemicals only work in
>water, or can they also be used in other solvents?
>Thanks.
>Matt
often a good detergent (perferrably non-phosphate, because you want
bubbles, not cleaning power) clean water (Mg+2, Ca+2 removed), and
a little glecerin (sp).
george
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: tmi...@diachem.com (Tom Miller)
Newsgroups: sci.chem,sci.physics
Subject: Re: Bubbles, Super Bubbles
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 1995 07:27:05 GMT
Message-ID: <48jvm0$6...@grid.direct.ca>
ma...@brbbs.brbbs.com (MATT BOYAN) wrote:
>What chemical is used to make super bubble solution? Solutions that can
>make bubbles over a foot in diameter. Do these chemicals only work in
>water, or can they also be used in other solvents?
1. Just add glycerol to nonionic surfactant solution (high-foaming
alkyl polyglucosides preferred). A 50/50 mixture of newer liquid
dishwashing detergents with glycerol will give you a suitable
concentrate.
2. Water only, at least as described above.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: cassie carstens <cars...@gem.co.za>
Newsgroups: sci.chem
Subject: Bubble Fluid
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 1995 14:44:58 +0200
Message-ID: <30ADD5...@gem.co.za>
I wish to make BUBBLE FLUID in order to produce LARGE bubbles.
Could someone please provide a tried and tested formula for this
and/or comment on the following two formulas which I discovered
in some fairly old literature (pre 1948!).
ALSO can someone tell me what OLEATE OF SODA is:
FORMULA 1:
=========
3/4 bottle clean water
add 1/40th part OLEATE of SODA
and leave for a day.
Fill bottle with GLYCERINE and shake well.
Leave stopped in a dark place for a week.
Use a siphon to draw off the clear liquid.
add 1 or 2 drops of liquid AMMONIA to every pint.
FORMULA 2:
=========
Mix 30 parts TRIHYDROXYETHYLAMINE OLEATE slowly with
1000 parts water. Leave overnight and add
200 parts GLYCERINE.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: sci.chem
From: r...@world.std.com
Subject: Soap bubble effect
Message-ID: <DG0yL...@world.std.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Oct 1995 11:29:40 GMT
My daughter's fourth grade class observed that soap bubbles that
have been made from a solution that included a small amount of
vinegar were less likely to clump together.
1) Is this an accurate observation.
2) If accurate, is it a relatively straightforward
(sigh) polarity effect?
3) If it is a polarity effect, are bubbles equally likely to
be attractive and repulsive?
4) Does anyone have any idea where I could find some
visualization of soap bubble chemistry?
Thanks much. Since this may be a very well known teaching
experiment, I've posted this to a K-12 Science newsgroup.
Bob Phelps
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: sci.chem
From: yd...@shani.net (Yigal Becker)
Subject: Re: Soap Bubbles
Organization: ACTCOM - Internet Services in Israel
Date: Fri, 15 Sep 1995 21:26:56 GMT
Message-ID: <DEyu8...@actcom.co.il>
> We are looking for any information about the
> chemistry, formulation and manufacture of long lasting soap
> bubbles.
I have found that adding small amounts of ammonia and larger amounts
of glycol to the water-detergent mixture greatly enhances
lastability. Any liquid concentrated dish cleaner will suffice: it
should be diluted with water until no liquid can be seen to flow
over the bubbles as they are formed. Exact concentrations are NA at
present.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: sci.physics
From: ao...@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Zita Maria Evensen)
Subject: Re: Bubbles, Super Bubbles
Message-ID: <DIDME...@freenet.carleton.ca>
Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 04:42:19 GMT
MATT BOYAN (ma...@brbbs.brbbs.com) writes:
> What chemical is used to make super bubble solution? Solutions that can
> make bubbles over a foot in diameter. Do these chemicals only work in
> water, or can they also be used in other solvents?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Matt
We had success with various combinations of liquid detergent,
glycerine and water. Our best was 50 ml glycerine, 200 ml liquid
soap and enough water to make a liter. Use Joy or Dawn detergents.
Using a bubble wand, the bubbles were big enough to cover a person.
Corn syrup is another ingredient we tried - but is too sticky.
Good luck.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: mark <ma...@dgnsgi.cem.msu.edu>
Newsgroups: sci.chem,sci.physics
Subject: Re: Bubbles, Super Bubbles
Date: 22 Nov 1995 15:29:28 GMT
Message-ID: <48vfko$u...@msunews.cl.msu.edu>
I bought the book "The Unbelievable Bubble Book", by John Cassidy
and David Stein at a store in Mid-Michigan called Natural Wonders.
The book comes with the Bubble Thing (A giant bubble wand) for
~$11.00 US.
The 'formula' in the book says to use one part dish soap and 10
parts water and Procter & Gamble's "Joy" or "Dawn" dish soaps are
recommended. More or less water should be used depending on the
humidity. Damp, cloudy, wind-still mornings are the prefered
setting - wind-still for obvious reasons and cloudy because the high
surface area bubbles evaporate quickly in the sun.
Adding glycerine is suggested by the authors to slow evaporation and
increase the bubble's life. Because glycerine is not always
available, I have found that using Elmer's White Glue has the same
or better effect (this is polyvinyl alcohol, essentially a glycerine
polymer) - See note below. What ever you use, don't use too much.
With the bubble wand that comes with the book I can easily make
bubbles 3 to 4 feet (~1 meter) in diameter, more if the air is calm.
Note: Be careful with these big bubbles because they make a large
splash when they break. Kids love to pop the bubbles but they often
get soap in their eyes. I don't recommend using the Elmer's Glue
(Poly-vinyl alcohol) if kids will be "helping" you or if you value
the places where the bubbles pop - it gets sticky.
In a not-so-recent post, Colin Douthwaite (cf...@southern.co.nz) gave the
publisher information about the book mentioned above:
> "The Unbelievable Bubble Book"
>
> by John Cassidy with David Stein, inventor of the Bubble Thing
> which has produced the Guiness Book of Records largest bubble -
> 250 feet long.
>
> Klutz Press, Palo Alto, California.
--------------------------------------
Have fun blubbling.
-mark
--------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Alan \"Uncle Al\" Schwartz <uncl...@ix.netcom.com>
Newsgroups: sci.chem
Subject: Re: Any Giant Bubble Recipes?
Date: 10 Nov 1996 03:32:25 GMT
Message-ID: <563ic9$6...@sjx-ixn7.ix.netcom.com>
tr...@central.co.nz (Bruce Levett) wrote:
> Has anybody got a good recipe for those HUGE detergent bubbles?
>I've tried:
> liquid detergent, washing soda (as a water softener), glycerol,
>water mixtures in varying proportions but without much success.
>Two that I've read are amazingly different compositions.
It helps if you have a giant bubble wand, preferably felt-covered to
feed liquid to the growing bubble). A terrycloth sling is pretty good.
The obvious guess is Dawn dishwashing liquid. It works for
everything else!
You might also try the sodium salt of dibromooleic acid (add bromine
to the acid cool and dark, then neutralize with NaOH - not for the
amateur) with 20% glycerine in water. I understand the resulting
bubbles are remarkably reluctant to break.
====================================================================
Geoff McCaughan
Steve Bell (ah...@actrix.gen.nz) wrote:
> Does anyone know where Dawn or Joy might be sold; or what the nearest
> local equivalent is?
If you bribe me adequately I'll send you some.
8-)
Steve Bell
cf...@southern.co.nz (Colin Douthwaite) wrote:
>====================================================================
>====================================================================
>Don Jordan
>JOR...@INLAND.COM
And a number of other recipes, almost all using "Dawn" or "Joy" -
which was the point. The makers of the Bibble Thung (which we never
managed to work properly either) say Dawn and Joy are the only two
they have found that really work. And you *can't get them* in NZ,
AFAIK.
Still, maybe they've been slipped a bit of advertising money by Dawn
and Joy. Maybe the inventor of the Beeble Thang is Joy's husband and
Dawn's brother. Or something...
Colin Douthwaite
Steve Bell (ah...@actrix.gen.nz) wrote:
>cf...@southern.co.nz (Colin Douthwaite) wrote:
[...snip...]
>>This is the recipe my wife uses to make soap bubbles for the kids to
>>blow around outside and in the bathtub. When it is fresh, the
>>solution can make some pretty large bubbles. After it has aged a
>>while (usually, the kids forget to close the container) it seems to
>>be slightly less effective.
>
>>I hope it works for you.
>
>> 1 cup liquid dishwashing detergent (Joy or Dawn works for us)
>> 2 cups warm water
>> 3 tablespoons glycerin (available at most pharmacies)
>> one half teaspoon sugar
>> mix
>> store in airtight container.
>
>>Don Jordan
>>JOR...@INLAND.COM
>And a number of other recipes, almost all using "Dawn" or "Joy" -
>which was the point. The makers of the Bibble Thung (which we never
>managed to work properly either) say Dawn and Joy are the only two
>they have found that really work. And you *can't get them* in NZ,
>AFAIK.
Celia in Australia has also been having difficulty with her giant
bubble maker using local dishwashing liquids.
Dunno that it helps much but there was a response from David Rogers
in USA. Unfortunately he would still be using Joy, Ivory or Dawn not
local Aus or NZ brands.
Without a comparative chemical analysis of the USA and local brands
it is difficult to say whether there is any real difference. I
suspect that water hardness, temperature and the strength of the
mixtures being used may be more of a factor than differences in
the brands of dishwashing liquids.
"Bubblability" is probably not an important criterion in dishwashing
liquid manufacture...squeakycleanness and price probably are. *8-)
Nice project for Consumer Magazine ?
======= From: David Rodgers <crie...@worldnet.att.net> 1/1/97 =======
> CPMT (cp...@dot.net.au) wrote:
>>A fellow rec.kiter suggested that this might be the place to post
>>this query. It's not about kites, but maybe someone out there can
>>help. I recently bought a "World's Greatest Bubble Maker" from Into
>>the Wind for my three year old.
>>When we received it, we found that the instructions specifed that we
>>use Joy, Ivory or Dawn dishwashing liquids for the bubble mix.
>>Mmmmmm...these aren't available here in Australia, and Proctor and
>>Gamble tell me they have no intention of importing them at present.
>>We've tried most of the locally available brands, but with very
>>little success. And yes, we did add glycerine.
>>Sooo....is there anybody out there who can suggest, or has had any
>>success with, a substitute dishwashing liquid ? Or know any secret
>>chemical formulas ? I've ordered some "bubble concentrate" which may
>>work, but I'd prefer to be able to buy the stuff at the supermarket,
>>or concoct my own. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
>>Celia
> Celia;
> Here in New Jersey, USA, I find that a 10% to 33% solution of dish
> washing liquid soap does fine. The atmosphere is best humid and
> cool to retard evaporation of the bubbles.
> Adding pure glycerine (from the chemist) or aliphatic white glue
> (Elmer's) at approx. 2 tablespoons per gallon can help, if the
> relative humidity is less than 50%.
> Airborne dust and hot, arid wind conditions hurt outdoor bubbling.
> Excessively hard water, even if treated with a water softener,
> weakens soap films. (Use distilled water if necessary.)
> As a last resort, I sometimes hose the yard at dusk to create a
> cool damp "micro climate".
> Incidentally, Procter&Gamble probably sells "Dawn" or "Joy"
> Downunder under other brandnames.
> Good luck,
> David
=======================================================================
Bye,
Craig Shore
In article <5ba7gg$c...@orm.southern.co.nz> cf...@southern.co.nz writes:
>"Bubblability" is probably not an important criterion in dishwashing
>liquid manufacture...squeakycleanness and price probably are. *8-)
Actually it is. The fact is people like bubbles in their dish washing
detergent. If there's no bubbles then they don't believe it is cleaning
properley.
Craig.
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Colin Douthwaite
Craig Shore (cr...@yonder.southern.co.nz) wrote:
>In article <5ba7gg$c...@orm.southern.co.nz> cf...@southern.co.nz writes:
>>"Bubblability" is probably not an important criterion in dishwashing
>>liquid manufacture...squeakycleanness and price probably are. *8-)
>Actually it is. The fact is people like bubbles in their dish washing
>detergent. If there's no bubbles then they don't believe it is cleaning
>properley.
Ah...in that case there must be a reproducible bubblability test
which could be performed on solutions and the results compared with
the allegedly superior Dawn and Joy products marketed by Proctor &
Gamble in the USA.
Any ideas for a simple reproducible home test ? Foodmixer perhaps
using a specified quantity of liquid and 30 seconds mixing at top
speed ?
And be sure to clean the bowl well afterwards before making a fruit cake ?
Bye,
Gregor Ronald
Don't use REPLY, see my .SIG (Bruce Simpson) wrote:
>
> In article <32CAAF...@iconz.co.nz>, Warwick McNaughton
>
> > We bought a device called The Bubble Thing for our kids for Christmas.
> > However the manual that comes with it refers to detergents that I don't
> > think are available in New Zealand.
> >
> > I would to hear from anyone who has successfully created large bubbles
> > with one of these - as to what detergent they used.
>
> assist in the formation of large bubbles.
>
I remember making big bubble rings out of old wire coathangers, and
using a roasting pan of detergent and a few drops of ammonia - worked
pretty well, we'd make these big floppy bubbles about 30cm * 10cm.
============================
Gregor Ronald
Christchurch, New Zealand
============================
Dyan Campbell
Steve Bell (ah...@actrix.gen.nz) wrote:
: And a number of other recipes, almost all using "Dawn" or "Joy" -
: which was the point. The makers of the Bibble Thung (which we never
: managed to work properly either) say Dawn and Joy are the only two
: they have found that really work. And you *can't get them* in NZ,
: AFAIK.
:
: Still, maybe they've been slipped a bit of advertising money by Dawn
: and Joy. Maybe the inventor of the Beeble Thang is Joy's husband and
: Dawn's brother. Or something...
:
: Does anyone know where Dawn or Joy might be sold; or what the nearest
: local equivalent is?
Both of the dish detergents above contain quite a lot of glycerine, which
is why they are recommended - I don't know of a brand in NZ that contains
glycerine in the amounts you'd find in Dawn or Joy, but if you add enough
glycerine, the bubble thing should work. A similar product might be one
that is promoted as "gentle on the hands" as both the above products are
in North America.
cheers
dyan