laundry detergent chemical formula
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Laundry detergent, or washing powder, is a substance which is a type of detergent (cleaning agent) that is added for cleaning laundry. Most commonly, "detergent" refers to mixtures of chemical compounds including alkylbenzenesulfonates, which are similar to soap but are less affected by " hard
soap a cleansing agent. It cleanses by lowering the surface tension of water, by emulsifying grease, and by absorbing dirt into the foam. Ancient peoples are believed to have employed wood ashes and water for washing and to have relieved the resulting irritation with grease or oil. In the 1st cent. AD, Pliny described a soap of tallow and wood ashes used by Germanic tribes to brighten their hair. A soap factory and bars of scented soap were excavated at Pompeii. Soap fell into disuse after the fall of Rome but was revived in Italy probably in the 8th cent. and reached France c.1200; Marseilles became noted as a soapmaking center. Although soap was known in England in the 14th cent., the first English patent to a soapmaker was issued in the 17th cent. The industry was handicapped in England from 1712 to 1853 by a heavy tax on soap. In the American colonies soap factories appeared at an early date, and many housewives made soap from waste fats and lye (obtained by leaching wood ashes). The manufacture of soap was stimulated by Chevreul's discovery of oleic and stearic acids in the early 19th cent. and by Leblanc's method (1791) of preparing soda from salt. Chemically, soaps are metallic salts of fatty acids . The manufacture of soap is based on a chemical reaction (saponification) in which an alkali acts upon a fat to form a metal salt (soap) and an alcohol (glycerol). A number of methods may be employed to make soap, but all are based on the same principle of operation. Fats and oils (often blended) are heated in a large vessel, then enough alkali to react with all the fat is stirred in. Salt is added, and the soap then forms a light curd that floats to the surface. Glycerol, a valuable byproduct, can be distilled from the liquid residue. To produce a purer soap, the curds are washed with salt solution, water is later added, and the solution is allowed to settle; the upper of the two layers thus formed is the pure soap, called settled soap. It is thoroughly churned, poured into huge frames, cut with wires, shaped, and stamped. Hard-milled soap is run over chilled rollers and is scraped off as chips which are rolled into ribbons, cut, and shaped. Soap is marketed also as chips, flakes, and beads and in powdered form. Soap powders, as distinguished from powdered soap, contain builders that assist in rough cleaning. Soaps differ according to the lathering properties of the fat or oils and according to the alkali employed. When sodium hydroxide is used as the alkali, hard soaps are formed; potassium hydroxide yields soft soaps. Aluminum, calcium, magnesium, lead, or other metals are used in place of sodium or potassium for soaps used in industry as paint driers, ointments, and lubricating greases and in waterproofing. Fillers are added to many soaps to increase lathering, cleansing, and water-softening properties; the sodium salt of rosin is commonly used in yellow laundry soap to increase lathering. Soap substitutes include saponin-containing plants such as soapwort and shagbark and the modern soapless detergents (usually sulfonated alcohols), which may be used in hard water and even in saltwater without forming curds.
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Answers:Adding borax to your laundry loads will result in cleaner clothes. Borax boosts your regular detergent's cleaning power to remove difficult stains, deodorizes and freshens clothes by softening hard water (removing minerals) and is a natural alternative to using chlorine bleach (although it can also be mixed with bleach). It can be used in both standard and high efficiency washing machines. Depending on the item, add borax to the washing machine, pre-treat, or soak clothes clean, then rinse in cool water. Borax is a chemical that is found in many products such as detergents, cleaners and insecticides. While it is useful, Borax can also be dangerous. It's important to know the risks involved when using chemical products such as borax.
Answers:The claim is that because they use CO2 and N2O, both fraudulently linked to a falsely alleged global warming trend ((Yvo DeBoer, former top U.N. climate change official, admitted that global temperatures have not risen in 15 years), in manufacture of the detergents, they harm the ozone and cause this fictitious global warming. Also, the claim of the chemical cause of ozone depletion entirely ignores the fact that the ozone holes at the poles stay at the poles and are linked to other magnetically-induced phenomena, such as the aurora borealis. Check here for more info. http://theresilientearth.com/?q=content/laughing-gas-knocks-out-co2 Also, there was a lot of concern in years past about detergents containing phosphates, which in a closed grey-water system is very good, but can be very bad in an open system, being dumped ultimately into the ocean. Again, the bombastically false claims of global warming trends notwithstanding, it is interesting to note that the CO2 trend cited by another user would actually be a DECREASE of CO2, due to over-fertilized flora converting far more CO2 into O2 and blocking out the sources of heat, energy and life for so many CO2-emitting fauna . . . and of course it would have no effect upon the evaporation of H2O, the prevalent and most efficient of all potential climate factors. While high-profit junk science is touting these factors as critical in the fraudulent global warming debate, we are left wondering how much higher the price on goods and services will go as a result, how many job losses will result, how much of our industry will be scrapped and how much power these charlatans will be able to wrest from us, our governments and our children . . .
Answers:First of all, you mentioned H.E., that means High Efficiency. The washers that are 'H.E.' use less water and so less detergent. They clean the clothes by agitating them more, and only dipping them in the water. You do NOT want to put too much detergent in those it would likely ruin your clothes. Read the package the detergent comes in to determine how much to put in. If it sounds like it's not enough...believe me it is! In regular washers more isn't always better either. Too much can stain your clothes. I suggest a couple things. You're going to have to take into consideration how full the load is, how much water you're going to use, and if the water will be hot, warm, or cold. (Wow! All this for laundry? Did we take Mom for granted or what???!) Again, check the package of detergent. For instance, Tide sells a detergent made for cold water loads. Also, you can buy 'bleach' that is for colored clothes...do not confuse this with the bleach for whites or you can ruin your colored clothes!! Read labels and take your time. Make sure you buy what you like and feel free to stop and smell the fragrances. Not all smell so great. You mentioned that the other people next to you had a stinky load of laundry...that was probably the bleach for white clothes. It does stink, but it sure makes your whites white! Good luck!
Answers:Have you ever washed your clothes in cold water, with no soap? Most people would be really suprised at just how clean that alone gets your clothes! Toss in a couple of clean tennis shoes into your laundry, to batter around your clothing and knock the dirt loose and you'd get your clothing even cleaner. Personally I wouldn't put too much faith into the actual magnet cleaning your clothes. I suspect the actual action of the balls themselves is doing the cleaning. Besides they are made in China...who knows what they actually contain! Here's a recipe to make your very own earth friendly laundry soap: Homemade Laundry Soap 1/3 bar Fels Naptha cup Arm and Hammer washing soda cup borax powder ~You will also need a small bucket, about 2 gallon size~ Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. You use cup per load. Now I DO think you should get some balls for your dryer! They are just plastic balls that whump about keeping your clothing separated, and helping it dry faster. I've found it cuts down drying time from 60 minutes for a full load of jeans or towels to about 45 minutes. I'm going to give you a link to them, but you can purchase them at Walmart for MUCH cheaper! Here's the link: http://www.lehmans.com/store/Home_Goods___Laundry___Drying___Nellie_s_Dryerballs___1089160?Args= By the way, you can find Fels Naptha soap in many grocery stores on one of the lowest shelves. Make sure you purchase WASHING soda, not baking soda. ~Garnet Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years