Detergents

Also known as surfactants, surface-active agents are basic cleaning agents in soaps and detergents. These agents are added to wash water to lower its surface tension, thereby to increase the wetting and spreading properties of water. Surfactants are usually organic compounds, which are amphiphilic, meaning they are soluble in both organic solvents and water. Surface active agents have two parts, one is hydrophilic (water loving) and another is hydrophobic (water repellent). Surface-active molecules concentrate at the areas of contact or interfaces, between oil and water. One end of the molecule seeks oil, while the other end seeks water. At the interface of water and oil, surface-active agents emulsify oil and mix it into the liquid in the same way fat is mixed in milk. At the interface of water, these agents trap air molecules to produce foam.

By reducing the surface tension water, surfactants improve the cleaning performance by enabling the solution to wet a surface (for example, dishes, clothes, and countertops) quickly and effectively, and hence the soil can be readily loosened and removed. Surface active agents also emulsify oily soils and keep them suspended and dispersed so they do not settle back on the surface. To achieve superior cleaning performance, most of the cleaning products contain two or more surfactants.

Types of Surface Active Agents

Surfactants are generally classified on the basis of their ionic properties (electric charge) in water. On the basis of ionic properties, surfactants can be classified into four types –

• Anionic Surfactants
• Non-ionic Surfactants
• Cationic Surfactants
• Amphoteric Surfactants

Properties of Surfactants

The molecular structure of surface-active agents means that they have unusual characteristics, leading to their uses in widespread and highly specialized applications. The properties of these agents can be categorized into two types –

Structures of Common Surfactants Used in Biochemistry

Adsorption

Adsorption is the tendency of the molecule of a surfactant to collect as an interface. It is the taking up of a liquid or gas at the surface of substance, generally a solid (for example, activated charcoal adsorbs gases). The process involves molecular attraction at the surface.

The adsorption property of surfactants mean that their molecules are generally found at the interface between a water phase and an oil phase an air phase and a water phase. This molecular property results in the macroscopic properties of wetting, detergency, foaming and emulsion formation. The molecules of a surface-active agent tend to adsorb to the surface of oil droplets. While the hydrophilic heads stick out into the water phase, the hydrophobic tails stick into the oil phase.

Self Assembly

Self-assembly is the inclination of surfactant molecules to organize and coordinate themselves into the extended structures in water. The process includes the formation of micelles, liquid crystals and bilayers that are formed when the hydrophobic tails of surfactant molecules cluster together to produce small aggregates, like micelles, or large layer structures like bilayers that are similar to a cell wall. These characteristics of surfactants make them an interesting study and an area of research.

Surfactants can also organize to form micelles, which allows the hydrophobic tails to get out of the water, however it still allows the hydrophilic heads to stay in the water. There is typically between a few dozen to a couple of hundred surfactant molecules in a micelle.

Surfactants also aggregate to develop and produce extended structures in water like that of surfactant bilayers.

The concentration at which surfactants start forming micelles is known as the critical micelle concentration or CMC. When micelles are formed in water, their tails form a core, which can encapsulate an oil droplet, and their (ionic/polar) heads produce an outer shell, which maintains a favorable contact with water. When the surfactants assemble in oil, their aggregate is referred to as reverse micelle. In a reverse micelle, the heads remain in the core and the tails maintain a favorable contact with the oil.

Thermodynamics of surface-active agents is of great importance theoretically as well as practically. This is due to the fact that these agents represent systems between the ordered and disordered states of matter.

Applications of Surface Active Agents

The surfactants have found variety of uses and applications in the detergent industry, in emulsification, lubrication, catalysis, tertiary oil recovery, and in drug delivery. Some of the important applications of surfactants include –

• Used in the investigation of the denaturation of bacteriorhodopsin and in thermal stability experiments of rhodopsin
• In superior performance liquid chromatography, some common techniques, like ion-exchange HPLC, reversed-phase HPLC and sizeexclusion-HPLC require surfactants to solubilize membrane proteins. Ion pair HPLC requires surfactants as reagents so as to achieve the separation conditions
• The operations of removal and exchange of surfactants bound to membrane proteins are important and have been successfully applied to a variety of these proteins
• Integral membrane proteins can be separated from hydrophilic proteins and can be described as such in crude surfactant extracts of membrane or cells
• Surfactants are also used to encourage and push the dissociation of proteins from nucleic acids on extraction from biological material
• Affinity surfactants have found uses as reversibly bound ligands in high performance affinity chromatography
• Some other examples of surfactants in biochemistry include the solubilization of enzymes in apolar solvents via reversed micelles and the isolation of hydrophobic proteins
• Crystallization of membrane proteins can be achieved using short chain surfactants that are believed to shield the hydrophobic inter membrane part of the molecule

The fats used in soap and detergent making coming from animal or plant sources. Each fat molecule is made up of a distinctive mixture of various different triglycerides. In a triglyceride molecule, 3 fatty acid molecules are attached to one molecule of glycerine. There are different types of triglycerides; and each type consists of its own specific combination of fatty acids.

Components of fats and oils, which are used in making soap, fatty acids are weak acids that are composed of two parts –

• A carboxylic acid group
• Hydrocarbon chain

A carboxylic acid group consists of a hydrogen (H) atom, two oxygen (O) atoms, and one carbon (C) atom, along with a hydrocarbon chain, which is attached to the carboxylic acid group. Typically, fatty acids are made up of long straight chain of carbon (C) atoms, in which each carries two hydrogen atoms.

Structure of Fats
Fats are esters in which the OR’ (alcohol) part of the molecule is the trihydroxy compound, glycerol (HOCH2CHOHCH2OH). As each glycerol molecule can be esterified with a different carboxylic acid, there are three carboxylic acid portions in these molecules, which are consequently known as triacylglycerols or triglycerides. These carboxylic acid groups generally have long hydrocarbon chains of 14-20 carbons (including the carbonyl carbon). These chains are usually unbranched and, most importantly, they contain even numbers of carbon atoms. The carboxylic acids that are obtained by hydrolysis of fats are known as fatty acids.

This is interpreted to determine that the fatty acids are made up of 2-carbon atoms at a time. Each unit of 2-carbon atoms is added by reacting the alpha carbon of one acetate unit with the carbonyl carbon of the next.

Fats for Soapmaking
It has been found that almost any fat can be used in soapmaking. Fats for soap making may include animal fats, like tallow (fat from beef), lard (fat from pork), and many plants derived hydrogenated fats and oils. Traditionally, animal fats have been used, with beef tallow considered to make the hardest soap, pork lards – medium hardness soap and chicken fat as the softest. Now days, it is generally accepted that the harder fats produce better soap.

There are variety of fats with each bring their own unique characteristics and qualities to soap. Whatever type of fat or oil is used, it is important to make sure that it is clean and free of impurities. It should not be rancid, should have excess salt in it, or have any solid particles. Rancid and dirty fat can be cleaned by heating it for a few minutes in a large container, with four parts water to one part fat. Set it aside and let it to cool down. After the fat has solidified, remove it from the container in one piece.

Best Soaps for Skincare
According to experts, lard beats tallow and vegetable oils have found to be highly gentle and great for skin. However, soaps made with 100% lard do not lather very well but they are known to have effective in cleaning. There is a predominant perception today that you should get bubbles for the soap for its proper functioning.

Soap is designed as a product to be used once and then flushed down the drain, so as expected, the environmental implications of soap manufacturing process are not nearly as important as its several other chemical processes. The two prime areas of concern include

• Safe transport and containment of the raw materials
• Minimization of losses during production

Therefore, it becomes a prime responsibility of all soap & detergents manufacturers that not only they use natural and/or such ingredients that are not harmful to environment but also take care while transporting these raw materials as well as minimize their ill effects during soap manufacturing process

Steps for Environment Safety during Soap Manufacturing

The three prime soaps detergents ingredients by volume & cost are perfumes, caustic and oil. Oils & perfume are insoluble in water and if spilled can create problems, although the oils do solidify at room temperature. These products are transported through trained carriers, and the equipment and systems for pumping from the truck are designed carefully. Perfumes are bought in lined steel drums that are adequately robust, and flammable perfumes are not used in the manufacturing of soaps.

All the storage tanks are surrounded by bunds to catch the contents of the tank, in case it rupture or valve get failed. When the storage systems are designed, the different safety features (like access to tank and valve) are designed in, as well as processes to deal with the product in case it end up in the bunded area.

Inside the plant, all the process and operational areas are also bunded, and the trade waste is piped to an interception tank before draining to the council’s trade waste system. The contents of the interception tank are consistently monitored for alkalinity or acidity, and are designed to maintain solids or light phase chemicals in right amount. If in the case, a spill is observed in the plant itself, a part of the interception tank can be isolated off and the consequences of the spill neutralized before the waste is dumped.

In various cases and applications, however, potential problems can be detected and stopped before they actually happen. At times, an off-spec product can be recycled and blended rather than dumped, and even the wastewater can be reprocessed minimize the discharges from the plant.

In some cases, the manufacturing method itself can be closely monitored to ensure that any losses or wastes are kept to a minimum. Consistent measurement of key characteristics, like – electrolytic levels and the moisture both assure that the end product is being designed to specifications and the technique is functioning properly as it was designed to. Hence by following these simple tips, losses in the plant can indirectly be minimized by monitoring the process.

Environmental Implications of Detergents

The manufacturing of detergent powders has some specific environmental issues, which are not associated with other industries. These critical environmental issues of detergent manufacturing, include –

• Dust control
• Volatile organic emissions

Dust present during production and transfer of the bulk powdered detergent (and powdered raw materials) can be a serious problem. Dry and wet cyclones are used to separate out most of the dust and all the emissions are carefully monitored. If the level of dust exceeds the acceptable limits, suitable remedial action should be taken. Dust levels in emissions should be kept below 50 mg m-3.

Eco Friendly Soaps and Detergents

Many soap and detergents manufacturers now make environmental friendly products, thanks to the rising awareness of the general population as well as safety norms introduced by governments of many countries. Apart from natural soaps, there are biodegradable soaps and detergents that can be called eco friendly cleaning products.

Biodegradable Soaps & Detergents:

In recent times, there has been seen a strong move among the soap and detergent manufacturers to use biodegradable ingredients in place of environmentally hazardous biologically stable detergents used in the past. The sulphonic acid and nonionic detergents that are used to produce both liquid and powder detergents have found to be completely biodegradable and comply with the relevant environmental standards and guidelines. The nonionic surfactants are ethoxylated long chain alcohols and the sulphonic acid is produced from a highly linear alkylbenzene, primarily dodecylbenzene.

The sodium lauryl ether sulphates that are used in liquid detergents, soaps and shampoos are highly biodegradable as they made from either natural or synthetic linear C12 – C15 alcohols.

Eco-Friendly Household Cleaning Products

Eco-friendly soaps and detergents are ones that make lesser use of chemical ingredients. The non-addition of additives, like perfumes, color and brightening agents decreases the toxicity of detergents. Minimal packaging also helps in reducing the harm to environment. Non-petroleum surfactants or vegetable oil soaps can be used to replace synthetic surfactants; Sodium citrate and sodium bicarbonate can be used to replace builders like phosphates; and the use of dyes and fragrances can be reduced or eliminated.

The use of detergents can never be a completely non-polluting activity. The consumers need to understand that the small detergent products can also be the least polluting ones and must press for the implementation of labeling standards and regulations so that they can avail of environmentally friendly cleaning products. The use of detergents free from non-essential additives like perfumes, color and brightening agents in minimal packaging will go a long way in assuring healthier and cleaner environment.

Environmental/Health Sustainability

The Soap and Detergent manufacturers can contribute to the enhancement of human health and quality of life by adopting responsible formulations and through the production and sale of environment friendly cleaning products & ingredients. Some initiatives, which soap and detergent manufacturers can take for environment / health sustainability are –

• To only market products, which have proved to be safe for humans and the environment
• While production, the manufacturers should carefully consider the potential health and environmental effects, exposures and releases, which will be associated with the production, transportation, use and disposal of different cleaning products
• To encourage and promote transparent communication of safety and handling information
• To facilitate basic research to resolve uncertainties around human and environmental safety when they arise
• To follow the spirit and intent of all national laws and regulations

Related Articles

03 September 2010 – September 3, 2010 – We all have got conditioned to washing our hands frequently with liquid hand soap to prevent illnesses. Even liquid body wash and other liquid detergents including liquid dish wash have also gained immense popularity. However, many people still use bar soaps for washing their hands because they believe bar soap is better than liquid soap in many perspectives. In this debate of bar soap vs liquid soap, it is obvious for most of us to get confused about what to choose- bar soap or liquid soap? Here we will discuss the difference between bar soap and liquid soap to get the answer of this question. This difference between the two will come out by knowing the advantages and disadvantages of both- bar soap and liquid soap.

Bar Soaps- Benefits and Brawbacks

There are many advantages of bar soaps, perhaps that is why, they are being used since very long time. However, the very fact that many people prefer liquid soap over bar soap tells that it has some disadvantages too. So, here we go with the advantages and disadvantages of bar soaps first.

Advantages of Bar Soaps

• Bar soaps are cost effective. You can buy many bar soaps in just the equal amount that you need to buy only one bottle of liquid soap.
• Bar soaps prevent wastage. It is easier to know the exact amount of soap required for washing when using bar soap than when you use liquid soap. You always tend to take more liquid soap from its dispenser as it is tough to make the right guess.
• Bar soaps are more environmental friendly cleaning products as they don’t use plastic for packaging. They are packed in either paper or cardboard that are biodegradable materials. Also when taking shower, you need lesser water to wash off the lather produced by bar soaps as compared to that of liquid soap.
• Because of the continued popularity of bar soaps, you can find a wider range of products available in the market from normal soaps to especially made soaps for various skin types and even medicated soaps, natural and handmade soaps. Such a variety is still not visible for liquid soap selection.

Disadvantages of Bar Soaps

• Bar soaps tend to harvest germs and bacteria on its wet surface. However, studies have proved that although bacteria levels on previously-used bar soaps are a little higher than on unused soaps, there have been no detectable levels of bacteria left on the skin’s surface after using the soap. Other researches have proved that there is only a very little amount of bacteria that can be further minimized if a bar soap is not shared among many people.
• A bar soap turns slimy or mushy in standing water that leads to a mess as well as to wastage.
• Most of the bar soaps are made with laboratory-generated chemicals and detergents, especially the mass-produced products. However, that is also the case with liquid soaps.
• Many bar soaps have a higher pH level than liquid soaps. Such bar soaps can be more drying to the skin. However, with increasing demand, many moisturizing soaps with glycerin, oils and other moisturizing agents can be easily found in the market.

Liquid Soaps- Benefits and Brawbacks

Like bar soaps, liuid soap too has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of Liquid Soap

• Liquid soap reduces exchange of germs between users. As no one touches the soap, it has a very little, if any scope of spreading germs.
• Liquid soap is convenient to use. These soaps come in fancy bottles with dispensers and so are easy to use.
• Unlike the bar soaps, a liquid soap never gets mushy.
• Liquid soap tends to create a richer lather. This is one of the factor for which many people prefer it over bar soap.
• Liquid soap contains a lower ph level than bar soap and is thus gentler and suitable for people with sensitive skin. It is also able to retain more than 30% of the skin’s natural moisture and thus liquid soap is good for dry skin too.

Disadvantages of Liquid Soap

• Liquid soap is costly. With added packaging materials like bottle, pump dispenser etc. used, the cost of liquid soaps tend to rise.
• Liquid soap are not environmental friendly due to the use of plastic container and dispensing device. Both of these things take up more space in the landfill.
• Liquid soap needs a two-handed process for opening the cap of the container, inverting it, squeezing out the right amount of soap, closing the cap (while the soap is in the palm and has to be guarded against being washed away by the shower stream) and putting back the container. When in shower, this long procedure means wastage of water.
• With limited choice of liquid soaps, it is difficult to find specific purpose soaps like frangrance free or handmade liquid soap. It is far more easier to find such options when buying bar soaps.

What to Choose – Bar Soap or Liquid Soap

Using liquid soap or bar soap is a personal choice. Knowing about advantages, disadvantages and difference between bar soap and liquid soap should make it easier for you to choose one from among the two. However, if you are still in a dilemma of choosing bar soap or liquid soap, read the following tips to assist you in selecting the best soap according to your requirements.

• The most important thing while choosing a soap is to know how you react to certain additives, such as fragrances and moisturizers. If you have a sensitive skin that reacts badly to soap ingredients, you must go for some natural soap. Bar soaps have many options to choose from if this is the case with you.
• If you are comfortable with the cost of liquid soaps, use them in the more public areas of your home like the bathroom sink to take advantage of its lower risk regarding bacteria and germs.
• If you wish to use a liquid soap in shower, get the one with pump dispenser. This way, you will waste less time, less soap and less water.
• If you want true value for money when sustainabilty is concerned, use bar soap but get a wire soap dish to keep it from degrading in water. Also give it a quick rinse before and after use. If you can spend a little more, try using natural, locally produced, environmentally friendly products.

Also read Bar Soap Types- What is Best For Your Skin?

Hair conditioner is a hair care product, which alters the texture and appearance of human hair. Conditioners are used to give the hair extra care and nourishment, especially after a thorough shampooing. Now days, many shampoo manufacturers today formulate conditioners and offer both shampoo and conditioner as a right combination of hair care products.

The primary function of a conditioner is to replace the sebum, which is lost from the hair after shampooing. Conditioners are fortified with vitamins, proteins and fruit extracts that give shine, thickness and nourishment to the hair. However a balanced and healthy diet always help in treating problematic hair conditions.

After thorough shampooing, the hair becomes neat and clean. As all the dirt and impurities come off, the hair looks and feels a lot better. Using a conditioner at this juncture helps recuperate the hair with all the necessary ingredients. With the development of hair cleaning products, modern hair conditioners contain cationic quaternary ammonium compounds, which provide positive charge to the hair thereby making it manageable. Also the application of a hair conditioner makes it easy for the person to comb it in a desired manner.

It is important to take care while choosing a hair conditioner, which suits your particular hair type and condition. Different kinds of conditioners are available in the market today, which serve different purposes and it depends on your need to select a particular conditioner. On the basis of function, conditioners can be categorized into four main types –

pH
Conditioners are generally acidic, as low pH protonates the amino acids, which in turn provide positive charge to hair and as a result more hydrogen bonds between the keratin scales thereby giving the hair a more compact structure. Conditioners are generally formulated using organic acids like citric acid to maintain acidity.

Ingredients
There are various types of hair conditioner ingredients, which differ in composition and functionality. Some of the most common ingredients that are used in making conditioners are – Moisturizers, Acidifiers, Detanglers, Thermal protectors, Glossers, Oils (EFAs – essential fatty acids), Surfactants, Lubricants, Sequestrants, Anti-static agents and preservatives.

History
For decades, natural oils have been used to condition human hair. These oils are used still in use today and include essential oils like tea tree oil and carrier oils such as jojoba. Macassar oil was a popular conditioner in the late Victorian era, however it was quite greasy and required pinning a small cloth, called as antimacassar, to chairs and sofas to protect the upholstery from being damaged by the greasy macassar oil. Modern hair conditioner was formulated and developed at the turn of century, when a renowned perfumer Ed. Pinaud presented a product that he called brilliantine at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris. The product was formulated to soften men’s hair. Since that invention, much advancement has been made in the modern hair conditioner industry, which include conditioners made with silicone, fatty alcohol, and quaternary ammonium compounds. These conditioners provide the benefits of hair conditioning without feeling greasy or heavy.

Usage Tips
To get maximum benefit from your hair conditioner, carefully follow the given tips –

• Select a rich, moisturizing conditioner, in the case your hair tends to get dry and frizzy
• Use a volumizing conditioner, in the case your hair is limp and fine
• Get a normal hair conditioner if your hair is healthy and shiny
• Change the brand of conditioner you use every month, as the hair may become immune to a specific formula’s effect, and buildup may occur
• Purchase a separate deep or leave-in conditioner to use it once a week

Tips to Choose a Right Hair Conditioner
While buying a hair conditioner, it is important to know the type and condition of your hair, so that you can buy a right hair conditioner. Knowing your hair means, knowing the behavior of your hair, how it is affected by what you eat, how it reacts when you are ill and an understanding of how it behaves in different climatic conditions and periods. Knowing your hair increases your ability to select the type of product, which you want for your hair. Carefully read the ingredients and make sure that your conditioner does not contain any harmful ingredients or toxins.

Q:1 What is the difference between handmade cold process soaps and commercial soaps?
A: There are two processes used in soap making, i.e. hot process as well as cold process. Commercial soaps are generally manufactured using a hot process technique in which the oils and alkali are heated together to cause saponification (a method where the oils and alkali bind). During the process, the soap products and the glycerin separate. In large commercial soapmaking processes, the glycerin is taken out and sold, and the remaining mixture of soap is then formed into bars or other shapes and sizes. As the soap mixture is heated for such as long time, the oils in the hot process can go sour. So to counter souring, a complete array of chemicals are added in the hot process soaps to increase their shelf life and keep them fresher for a long time.

Handmade soap manufacturers generally use the cold process technique of soap production in which the oils are boiled just to the melting temperature and then mixed with an alkali to cause saponification. The mixture is then poured into moulds, cut and cooled off and then cured for about 4 to 5 weeks.

Soaps manufactured using the cold process technique retain glycerin and do not require any chemical preservatives, as the oil is not boiled.

Q:2 Why don’t commercial soap manufacturers make cold processed soaps?
A: The shelf life of cold processed soaps is smaller and the price is higher because of the glycerin content, essential oils and the expensive natural organic ingredients.

Q:3 What is saponification?
A: Saponification is a chemical process, which takes place when oil is mixed with an alkali (like sodium hydroxide), water & oils or butters. In other words, the oil and alkali bind together to produce soap. When adequate quantities of these products are used at suitable temperature, all of the alkali and oil are consumed by the reaction thereby leaving only the pure soap.

Q:4 Are antibacterial hand and body wash products are safe for usage?
A: Antibacterial wash and cleaning products have been used safely by the consumers for over 30 years. The safety and effectiveness of these products is governed and regulated by government authorities.

Q:5 Is it possible that the increasing use of antibacterial soaps and cleaning products could lead to “superbugs”, which are resistant to antibiotic drugs?
A: No. For over 30 years in which antibacterial soaps and cleaning products have been used by consumers and medical professionals, there has not been any evidence that the usage of these products contributing to antibiotic resistance.

Q:6 What are those clear soaps found in stores?
A: Clear soaps are generally made most of the time by adding alcohol in the soap mixture. This alcohol can be one, which is obtained from corn grain alcohol to petroleum rubbing alcohol. Although most consumers think of clear soap as natural glycerin soap, they are usually made with a variety of foaming agents, wetting formulas and alcohol along with a standard mixture of water, oils and alkali. The “feel”, which many people get from the clear soaps is due to the synthetic ingredients, detergents & foaming agents.

Q:7 What is the difference between fragrance oils and essential oils?
A: Fragrance oils are a blend of synthetic chemicals that are made to give a specific scent to a product. Essential oils are natural oils, which are extracted from plants, roots, flowers, leaves, bark, seeds, and citrus fruits. No synthetic chemicals are involved and present in essential oils. High quality organic soaps never use fragrance oils and are usually made using quality essential oils for a quality natural finished product.

Q:8 What is the difference between Liquid and Powder detergents?
A: Liquid detergents are generally better in removing and cleaning greasy stains, while powdered detergents have found to be better at removing dirt, mud and other ground soils.

Q:9 Can laundry be washed in cold water?
A: In order to achieve good cleaning performance with any detergent water needs to be at least 550 . It means in winter, people need to add some hot water in the cleaning solution to attain right temperature for superior cleaning.

Q:10 Are detergents with Bleach safe for usage on colored clothes?
A: Detergent powders that use oxygen based bleach are safe to use on colored clothing, as they do not affect the colors or finish of the fabric. Oxygen bleach also helps in removing tough stains.

Q:11 Which household cleaning products are the most toxic?
A: The most hazardous and toxic cleaning products are oven cleaners, corrosive drain cleaners and toilet bowl cleaners as they can cause skin or eye burns and may potentially cause permanent eye problem. These products can be by the word Danger on the package and the word “corrosive.” Majority of drain cleaners, toilet bowls cleaners and oven cleaners fall into this category, but alternatives do exist and are worth looking for.

Q:12 How do dishwash detergents are different from other cleaning products?
A: A variety of choices and products are available in the market to clean effectively. Practically, any soap or detergent can be used for hand dishwashing except an automatic dishwashing detergent. However, the usage of soap for dishwash cleaning has almost become extinct and various all-purpose cleaners or laundry detergents do not deliver optimum results. These products may leave spots and streaks, may not wholly dissolve, and some may even discolor certain metals with soaking. Hence a well-formulated dishwashing detergent product should be preferred for cleaning dishes.

Q:13 What are the applications that dishwashing products are not recommended for use?
A: A dishwash cleaning products should not be used for cleaning of

• Carpet and rug stains
• Bathing or shampooing
• Cleaning glass or windows

Note: – People should never use a dishwashing liquid in an automatic dishwasher should never mix the dish liquid with a bleach or ammonia.

Q:14 How does a disinfectant differ from a disinfectant cleaner or antibacterial cleaner?
A: Disinfectants contain anti microbial ingredients, which kill and destroy germs if the surfaces are free from heavy soil. Disinfectant or antibacterial cleaners contain ingredients, which can remove soil, as well as antimicrobial agents that kill germs. Household bleach products disinfect when used as per the directions given on the package.

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General Information

Soaps & detergents are cleansing products that may include bar soaps and liquid gels for cleaning the hands, face or body; detergent powders or cakes for laundry cleaning purposes; household cleansers for cleaning household items such as furniture, glass, plastic items, etc; and dish cleaning products for washing kitchen utensils and dishes. Surface active agents are the prime ingredients of soaps and detergents. Other than these surface active agents, all soaps and detergents are made using a variety of ingredients that are added in soap and detergent products to give them specific properties and characteristics.

Ingredients of Soaps and Detergents

Soaps Ingredients Soaps are prepared by the alkaline hydrolysis of fats and oils or the saponification process. This soap manufacturing process also produces a by-product ‘glycerol’ which is useful in foods, as an antifreeze, as a tobacco-moistening agent, and in the manufacturing of nitroglycerine and dynamite. The ingredients of soaps and detergents and their percentage (percent of total by weight) used can be listed as follows

• Surfactants (30-70%)
• Plasticizers and binders (20-50%)
• Lather enhancers (0-5%)
• Fillers and binders (5-30%)
• Water (5-12%)
• Fragrance (0-3.0%)
• Opacifying agents (0-0.3%)
• Dyes and pigments (less than 1%)

Properties & Functions of Soaps Ingredients

All the detergent ingredients impart different properties and functions to soaps and detergents. There are certain other specific ingredients that are added in specialty soaps and detergents depending on the action or characteristics desired in the end product. For example, toilet soaps may contain antimicrobial agents to kill or inhibit bacteria which can cause odor or disease. Some other personal cleaning products may be made using abrasives for removing stubborn greasy dirt.

Glycerin is added as an ingredient of soap as an emollient and texture enhancer in personal cleaning products, especially moisturizing soaps or beauty soaps. Sorbitol is another emollient, which is used along with glycerin to help make glycerin soaps more transparent. For making an opaque toilet soap, titanium dioxide can be added to it.

Bleaches, detergent boosters, fillers and builders are laundry cleaning agents that are added to enhance the effectiveness of laundry detergents and soaps and provide special attributes and functions to these laundry cleaning products. The laundry cleaning agents brighten and whiten fabrics and help remove the stubborn stains. These laundry detergent ingredients also convert the soils into colorless, soluble particles which can be removed by detergents and are carried away in the wash water.

Know more about all types of ingredients of soaps and detergents:

The manufacturing of soaps and detergents is a complex process that involves different activities and processes. The size and complexity of these processes and activities may range from small manufacturing plants that employ a small number of people to those with hundreds and thousands of workers. products may range from all purpose products to that are used for a specific application or requirement.

Selection of Raw Materials for Soap Manufacturing

The first phase in the manufacturing of soaps and detergents is the selection of raw materials. Raw materials are selected on the basis of various factors, including – cost, human and environmental safety, compatibility with other ingredients, and the performance characteristics and appearance of the final product. While the actual production process may vary from company to company and manufacturer to manufacturer, there are some steps, which are common to all types of cleaning products.

Saponification Process for Soap Manufacturing

Saponification processes are chemical soap manufacturing processes that produce soap from fatty acid derivatives. Saponification process for soap manufacturing involves hydrolysis of esters under basic conditions to form an alcohol and the salt of a carboxylic acid (carboxylates). Saponifiable substances are the soaps and detergent ingredients that can be converted into soap.

In Saponification soap manufacturing processe, vegetable oils and animal fats are used for making soaps. Triesters or Triglycerides are the greasy materials derived from these diverse fatty acids. Soap manufacturing is doen in a one-step or a two-step process. In the one-step soap manufacturing process, the triglyceride is treated with a strong base, for example, lye, that accelerates cleavage of the ester bond and releases the fatty acid salt and glycerol. This one step soap manufacturing process is the key industrial method for producing glycerol. Sometimes soaps may be precipitated by salting it out with saturated sodium chloride. For soap manufacturing, triglycerides are highly purified but saponification process includes other base hydrolysis of unpurified triglycerides. For example the conversion of the fat of a corpse into adipocere, sometimes known as “grave wax.” This soap manufacturing process is more common where the amount of fatty tissue is high, the agents of decomposition are absent or are negligibly present, and the burial ground is particularly alkaline.

Soap Manufacturing Processes for Different Soap Types

Manufacturing of soaps and detergents can be broadly categorized into Five main types –

Detergent fillers are the materials, which are added in detergents to alter their physical characteristics and properties. The objective of adding fillers to detergents is to make detergents fluid or to turn the fluidized detergents in powder form. Generally the fillers are bulk components in various detergents with their primary role to modify and alter the physical properties of the material.

We can also define detergent fillers as additives that can be added in detergents (along with bleaches, bleach activators, antistatic agents, fabric softners, optical brighteners and antiredeposition agents) to improve the cleansing performance.

Materials
The different materials that can be used as fillers in detergents, include –

• Sodium sulfate
• Sodium chloride
• Borax
• Alcohols
• Anti-foaming agents

Borax can be used in solid detergents to make the detergent powder free-flowing. Alcohols can be added in liquid detergents to increase the solubility of compounds and to reduce the freezing point of mixture. The addition of anti-foaming agents help in lowering the production of foam thereby making the presence of detergents in wastewater less obvious. Sodium chloride or sodium sulphate can also be used as fillers. Sodium sulfate comes at an economical price and has some cleansing effect, especially when it is mixed with a cleansing agent. Corrosion inhibitors, such as sodium silicate can be added to increase the lifetime of the washing machines. Generally the usual content of fillers in detergents is about 5-45%.

Typically, a detergent is a mixture of various substances and is generally made by compounding the different ingredients, sometimes in the form of a slurry and is then spray-dried to yield free-flowing granules. A detergent contains following ingredients, in varying proportions, usually like –

• A surfactant (detergent) (8-18%)
• A builder (20-45%) e.g. phosphates or zeolites
• A bleach (15-30%) e.g. sodium perborate
• A fluorescer – ‘whiter than white’ (0.1%)
• A filler (5-45%) e.g. sodium sulphate
• The detergent also contains water (4-20%) and may also contain up to 0.75% enzyme

Fillers in Cosmetics
Along with detergents, fillers are also widely used in soap and cosmetic products. In these products, fillers are used as binding agents, which are used to give hardness to the soap cake, free-flowing properties to the powders, and more. Some of the applications include uses in talcum powder, detergents and washing powder.

Applications
Detergent fillers have found uses in various applications, such as –

• Detergents
• Soaps and cosmetics
• Dishwasher components
• Household appliances
• Washing machine parts
• Electrical applications