Laundry-Detergent how & why it works, and where to find the answers.

Laundry-Detergent

Laundry-Detergent some basic information to help you understand how it works.

Laundry-Detergents,

Detergent is the term used for a group of chemical products, which when applied to materials and fabrics aid the removal of dirt and foreign matter from the contaminated surfaces or fabrics.

Until the 1940’s, soap was the only important detergent.

Today soap is one of many detergent products. The ingredients of detergents are often called surface - active - agents, or surfactants, because they act upon a surface.

A common feature of detergents is that they are made up of comparatively large molecules (molecular weight over 200) One part of the molecule is soluble in organic material, and the other part is soluble in water.

During the 1938/45, war the shortage of fats, from which soaps were made, spurred on the development of soap-less or synthetic detergent, primarily in the United States.

After the War the Persil formula was given to Britain as war reparations from Germany, so the value of these formulae can be appreciated for the success of the chemical industries in the ensuing years.

Also after the WW2, the need for new types of detergents for automatic washing machines accelerated the trend for new products.

Synthetic detergents are made by treating an aromatic, or benzene-type, compound with sulphuric acid, followed by neutralisation with an alkali to convert the product to its sodium salt.

The detergent products of these reactions came into wide use in the late 40's and early 50's and proved to be effective in hard water and cool or cold water, whereas soap is often ineffective under both conditions.

These detergents, however, became a public nuisance because, unlike soaps, they were neither soluble nor biodegradable; that is, once put into water they tended to remain there, resisting conversion into less complex and more soluble substances.

The detergents tended to create foam in cesspools and in sewage-disposal plants as well. They even appeared in the naturally occurring ground and surface waters.By replacing the aromatic compound with a so-called linear alkyl-type compound in the process described above led to a more desirable product.

Laundry-Detergent

It was as effective as the former kind in its detergent action but was more biodegradable and soluble. The new linear alkylate sulphonate is changed to harmless products by micro-organisms in cesspools, sewage treatment plants and ordinary soils.

Manufacturers of detergents in the U.S have changed their processes to produce only biodegradable or soft detergents voluntarily between 1963 and 1965. And this is the case now in most of the developed world.

But if you have hard water where detergents are less effective you may wish to go to my

Hardwater and Limescale information and solutions page. Then you can follow through to the various pages on laundry and dish-washing, where I have tried to answer all your needs, but if you still have questions, or feel I need to give more on a subject, let me know by going to my contact page.

Laundry-Detergents non phosphate products

Although the phosphates used in the laundry industry have proven a problem for the environment, most laundry equipment manufacturers have found that reduced phosphate detergent, caused other problems that had to be overcome.

The first was that the detergent does not work so well with reduced phosphates, so the amount of low phosphate soap had to be increased, which was not a good thing, as this causes too many suds in the drum and sewage system.

This increased suds within the machine, which also reduced the mechanical action of the machine by the damping the "Mechanical Action" in the drum, this also increases the time needed to clean the fabric.

To get round this problem most modern washing machines are designed to use as little water as possible during the main wash cycle, which means the chemical mix is strong without using too much detergent.

This means a reduction of the amount of phosphates discharged into the drainage and water system.

This will be most apparent in the cotton wash, where if you look into the drum during the main wash cycle you will see very little water.

Just very wet clothes being lifted to the top of the drum and dropped to the floor producing the squeezing action.

So if you use the minimum detergent that provides clean fabrics in your machine, you can reduce the amount of phosphate waste levels dramatically.

An indication that you have the correct chemical mix is to see very few suds within the drum during the main wash cycle.

Remember suds dampen the "Mechanical Action" factor, which would require increasing the time or temperature to attain the same result. With the possibility of fabric damage.

This has been found to be the best way to reduce the amount of phosphates in environment, without compromising the quality of the wash, and it also reduces costs of power and water supply.

Plus no damage to your fabrics.

And because there are less chemicals in the main wash water the rinses become more efficient in removing traces of detergent in the finished product. Laundry-Detergent all the best insider information.

Action of Detergent Molecules on soiled fabric

From this picture you can see how the hydrophobic end of the detergent molecule attaches itself to the soiling of grease, or soot etc.

Thus presenting the hydro-phyllic end to the water, which in effect is then dissolved in the water by being held in suspension and then flushed out with the drain and rinse sections of the wash program.

This is the same for all wash processes, be they in a washing machine Dishwasher, or washing up bowl.

One of our friendly websites which has a similar interest in Laundry-Detergent is ...... Bella Hand made soaps They have a comprehensive site which covers the whole range of detergent and soaps. Go have a look and come back here soon for more useful and insider information.

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You may have a subject in mind that I haven't covered in enough detail for you let me know by filling in the forms at My Good News Page Contact me with your questions or comments If you have "employment needed" or "job vacancies" with laundry or dishwasher connections, you can ask me to place them on my new jobs page for you. You can go to my FAQS page where I have placed recently asked questions from subscribers. With over 15,000 visitors a month with an interest in the subject you may find the person or place you need.

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what do I do with leftover detergent and a new HE machine  help! I have a lot of regular detergent left and just purchased a front loading washer. Is there some way to use the regular detergent in a HE machine,...