science experiments with laundry detergent

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Science project, laundry lab.

2011 VIRTUAL SCIENCE FAIR ENTRY

Using common laundry stains of coffee, make up and ketchup I set out to learn which laundry detergent, Tide, Gain or Ultra Laundry Detergent worked the best at cleaning white handkerchiefs.

Difficulty of the Project

Safety issues, time taken to complete the project.

To determine which laundry detergent works the best at removing common stains from cotton .

• Tide Detergent
• Gain Detergent
• Ultra Laundry Detergent
• Ketchup to create a carbohydrate stain
• Lip Gloss to create an oil stain
• Coffee to create a bleachable stain
• 10 White cotton Handkerchiefs
• ½ cup measuring cup to measure coffee
• 1/8 cup measuring cup to measure ketchup
• Wetslicks #535 Lip Gloss
• Washing Machine
• People to view the results

Introduction  

My name is MacKenzie. My mom likes to do laundry. I watch her do laundry and she told me about stains. We talk about how to get stains out and she said, “Some detergents work better than others.”

My mom has a box of soap that she uses only when we are out of her favorite laundry detergent named Ultra Laundry Detergent.

My mom told me about different stains, bleachable (coffee), oil (lip gloss) and carbohydrate (ketchup).

Main Research Question

Which Laundry Detergent works best: Tide, Gain or Ultra Laundry Detergent?

Additional Research Questions

• Which laundry detergent works best at removing stains?
• What are stains?
• What kind of stains does my family have most?
• Will liquid detergents produce the same result?
• Would the results be different if I used different temperatures of water?

I think the Ultra Laundry Detergent will work the best.

Terms and Concepts

I had to learn about the different categories of stains. I chose carbohydrate, bleachable and oil because these are the most common stains in my family’s laundry.

Experimental Procedure

4. Shake out handkerchief and place one handkerchief in each glass

5. Pour ½ cup hot brewed coffee into each glass

7. Let handkerchief soak in coffee for five minutes

8. Remove handkerchiefs from coffee and wring out

9. Spread out three handkerchiefs (Labeled B)

10. Measure 1/8 cup ketchup and pour on Handkerchief B-1

11. Measure 1/8 cup ketchup and pour on handkerchief B-2

12. Measure 1/8 cup ketchup and pour on handkerchief B-3

13. Spread ketchup over handkerchiefs

14. Let Ketchup sit for 5-minutes

15. Take handkerchiefs C-1, C-2 and C-3

16. Using Wetslicks #535 Lip Gloss, apply to lips

17. Rub Lips together and kiss handkerchief C-1 and repeat ten times.

18. Using Wetslicks #535 lip gloss apply to lips

19. Rub lips together and kiss handkerchief C-2; repeat 10 times

20. Using Wetslicks #535 lip gloss apply to lips

21. Rub lips together and kiss handkerchief C-3; repeat 10 times

22. Gather handkerchiefs A-1, B-1,  and C-1

23. Place all #1 Handkerchiefs into Washing Machine

24. Measure 1/3 cup of Detergent #1 and pour into washing machine

25. Close lid to washing machine and use “Soak” cycle

26. After 5-minutes of soaking, wash on HEAVY DUTY CYCLE, using cold water

27. Transfer handkerchiefs to dryer

28. Dry for 30-minutes

29. Remove handkerchiefs from dryer

30. Gather handkerchiefs A-2, B-2, and C-2

31. Measure 1/3 Cup Detergent of #2

32. Add handkerchiefs A-2, B-2, C-2 to washing machine

33. Pour Detergent #2 into washing machine

34. Close lid to washing machine and use “Soak” cycle

35. After 5-minutes, wash on HEAVY DUTY cycle

36.Transfer Handkerchiefs to dryer

37. Dry from 30-minutes

38. Remove handkerchiefs from dryer.

39. Gather handkerchiefs A-3, B-3, and C-3

40. Measure 1/3 Cup Detergent of #3

41. Add handkerchiefs A-3, B-3, C-3 to washing machine

42. Pour Detergent #3 into washing machine

43. Close lid to washing machine and use “Soak” cycle

44. After 5-minutes, wash on HEAVY DUTY cycle

45. Transfer Handkerchiefs to dryer

46. Dry from 30-minutes

47. Remove handkerchiefs from dryer.

48. Make a grid using the handkerchiefs:

Stains across

Detergents down

49. Ask at least three people which handkerchief from each of the stain groups (carbohydrate, oil, bleachable) they think is the cleanest.

50. Record their answers with a tick mark on the graph

51. Compare all answers by counting how many tick marks are for the A-1, B-1, C-1

52. Compare all answers by counting how many tick marks are for the A-2, B-2, C-2

53. Compare all answers by counting how many tick marks are for the A-3, B-3, C-3

54. Tally all tick marks for “A”

55. Tally all tick marks for “B”

56. Tally all tick marks for “C”

57. The one that has the most tick marks is the laundry detergent that works the best.

More people thought the Ultra Laundry Detergent made the handkerchiefs whiter and removed the stains best.

My hypothesis was correct. Ultra Laundry Detergent was determined to be better at working than Tide or Gain.

Questions For Further Research                             

I would like to know if the results would be the same if I used a liquid laundry detergent.

I would like to know if the results would be the same if I used different temperatures of water.

I would like to know if they kind of fabric makes a different with the stain.

Acknowledgements

Thank you, Mom for helping me and typing my Science project and for helping me with my board.

Thank you, Teacher, Mrs. Anderson and my class for helping me reach a conclusion by voting on which handkerchief was the cleanest.

Thank you to my brother, Li'l Man, for helping me make the ketchup stains.

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Easy Exothermic Detergent Reaction

Interesting chemical reactions don’t necessarily require a chemistry lab and expensive glassware. For example, you can experience an exothermic chemical reaction using nothing more complicated than a handful of laundry detergent powder and a bit of water.

An exothermic reaction is one which produces heat as chemical bond energy is converted into thermal energy. Experience the phenomenon the next time you are washing clothes. Grab a handful of powered or solid detergent and let a little water dampen it before adding it to the washer. You’ll feel the heat using dry dishwashing detergent, too. Be sure to rinse your hands well afterward.

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Comparing light- and heavy-duty detergents

In association with Nuffield Foundation

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Try this set of experiments to compare the effects of light- and heavy-duty detergents with different pH values

There are essentially two types of detergent for washing clothes – light-duty for finer fabrics, and heavy-duty for more robust fabrics subject to heavier soiling. One important difference between these is the pH they produce in the washing water – light-duty detergents are weakly alkaline, while heavy-duty detergents are moderately alkaline.

In this practical, students investigate the differing effects light- and heavy-duty detergents have on soiled fabrics using standardised washing conditions.

Finer fabrics may use dyes which are stable when washed with light-duty detergents, but may be badly affected by the use of heavy-duty detergents. This can be investigated using samples of dyed woollen cloth.

This set of experiments may be organised as an enquiry into why detergent manufacturers insist that you should use different types of detergent for different kinds of fabric. The series of experiments involved may need 30–60 minutes, depending on the range of experiments carried out by each working group. Since the method will be essentially the same, no matter what the group is setting out to investigate, it is reasonable to allocate different tasks to different working groups as a way to economise on time.

• Eye protection
• Beakers, 1 dm 3 , x2
• Stirrers (see note 4 below)
• Tongs or a glass stirring rod
• Bunsen burner
• Tripod and gauze
• Thermometer, 0 - 110°C (see note 5)
• Heat resistant mat or Stirrer-hotplate
• Squares of standardised soiled cloth, x2 (see note 6)
• Full-range indicator paper strips, x2

For extension work on dyes

• Dyed wool samples (see notes 7 and 8)
• Detergent solution, light-duty, 250 cm 3  (see note 3 below)
• Detergent solution, heavy-duty, 250 cm 3  (see note 3)

Health, safety and technical notes

• Read our standard health and safety guidance.
• Wear eye protection throughout. Do not sit down when heating and stirring hot detergent solutions. 
• Detergent solution – modern detergents come in a bewildering variety of formulations. For this experiment, the suggested light-duty detergent is Dreft powder, and the suggested heavy-duty detergent is Daz powder. Liquid or tablet versions, and other makes, can be used but some research may be needed to establish which category they fit into and whether the different formulations makes them appropriate for this experiment. The two solutions should be made up in bulk from powder at a concentration of 0.25% w/v (25 g per 10 dm 3 ).
• The washing trials in the beakers need controlled agitation, and should be the same for each beaker. If resources allow, this can be done using stirrer hotplates to heat and stir using a magnetic follower. More likely, this will have to be done using two glass stirring rods, one for each beaker, for each group. 
• The thermometer may be liquid-in-glass or electronic, but must be capable of reading safely up to 110 °C.
• Standardised soiled cloth samples may be prepared by taking a large piece of clean white cotton cloth (for example, an old sheet or shirt) and using a roller to apply a thin, even coating of a mixture of lampblack (fine carbon powder) and olive oil. Squares of this soiled cloth, 5 x 5 cm, may then be cut for the experiment.
• Wool samples dyed with non-fast dyes are needed. Old woollen clothes, already washed repeatedly, are unlikely to show much difference on washing in the two detergents. New woollen cloth in a strong colour may be available, though again may not show much change if dyed with a fast dye. Trials may need to be done to find samples that will fade noticeably on washing in a heavy-duty detergent. One possible source may be remnants of balls of strongly coloured knitting wool. Trial runs will be necessary for dye-fastness experiments to ensure a reasonable difference in outcome can be seen. A longer wash time may be needed.
• It may be advisable to carry out trial runs before the lesson to establish whether a four minute wash is sufficient to show a significant difference between the two detergents. If it is not, try extending the wash times by one minute intervals until the difference is clearly seen. This will depend on how heavily soiled the cloth was made initially.
• Pour about 250 cm 3  of each detergent solution into separate 1 dm 3  beakers. Using the strips of indicator paper, measure and record the pH of each solution.
• Warm one solution to 50–60 °C over a low Bunsen flame, or on stirrer-hotplate.
• Drop a square of soiled cloth into the beaker, noting the time.
• Stir the contents gently and steadily, establishing a technique that can be repeated similarly with the second beaker. If using a glass rod, use a to-and-fro motion.
• After 4 minutes, remove the cloth from the beaker using tongs or a glass rod and allow to drain.
• When both samples have been washed, compare the results.
• If testing the colour-fastness of wool dyes, repeat 1–6. with fresh samples of detergent solution in clean beakers.

Teaching notes

The differences between light-duty and heavy-duty detergents depend on the presence in the latter of alkali metal phosphates, which raise the pH of the washing water to a value around 10 (only pH 8 for light-duty). They may also contain oxidising agents.

Preliminary trials may be needed before the lesson to establish the best conditions, including timing, to produce clear differences between the washed soiled samples, and, if appropriate, the dyed wool samples.

It used to be possible to obtain dyed wool samples in the past from the dye manufacturers. Since most of these dye manufacturers have changed their owners or even gone out of business, it is not possible to recommend a supplier or a particular dye. If samples of lissamine green (also used as a food colorant, E142) or lissamine blue can be obtained, home-dyed wool samples can be produced that will show clear differences.

Additional information

This is a resource from the  Practical Chemistry project , developed by the Nuffield Foundation and the Royal Society of Chemistry. This collection of over 200 practical activities demonstrates a wide range of chemical concepts and processes. Each activity contains comprehensive information for teachers and technicians, including full technical notes and step-by-step procedures. Practical Chemistry activities accompany  Practical Physics  and  Practical Biology .

© Nuffield Foundation and the Royal Society of Chemistry

• 11-14 years
• 14-16 years
• Practical experiments
• Acids and bases
• Applications of chemistry

Specification

• Soapless detergents are substances with non-polar hydrophobic tails and ionic hydrophilic heads. These remove oil and grease in the same way as soap. Soapless detergents do not form scum with hard water.
• 8. Investigate reactions between acids and bases; use indicators and the pH scale
• 2. Recognise questions that are appropriate for scientific investigation, pose testable hypotheses, and evaluate and compare strategies for investigating hypotheses.
• 3. Design, plan and conduct investigations; explain how reliability, accuracy, precision, fairness, safety, ethics, and the selection of suitable equipment have been considered.
• 4. Produce and select data (qualitatively/ quantitatively), critically analyse data to identify patterns and relationships, identify anomalous observations, draw and justify conclusions.
• 5. Review and reflect on the skills and thinking used in carrying out investigations, and apply their learning and skills to solving problems in unfamiliar contexts.

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Enzymes in washing powders.

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Television commercials for washing powder often promote the "boosting power" of enzymes. Why are enzymes added to washing powder, and how do they work? Carry out some simple experiments to investigate this further.

What are enzymes?

Enzymes are biological molecules that catalyse (speed up) chemical reactions. Enzymes are specific—they will only work on particular molecules. For example, the enzyme sucrase will only bind with and break bonds in sucrose, not any other type of sugar.

Another characteristic of enzymes is that they can be re-used over and over again. A single enzyme will typically catalyse around 10,000 chemical reactions per second. This means that only a tiny amount of enzyme is needed to have a huge effect on a reaction.

The rate of enzyme activity depends on the amount of enzyme present, and also the temperature and pH of the reaction solution. The most favourable pH for many enzymes is 6-8, around neutral, but there are exceptions: pepsin, a digestive enzyme in the stomach, works best at pH 2.

The article Catalysing chemical reactions with enzymes includes an animated video outlining in detail how enzymes work.

People have been experimenting with ways to use the power of enzymes to clean clothing for a long time; in fact, the first patent was in 1913.

Because stains are made of different types of molecules, a range of enzymes are needed to break them down. Proteases break down proteins, so are good for blood, egg, gravy, and other protein stains. Amylases break down starches, and lipases break down fats and grease. Washing powders usually only contain one type of enzyme, though some have two or all three.

Experiments to test the functionality of enzymes

Activities can be carried out in the classroom to demonstrate the po​wer of enzymes as cleaning agents.

• Investigating enzymes used in laundry detergents :Students plan an investigation on the performance of enzymes in laundry detergent, using a variety of fabrics and food stains.
• Breaking stains : This experiment requires a spectrophotometer and casein protein coloured with blue dye. The aim is to compare the effectiveness of ordinary detergent (usually made specifically to get rid of oils) with a protease solution (to target the protein part of a stain). Students can plot a graph of colour intensity against time as a measure of the stain removal. A series of questions could be incorporated into a student worksheet.
• A beginner's guide to enzymes in detergents . This is from the Novozymes' website site and provides some background information about the use of enzymes in detergents.

Sources of enzymes

Purchasing enzymes The National Centre for Biotechnology Education at the University of Reading in the UK supplies a range of different digestive enzymes that can be used for experiments. The enzymes they use are: savinase and alcalase (both proteases), termamyl (amylase), lipolase (lipase), and celluzyme (cellulase).

Natural sources You can get protease activity from natural products like kiwifruit and pineapple. We suggest that you crush the fruits in a buffer and then strain them to remove the fruit pulp. The filtered solution will contain a range of cellular molecules, including some proteases. This is covered further in the article Fruit enzyme uses .

• Try a simple experiment to look at the action of marinades . It could be used as an introduction to experiments with enzymatic digestion of proteins and/or as the basis for further experimentation .

Another natural source of digestive enzymes is the pancreas, which can be collected from an abattoir and blended with buffer.

A note about enzyme units

The activity of enzymes is given as U/g (Units per gram), where the unit relates to a specific assay (measure of enzyme activity), e.g. one unit will liberate 1 mg of substrate per minute at pH7.0 at 25ºC.

Any enzyme solutions that are bought will have different levels of activity, and this should be taken account in a comparative experiment (i.e. make sure that the number of ‘units’ are comparable when testing different enzymes for their effectiveness).

The more crude the extract is, the lower the U/g measure.

See our Enzymes Pinterest board for more resource ideas.

Additional activity ideas

You also might like to try these activity ideas:

• Cleaning time using the power of enzymes experiment, (including video) from the STEAM Transcultural Science Communication Summer School website.
• The Power of Enzymes! from TeachEngineering help students learn about the role of enzymes in digestion and why enzymes are used in laundry detergents.

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Invisible Ink Project – No Fire Required!

Kids love a big surprise moment, and science is a great way to have those big wow moments with your kids. In this simple science experiment, we are making invisible ink. Invisible ink has been used for hundreds of years, making this a fantastic science project with a social studies or history link for your cross subject studies.

DIY Invisible Ink – Sending a Secret Message!

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There is something super fun and mysterious about sending secret messages. My favorite WOW secret messages have to be with invisible ink. It grabs the kids attention and lets the lessons sink right in!

Did you know invisible ink has been used since ancient times to send secret messages between parties? The earliest invisible messages were written in fruit juice or milk that once dry was completely invisible. In the Middle Ages mixtures of lemon juice and vinegar would be used to write an invisible message that could be revealed by exposing it to heat. In one famous example, invisible ink created from oranges was used by a prisoner, John Gerard, to escape from the Tower of London !

Secret messages have been used many times during wars throughout history to send undetectable messages hidden in plain sight. A letter may appear simple, but have secret messages hidden on the paper.

Over the years the methods of writing and revealing an invisible message have become more advanced using chemicals for the ink and the developer.

Exploring the intrigue of invisible ink messages is a great project for your classroom or just a fun family activity. All you need is some simple ingredients you more than likely have in your pantry and medicine cabinet.

Making Invisible Ink

Traditionally invisible ink is made with lemon juice, vinegar or orange juice. Then it is held over a candle or other heat source to activate the ink and reveal the message. However, we know in the classroom using open flames is not practical. Plus there are some fascinating other ways you can use science for magical invisible ink reveals. So today we have a fire free way to explore invisible ink. Plus we have even more invisible ink ideas for you!

But first, let’s do one of our favorite invisible ink experiments that uses the science of pH.

2 cups or jars Baking Soda Water Turmeric Rubbing Alcohol White Paper Paintbrushes or Q-Tips

First up the baking soda “paint”.

In a jar or cup add half a cup of warm water and a tablespoon of baking soda. Mix the two together until you see that the baking soda has completely dissolved into the water. Then on a piece of white paper, write your secret message, draw a map, give a clue. Have fun with your messages.

After you’ve painted your messages, let them dry completely. We want the paper to be dry to the touch. If needed you could use a hair dryer to speed up the process.

The Developer

To mix up the developer, stir together a half a cup of rubbing alcohol and a teaspoon of turmeric. Swish it all around until the two mix together and the powder is dissolved into the alcohol.

The Secret Message Revealed!

We used a wide paintbrush to apply the developer over the message. Simply dip your brush into the turmeric solution and paint it over the paper. As the mixture passes over the message the paper will turn a deep yellow and anywhere you paint with the baking soda it will turn bright red. It is an immediate reveal and super exciting for all of the kids!

The Science of Invisible Ink

This experiment explores the fascinating science of pH.

Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is an alkaline substance. Its pH is around a 9 on a scale of 1-15 (1 being more acidic and 15 being neutral). Mixing the baking soda with water allows it to be “painted” onto the paper but it will be colorless and not leave any indication of where it was as it dries.

Turmeric is a pH indicator. A pH indicator changes color when exposed to acidic or alkaline substances. We explored another natural pH indicator in this experiment .

When it comes into contact with an alkaline substance, the turmeric will change from deep yellow to bright red.

Other Invisible Ink Techniques

Is this the only way to do it? No!

There are lots of other ways to make or conduct an invisible ink experiment. Actually, it would be fun to set up several experiments and compare and contrast which solutions they think work the best.

Heat Activated Invisible Ink

Write a message with lemon juice or milk and then use heat like a light bulb, candle, or a hair dryer to reveal the message.

UV Reactive Invisible Ink

You can write a message with a Q-Tip and liquid laundry detergent and reveal it with a black light – the detergent will glow! We used this fascinating science to in this glowing bioplastic experiment .

Color Resist Invisible Ink

You could even write a message with a white crayon and reveal it by painting over it. The wax from the crayon will repel the paint leaving your message behind. This would be a fun one for the little crowd to get in on the action.

There are so many fun ways you can incorporate invisible ink into your lessons. One idea I love is to set up a fun adventure or scavenger hunt with your kids by leaving clues with invisible ink. What a memorable lesson it would be to conduct a school wide mystery adventure!

Whatever method you choose have fun exploring science that has some great fun and wow factor to help cultivate that passion for learning.

Want more fun with pH? You need to try this Magic Oobleck Experiment . It is mesmerizing!

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3 Science activities you can do with Borax

January 30, 2017 3 min read chemistry experiments science activities

Borax is an old-school laundry booster that many of the slime recipes use. But what do you do with the rest of the box when you are done? 

You could get all retro and add it to your next load of laundry, but what fun is that? Today, we are going to share with you three science activities that use Borax - ones that you will want to do over and over again until the whole box is gone!

Trust us, your kids will thank you, even though their socks are a bit dingier.

#1 - Borax Slime 

To mix up a batch of Borax slime you will need:

• Glue (Elmer's white or clear gel will work)

If you want to glitz it up a bit, grab some food coloring and glitter. 

First, mix 4oz of glue (half a jar) with 4oz of water (half a cup). If you want to add some glam, now is the time to mix in that food coloring and glitter.

Next, in a separate cup mix a quarter cup of water with half a teaspoon of Borax. Add the Borax solution to the baggie and massage the bag for a few minutes until a nice firm slime has formed.

Now, comes the fun part - add the Borax solution to the glue mixture in the baggie. Start massaging . . . keep massaging the baggie for a few minutes . . . keep going until a nice firm slime has formed.

Pull the slime out of the baggie and have fun!

#2 - Borax Crystal Shapes

Once you have a baggie full of slime, you can use a bit more Borax to make some crystals! You will need the following:

• Glass jar (plastic is fine, too, if that's what you got)
• Pipe cleaner

First, take a moment to bend the pipe cleaner into a shape - snowflakes, hearts, your initials, any of those will do. Just  make sure it will fit through the opening of your jar.

Next, attach your creation to the pencil. You can swing the end of the pipe cleaner over it or use a bit of string, but basically, you want the pencil to be able to rest on the edge of your jar without having your shape touch the sides or bottom of the jar.

Now, add hot water until it almost fills the jar, noting how many cups of water it takes to fill the jar. 

Then, add the Borax - one tablespoon at a time - and stir really good before you add another so that the Borax dissolves. Keep going until no more Borax dissolves - this will be about 3 tablespoons of Borax for every cup of water you have added.

Finally, hang your pipe-cleaner-creation in the jar so that it is completely covered by the liquid. Allow the jar to sit undisturbed overnight.

The next morning you will awaken to some crystal growing magic!

#3 - Borax Bouncy Balls

And we save the best for last!! To make these bouncy balls, you will need:

• Food coloring
• Cornstarch 
• 2 Small mixing cups (preferably ones you can circular file afterward)
• Plastic spoon

First, in cup #1, mix half a cup of water with 1 teaspoon of Borax - stir to dissolve.

Next, in cup #2, mix a tablespoon of glue and add a bit of food coloring, so you can tell whose ball is whose. ( And now you see why I suggested using disposable cups! )

Now comes the fun! Sprinkle a teaspoon of the borax solution from cup #1 over the glue mixture in cup #2 - wait for 2 long breaths (about 10 seconds) - and then add one and a half tablespoons of cornstarch.

Then, mix like crazy until it becomes impossible to stir with your spoon. Take the sticky mess out and start to knead it - I promise it will become smooth and solid after about a minute or so.

And your bouncy ball is ready for testing!

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• My Daughter’s Homemade Laundry Detergent Science Project

Recipe For Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent from Why Not Sew  {click through for step by step pics}

1 bar of soap (any kind you want, I used Ivory) 1 cup of Borax 1 cup of washing soda a big pot (that holds more than 2 gallons) 2 empty gallon jugs/containers

Grate your bar of soap into your pot.   Fill one gallon jug and pour water into pot with grated soap. Cook until the grated soap dissolves.  Add the Borax and washing soda.  Bring to a boil. It will coagulate.  Turn off the heat. Add 1 gallon of cold water. Stir well.  Pour 1 gallon of your detergent into each container. Now you have 2 gallons of homemade laundry detergent. I use 1/2 cup per load. With the prices of detergent being outrageous, I feel really happy every time I make a batch of this. This won’t make many, if any, suds. Suds don’t equal clean. It took a while to get that into my head. This detergent cleans wonderfully! Hints From Why Not Sew: * I now just keep my detergent in the pot I cook it in with the lid on. When I run out I make up a new batch in that pot and it’s ready to go. I like saving the step of transferring into the jugs.

*the detergent should thicken / coagulate when it cools. Usually within 24 hours!   

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Here is how ive been making it about 3 years with no problems. Grate 1 lg bar of pink zote (smells so cleancitrisy!) Let it set spread on newspaper a few days. It will get dry and crumbly. Add 2 cups each washing soda and borax. Grind small amounts at a time in my magic bullet. A food processor or blender works too. I use 2 tab, or 4 for extra stinky loads. I use white vinegar in the rinse, and clean the washer once a month with the affresh tablets. The grinding will turn it into a fine baby powder like mixture. I do it outside, as opening the top will get a puff of powder. Dont breathe it. Ive put it in pretty containers with a 2 tab coffee scoop, bow or ribbon on top, and given as christmas gifts. This stuff is very cheap to make, and does a wonderful cleaning job. On my towels, kitchen rags, socks, undies loads, I put in 1 scoop of oxy clean. I use warm or hot water. I sometimes add a little of a scent crystals if I want. But the basic recipe is zote, borax, washing soda. Some people use white zote or fels naptha, but I prefer pink zote. I wont go back to bought detergents.

I have been using this laundry soap for about 4 years now and am very pleased with the results and the money I have saved

Cleaners Shepherds Bush Ltd.

Fantastic article! I made the dry version. It was awesome. I am so glad that children pay attention to this kind of projects. If we teach them to use non-toxic ingredients, they will have healthier life. Thank you for sharing your post. Best regards!

I make the dry version, but I like my clothes to smell nice. So I add 1 cup of blue Purex Crystals to the mix. Love it! I give mason jars of homemade detergent with the recipe as gifts!

That’s so cool how you made it smell cool

I make 5 gallons of laundry soap for .97 cents and 3 gallons of stain remover or heavy duty laundry soap for .97 cents.

1 bar pink ZOTE, grated (I use the food processor) 5 gallons of water . . .5 gallon container with lid.

Dump the grated ZOTE into an empty 5 gallon bucket. Add 1 gallon of boiling water. Stir until ZOTE is melted. (I use an old immersion blender) Add gallon of hot tap water, stir well. Alternate adding hot tap water and stirring until bucket is full. Put on lid. Let sit 24 hours. After 24 hours open and stir really well. It will be gloppy and thick. Stir until it is like thick hair conditioner. Put some into a manageable container. I use an old gallon jug that used to hold fabric softener. 3/4 cup for regular loads 1 cup for dirty or extra large loads DO NOT NEED FABRIC SOFTENER!! the clothes will be very soft. If you have a static problem : make 3 balls of aluminum foil and toss in the dryer. These will last thrust several loads.

Stain Remover 1 bar of FELS NAPTHA 3 Gallons of water . . .3 gallon bucket. Make exactly as above. I use a paint brush to brush on stains. Let sit a little while. Then wash. This remover even gets out axle grease! For really filthy, greasy clothes, use 3/4 to 1 cup of remover as laundry soap.

When I made it I left it a few hours, came back, and there was a thick hardened layer on top of liquid/water . how do it keep it from seperating so much? Did I do something wrong ? 🙂

AmyNewNostalgia

I shake mine before I use it each time. I usually get a gelled layer on top…that is normal…shaking should mix it all together.

Halle Fegler

I am doing a science project with the homemade laundry detergent. I am wondering what the price different is? I have to list the price difference store bought powder verses homemade powder how do you determine this?

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[…] My Daughter’s Homemade Laundry Detergent Science Project […]

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Barb Wheeler

If you use fels napta soap it helps with the stains

I use same ingredients as you guys use! I also use oxi cleean..you can get Fels soap at Walmart for around 97c ..I love my washing powder on my personal clothes ..But my towels when I wash them with homemade recipe ..after dried.. want soak up water.. Any one have this problem ? If so what did you do?

Use vinegar! 1/2 – 1 Cup in wash will help remove stains & odors as well as prior detergent & fabric softener residue. Also, use it in place of fabric softener. It reduces static cling, softens your clothes & your towels will be super absorbent. It’s super cheap too! Your laundry will NOT smell like vinegar once they are dry.

New Nostalgia – New Nostalgia Recipe Index

[…] Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent   Eat to Live, Recipe Index, recipes|15 Comments […]

This is awesome! Thank you all so much! I use amonia for stains, etc. It works great and doesn’t bleach your colored clothes.

How does this work foe HE washers?

I put this formula (I use a felspar (sp?) bar) in a shout bottle with a scrubber on the end and pretreat stains.. It works great.. takes out stuff the shout and spray and wash would not.. even after being dried and rewashed!

I did not read through all the comments here, so I don’t know if someone already made the suggestion. But, hot water sets stains, washing stained clothing in cold water is a better choice than hot water. I use an anti-bacterial soap in my home made detergent (half regular soap, half anti-bacterial), so washing cold is not something I worry about when it comes to bacteria on my clothing.

Les Caudill

Amy, you did a great job on your project! I would like to say, though, that you did NOT prove your hypothesis “wrong.” You proved it to be false – you were not wrong! A statement cannot be right or wrong, only true or false. You did a fantastic job and don’t make it seem as if you did something incorrect.

As a science teacher who just retired this year, I wish most of my 7th graders could have done half as well!

Beth Mcgwire

Try making laundry soap with kirk’s coco coconut soap instead of ivory bar soap. Love it! Also, add a cup of regular baking soda to your recipe. For easy storage and ease in production, I skip the liquification step. Grate the soap, then blend it in the food processor. Add the other dry ingredients and continue blending. To stop the fine powder cloud that occurs with dry soap making, add a few drops of non-staining oil. Liquid coconut oil works well. I actual use a food flavoring oil, like jasmine oil, normally used in baking. I just like the smell. This recipe is great for HE washers and it’s fabulous for cleaning clothes, even smelly boy clothes. I do have to use 3 or 4 tbls for my boys’ clothes.

If You Use FeL Nephta Soap As Your Bar Of Soap, It Works A Lot Better Than Store Bought Detergent! 🙂

Great science project! And she did an awesome job of presenting her experiment. I also make laundry detergent and use a similar recipe but no water – just the soap, borax, and washing soda. One thing to note is that different soaps wash better/worse. I use Fels Naphtha, which is specifically a laundry soap. It would be interesting to further compare two homemade soaps using a different bar of soap.

i make powdered homemade laundry detergent and it works GREAT

My friend adds bluing to her homemade laundry soap. It’s sold at wal mart as well

I’m a chemist and a patent examiner and see many patents for laundry detergents. Great job with the experiment. I love to see the curiosity of kids in action. As a scientist, I just thought that your daughter may be interested to know that the reason that the clothes look whiter with the store-bought detergent is that companies add “blue-ing” agents to their detergents to make clothes look whiter. It’s not a dye, but intended to add a blue hue to counteract the yellowing of white fabrics. A whiter looking shirt doesn’t necessarily mean a cleaner shirt.

I would love to make this but I have Eczema and my doctor told me to use unscented laundry soap. I have noticed my skin has been clearer since I switched. Would Fels Naptha irritate my skin? I think I will like this version better than the dry one if I can make it for sensitive skin.

For those with sensitive skin, from wiki: [The original Fels-Naptha, developed by Philadelphia manufacturer Joseph Fels around 1893, was used as a home remedy in the treatment of contact dermatitis caused by exposure to poison ivy, poison oak, and other oil-based organic skin-irritants. Washing the skin directly with the soap helps wash away the toxin. However, in its own caution use sheet, Dial Corp. stated that Fels-Naptha is a skin irritant and not to be used directly on skin.] Edit: I’ll bet Dial’s attorneys had them add that caution part.:)

I make a similar recipe, given to me by someone with psoriasis and eczema. She uses it Minus the Arm & Hammer washing soda and says she does not suffer any skin reactions.

that is good to know. My youngest had eczema but no longer now that we eat clean and use natural products…especially natural laundry detergent!

Is this a good option for those of us with super sensitive skin? I use only 2 brands of detergent out there because of my sensitivity and can only shower with Dial hypoallergenic bar soap. If i just used the Dial soap in place of the Ivory Soap would that be ok?

Our whole family has sensitive skin and I use the Fels Naptha as my bar soap and none of us have ever had a reaction! And we react to just about everything.

I’m apparently a little late on jumping on the bandwagon with this homemade washing detergent, but with 5 kids I will try anything. I am using Dial soap as opposed to ivory, I cannot stand the smell of it ( probably too many times of having it in my mouth as a kid lol.) I will leave another post as soon as I get a chance to try it, which as you can imagine with as much laundry as I have, it will be in about 2 hours lol. thank you for the recipe!

God bless your sweet daughter. Children are our future, and I know she will make our world a better place to live in, with interest like this. Now, I have a dumb question…What is an HE and a non-HE washer? I have a front-loader which uses less detergent than a top loader. What amount of detergent would be used for this? Thank you for taking the time to answer this. Have a blessed day! <><

HE stands for high efficiency washer.

I am not sure what the perfect amount would be. I would start with cutting it in half, so maybe 1/4 cup? If that doesn’t seem to be cleaning well, add more.

Blessings back to you!

I used the fels naptha bar soap and although it had a very powerful smell when grating and mixing, it leaves virtually no smell in the clean laundry.

Lindsay @ Kinky Tail

Great experiment!

i did my own experiment similar to your daughters. there was a slight edge for store bought on the chocolate stain. mustard,ketchup and coffee stain were same or slightly better for homemade. if i had any of these stains i would pretreat and they would (and have) come out with the homemade.

Can I make this to wash cloth diapers besides buying the rocking green soap? What soap to use for that? Any bar soap?

A couple years ago I gathered laundry detergent recipes from across the web, and then I tinkered with it a little to come up with a recipe that I think is great. Besides the fact that I make a larger quantity than you do, there are really only two differences between your recipe and mine. I always use Fels Naptha as my bar soap, because it’s a proven laundry soap. I’ve read a few blogs like yours that say any soap will work, and I’ve read others that say Zote is a good choice. I’ve only used Fels Naptha and have been very happy with the results. The other thing might be a more important difference — IE, I add Sun Oxygen Bleach to my mix, to give my detergent a real cleaning power that some other homemade detergents don’t have. Sun Oxygen Bleach is similar to OxyClean — it’s not like chlorine bleach, so you don’t have to worry about fading colors in the laundry. I have used my detergent for cleaning the upholstery in our car, for removing stains from the carpet, and even for cleaning our tile floors. It’s amazing to me what a good job it does on the laundry AND all these other cleaning needs. You can find my recipe on my farm blog at http://tenmilefarm.com/?p=363 — There’s even a link to an easy-to-download PDF for printing.

By the way, I have found all of the ingredients at my local Walmart store.

In this economy, anyway to save money is good, especially on detergent! I am interested in the Fels Naptha…I have never heard of it, where do you buy it?? Also, i think I read above that you only use 1 tbsp per HE load, is that amount correct? Great job on the science project, too!

http://www.felsnaptha.com/store-locator/ there is a list here of places to buy the Fels Naptha soap.

The link no longer works?

You can google fels naptha & their page will come up.

Wonderful experiment! I notice the experiment was done on white shirts and people commenting about it making their whites whiter (sounds great!!). Is this alright to use for colored clothing as well?

Yes, totally is…we use it everyday!

Where do you buy the Fels soap? This is a great experiment Im going to make this and give it a try

If you use 1/2 c of detergent per load – how do you possibly get 576 loads out of 2 gals of detergent?

The 567 loads number came from estimating cost. One recipe does not make 576 loads, but the amount of recipes you can make from just one box of borax and one box of washing soda equals 567 loads.

I just noticed that on the experiment recipe, you said to only use 1 gal of water, but below that, is the same recipe useing 2 gal of water. which is the correct amount?

It is 2 gallons total, but you use just one gallon to dissolve the soap in, and add the second gallon later. It is a bit confusing, but the directions in the recipe make it more clear.

crystalrhiannon26

I make the dry version with fels soap have to say im loving everything about it the smell and stain removing powers and my whites look.much whiter! I deff want to try this sometime but I just made a batch of dry which lasts a yr so it’ll have to wait till then

I used Dr.Bronner’s Tea Tree oil bar soap to help my kids’ clothes detur ticks and other biting insects. So GLAD I finally tried making my own–Will NEVER go back to overpriced store-bought!

Great Job on the experiment–And THANK YOU for doing it! I wondered myself how it stacked up, in a scientific sorta way. 🙂

Rotating My Crops

A woman scientist in the making! Awesome experiment! Maybe someone else mentioned this, but there sure are a lot of homemade stain remover recipes out ther (Pinterest), so your recipe with that = clean! 🙂

If you use Fels soap instead of Ivory it will work better on stains.

Denise C. Brenner

I believe so. It has been awesome in my homemade soap. been using it for two years now. I also keep a 1/2 bar in an old peanut butter jar to pretreat stains. just wet the bar a little, rub over the stain, wet the stain a little and rub. comes out every time. 🙂

I keep a spay bottle full of just water to spray the stain then rub the fels naptha bar on it.

I fill a spray bottle with water to spray on the stain then rub with the fels naptha bar. it works great

it was ALL brand laundry detergent

Sounds amazing to save that much! I’m curious as to what store bought detergent did she compare it to?

Viking Jones

If you use Ivory soap for this and don’t want to grate the soap (especially if you’re making a large batch) pop the bar of soap in the microwave for a couple minutes on a piece of parchment paper. It puffs up like crazy (great to do with little kids, my 3 year old loved it). When you take it out it will crumble into a powder. This is what I use to make my liquid detergent. The Girl gets entertained and I don’t have to grate soap. 🙂

I wonder if that would work with fels naptha soap too?

I have started making homemade detergent…love it. To add a nice fragrance I add Purex Crystals to my mixture. Smells great! I pick a fragrance …then go find a soap that compliments the scent of the crystals.

I used the Same amount in a 5 gallon Bucket & get the same result….our soap is Fels-naptha..I use an immersion Blender to make it smooth and pourable…My Laundry container is a 1 gallon LOCK-Lock Pitcher & we have been useing it for 4 years…So your going to enjoy the Long term benefits of this Exsperiment!

Your daughter did a wonderful job! I’m going to make some myself can’t wait to start saving money! store bought is just way to expensive.

most grocery stores carry it. Walmart has it, too.

Great science experiment! I’d like to try this –but where do you get washing soda??

You can buy it at Walmart in the Laundry Asile

For those stains I use Dawn dish soap! It works wonders!

Erin @ Why Not Sew? Quilts

Hi Amy- This is a really cool science experiment. It’s fun and actually useful! Great job your daughter did 🙂 xo Erin

What a great idea for a science experiment with some usable data for the average person at the end.

Been using this recipe(but with Fels Naptha) for 3 years now and I love it! I am a stay at home mom and it has saved us so much $. My husband is in construction and his clothes are super dirty- so I use a homemade stain lifter of proxide and dawn dish soap. The savings and natural aspect far outway the chemicals and dyes! Great project! I think it is so great to teach our children that you can make so many things we take for granted and just buy.

Would Fels Naptha work better??

I use Fels Naptha – and make the dry version….works wonderful!

Fels Naptha would have helped the stains along a lot better. It has cleaning agents in to specific to laundry. It also is a great home remedy for poison ivy. 🙂 🙂

It might, I just don’t care for the strong scent of Fels Naptha

I agree with the scent 🙁 I don’t like it at all. We use Dr Bronner’s unscented bar.

I add essential oils to the liquid, covers the smell of Fels-naptha

Sarah @ Natures Nurture

This is so great, Amy! I make both the liquid and dry versions and would never go back to store-bought again – as your daughter concluded, the savings are just too much to ignore! As an elementary school teacher by profession (and SAHM by choice), I just love seeing our young people bringing the natural, homemade lifestyle into the classroom to share with their peers. Your daughter has done something amazing by choosing this as her science project and we’re all very proud of her! You’ve done a wonderful job 🙂

I do pretty much the same as Mandy. 1 bar Ivory soap, grated. 1 cup Borax. 1 cup Washing Soda. Mix it all together use 1 T for HE machines. (I can’t remember the recomended amount for non-HE machines–it’s either 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup.)

we use the same recipe, but dry…and only 1 tablespoon. i just coarsly shop the soap, and then throw it all in the food processer:)

I buy it at Walmart. It’s in the laundry isle right by the Borax and the washing soda. Watch out because the big boxes of Baking soda look very similar to washing soda:-)

karen gerstenberger

Now that is a truly educational science fair project! Well done!

teachersrock1971

Made mine a few months ago. It is super thick! Any suggestions on how to thin it out?

ours thickened up quite a bit, too. I’ve see the suggestion of using 1/2 bar of soap instead of whole. I just use a little less detergent since it is thicker..like 1/3 of a cup instead of 1/2. It thickened after sitting all night. I’d rather have it too thick than too thin!!

The recipe I have uses a half bar of soap (Fels-naptha) and has you add another 2 gallons of water after it thickens. I still use 1/2 cup in my front loader. I tried using more to see if it made a difference, but not that I could see. The next time I make a batch, I’m going to try not adding the extra water and just using less. It would be easier to store!

Gordon Newberry

I have actually increased the water by half a gallon and after it cools down a lot I add a half a cup of softner and it make the consistancy perfect without affecting the way it cleans! I love this stuff and will never use store bought again.

My recipe is nearly the same as yours but we make 5 gallons of the detergent by adding the dissolved bar to a 5 gallon bucket and adding water to the top. It gels completely too. Then we add the detergent to empty laundry detergent bottles up to half full and fill the rest of the bottle with water. It works quite well, and I only have to make it a couple times a year. I also use white vinegar for fabric softener, but since it washes away traces of soap, I do not add it until later in the wash cycle or I use a Downy softener ball. Using a half bar for your recipe would not harm it at all.

Also, I keep a bottle of the undiluted mixture to use as a stain-treater. If it doesn’t work on stains, I use Dawn dish detergent.

Great project by the way…your daughter did an excellent job.

Add more water to the mix, I have made my own laundry soap for about 3 years. Same recipe different measurements. 🙂

I would be curious (and grateful!) if your daughter did a further investigation to determine if these results hold true (i.e. the All-washed shirt came out cleaner) if the three stains were pretreated with a stain remover like Shout. For that matter, does Shout work better than the homemade stain remover you referenced here: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2011/12/homemade-shout-stain-remover.html ???

elaine @ peace for the journey

What a great science experiment! I give her a 110%!

My girl read your comment and was like “Ummm-hmmmm, 110%! 🙂 Thanks for the comment, Elaine,made my girl smile!

Did it win?

I, too, loved your daughter’s experiment. She’s also learning VALUE at a young age 🙂 GREAT IDEA!!!!!

Thanks for the info. Using the dry now. Smells great.

Im doing one to

I’ve been using the liquid version in my he machine for several weeks now after reading several posts saying it was safe. HE machines require low sudsing detergent which this recipe is.

I use the DRY version for the past 6 months in my HE and low suds is the only difference between HE and NON-HE.

I’ve made a dry version too, this version seemed easier to make.

Great science project! Any idea how this works in HE machines? Use more or less than half-a-cup?

I’d start with 1/2 cup. It is low sudsing which is good for HE washers.

Kara Snider

Does this work in HE washers too?

Megan Farkas

YAY!!! I was just looking at my almost empty container of store bought detergent and thought “I should really make my own when I run out”… I already use home-made dishwasher detergent! I will definitely give this a try!

I love that you captured the quote about cloth diapers b/c I’m planning on using them when my little one comes in July and was wondering if home-made detergent would be ok to use!

🙂 Thanks a lot!!!

Awesome! Love knowing that it helped!!

How did you make homemade dishwasher detergent?

Sherri Hannahs

why couldn’t you add peroxide to the laundry detergent for that stain removing effect?

@ Sherri, only use peroxide on whites. It WILL fade colored clothes.

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• Kitchen & Household

Appliance Science: The clean chemistry of laundry detergents

How do your clothes go from filthy to grunge free? Through the chemistry of laundry detergent. In the latest installment of our Appliance Science column, we look at the chemistry of clean clothes.

Modern laundry detergents contain a huge array of chemicals that help the cleaning process and make your clothes look nice, including chemicals that digest stains, clean the water and perform many other tasks. We'll discuss more of these in future columns, but for right now, let's focus on the two main ingredients of all laundry detergents: the water conditioners and the detergent that does the dirty work.

You might think that detergents are simple: add them and the dirt magically disappears. But, as anyone who has tried to scrub a small child clean can tell you, you need more than just soap or detergent to get things clean. To work, laundry detergents (and small child cleaners) need three things: water, warmth and agitation. All of these are essential parts of the process, and modern laundry detergents are created to make the most of all of them with a huge range of fabrics and materials.

In most detergents, the bulk of the weight is made up by chemicals called water conditioners. Tap water is full of things like calcium and other metals that interfere with the washing process, so these water conditioners attract these and bind them, keeping them out of the way. This is why in areas with hard water (which contains lots of these metals) you often have to use more laundry detergent, because the more metals there are in the water, the more water conditioners are needed to grab them and stop them messing with the washing process. The most commonly used water conditioner is a chemical called sodium carbonate, which loves to grab metals and hold them tight. Older laundry detergents used sodium triphosphate, which was more effective, but which caused problems by promoting the growth of algae and similar organisms in rivers, choking other wildlife and killing native plants and fish (a process called eutrophication). So, sodium triphosphate was replaced by the less effective (but less ecologically damaging) sodium carbonate. These water conditioners form more than half of the content of the detergent by weight.

When you put a small amount of detergent in water, these two parts of the detergent molecules argue. The benzosulfate bit is happy to swim about loosely bonding with water, while the dodecane chain hates water. If these molecules bump into something they feel better about (such as, say a bit of fat from milk on your shirt), they reach a compromise, with the dodecyl chain attaching to the fat, and the benzosulfate chain happily hanging out with the water. As things slosh about, the bit of fat will attract the dodecyl chain of more detergent molecules, covering it. The benzosulfate bit is still trying to hang onto the water, though. Eventually, the two reach a compromise by creating a small globe around the bit of fat or oil, which then floats off the shirt into the water. When it is like this, the dodecyl chains are happily hanging onto the fat and chilling with their neighbor dodecyl chains, and the benzosulfate is hanging with the surrounding water. And that's how the stains are lifted from your shirt: they are surrounded and freed by these enclosing globes of detergent.

These enclosed globes (usually called micelles) are very small: usually composed of just a few hundred molecules in each globe, floating in the water. Chemists call this type of solution a colloid, because the oils aren't really dissolved in the water: they are instead held in thee microscopic micelles .To you, it looks like the stains are dissolved in the water, and when the water is drained, it takes the stains with it down the drain.

That, of course, is only part of the story. These surfactants form about 30 to 40 percent of the weight of the detergent, and they are accompanied by chemicals such as enzymes and others that break stains down and help the process run quickly. We'll look at these in a future column, and look at how temperature and agitation affects the chemistry of cleaning your socks.

(One interesting bit of historical grossness: the Romans didn't use detergents, although soaps were known to them. Instead, they used urine. For the aristocracy of Rome, the best way of getting your wollen toga washed after it got grubby with a few weeks wear was to give it to the Fullo , the washer and scourer of cloth and linen. This dedicated class of laundry workers used urine and other chemicals to remove stains. To obtain the urine, they placed large pots on street corners and encouraged passers by to relive themselves. The clothes were then washed in this mixture, which was agitated by young boys treading on it for hours. The fabric was then scoured in fuller's earth and dried. So, the next time you are watching Spartacus or a particularly gripping performance of Julius Caesar, consider that the hero's outfit would have been washed clean of the blood stains afterwards in urine, and that the streets these heroes trod stank of urine. Believe me, it gives you a whole new perspective on history, and how utterly icky most if it was.)

• Newsletters

The physics of doing the laundry

Phil Dooley

Phil Dooley is an Australian freelance writer, presenter, musician and videomaker. He has a PhD in laser physics, has been a science communicator for the world's largest fusion experiment JET and has performed in science shows and festivals from Adelaide to Glasgow. Under the banner of Phil Up On Science he runs science pub nights around the country and a YouTube channel.

Scientists have proved that cleaning dirty clothes is physically possible.

It’s something that housekeepers around the world have known for a long time, but until now, science was stumped as to exactly how washing worked, says Sangwoo Shin, lead author of a study published in the journal Physical Review Applied .

“The key mechanism for laundry detergent, which we have been using for thousands of years, is completely different to what we thought,” says Shin, a researcher at the University of Hawaii, US.

“People in the detergent industry did recognise decades ago that there must be something else going on with fabric cleaning, but it has never been identified.”

The problem concerned dirt in tiny crevices in fabric – pores that can be as narrow as one micron wide and are dead-ends through which water cannot flow.

When the fabric is dry, dirty substances get drawn into the pores by capillary wicking – the combination of surface tension and the adhesive force between the grot and the material.

Often oily and therefore repellent to water, this dirt can only be dislodged by detergents, which form a layer around the particle, negating its water-repelling properties. But rinsing does not flush out the pores because they are tiny culs-de-sac. It was thus assumed that the offending particles were removed only because they drifted out randomly.

But that was a far from satisfying explanation. Calculations of diffusion rates showed that even after being loosened by detergent, dirt particles would need hours to move out of their cosy crevices and be washed away. This clearly contradicted visible evidence achieved by both machine- and hand-washing methods.

Shin’s realisation that washer-people across the ages were not defying the laws of physics came when he began studying the diffusion of particles caused by electric fields (a process known as electrophoresis) and by chemical concentration gradients (chemophoresis). When combined, the result is known as diffusiophoresis .

The trick, it seems, is to rinse with fresh water after using detergent. If there is fresh water at the open end of a pore filled with soapy water, the detergent molecules are drawn out, bringing the dirt with them. Even though there is no fluid flow, tiny electric fields and osmotic pressure push the dirt out and keep doing so until the pore is completely rid of the unwanted particles. The process takes mere minutes.

“It is a peculiarity of the phenomenon that diffusiophoresis depends on the detergent concentration ratio, not absolute values,” Shin explains.

“Our experiments confirm diffusiophoresis continues to operate even when the solute [detergent] is nearly completely vanished.”

Shin and his colleagues demonstrated their discovery with tiny tubes, 48 microns by 10 microns in cross-section, connected to a larger vessel. They used polystyrene balls half a micron across to act as dirt particles and showed that a soapy wash followed by a fresh water rinse in the main tube drew the particles out efficiently, while using soapy water for both wash and rinse had no effect at all.

And that finding has important implications for washing machine manufacturers. The rinsing doesn’t require liquid flow, so there is no need for multiple rinse cycles.

Originally published by Cosmos as The physics of doing the laundry

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Enzymes, directed evolution, and the science of clean laundry

T urns out some of those everyday household products you may not think about much — but couldn’t live without —are a lot more complex than they get credit for. Take laundry detergent. That bottle of Tide sitting next to your washer is powered by enzymes that bring about specific biochemical reactions in the wash. But not all enzymes are created equal. Thanks to a technique known as directed evolution, enzymes can be modified to work in unique ways — a process that has revolutionized laundry detergent.

Essentially natural selection on steroids, P&G scientists use directed evolution to encourage enzymes to evolve in a specific manner, manipulating them toward desired outcomes, such as being active at extreme temperatures and consuming the soils that stain laundry. This year marks the 50th anniversary of enzyme usage in household detergents, like Tide.

We often think of machinery as doing the heavy lifting when it comes to laundry, but the most cutting-edge technology — happening at the molecular level — is packed into a single drop of Tide.

Here are five things you probably didn’t know about your detergent, and the ways that enzymes and directed evolution make the chore of laundry … less of a chore!  

• Enzymes play it cool (and even cold)

Enzymes are typically most active at body temperature or warmer, when they do things like help mammals break down their food. With directed evolution, P&G scientists can push enzymatic activity into colder and colder temperatures. “Washing in cold water is an easy way for people to save energy and technologies like enzymes help people achieve outstanding results in cold water and quick washes, too,” said Phil Souter, the associate director of research and development at Procter & Gamble. And because up to 80% of the energy use from one load of laundry comes from heating the water, directed evolution means good things for the environment.

• Enzymes eat up yuck that soap just can’t

Seventy percent of the soil deposited on clothes comes from us. Sweat and sebum consist primarily of body oils and water, but also contain protein components that soap doesn’t effectively remove. These leftover proteins accumulate on clothes and make them dingy and stinky. Directed evolution helps enzymes attack these proteins, which means better performing detergent, and cleaner, longer-lasting clothes.

• Enzymes that are friendlier keep your laundry cleaner

While natural selection produces enzymes that are highly specific to the molecules they interact with, directed evolution achieves the opposite effect. It tweaks enzymes so they are more promiscuous — eating up a wider variety of stains. Say goodbye to club soda and salt. Enzymes also reduce the quantity of petrochemicals inside a cleaning agent, leading to more earth-friendly detergent. Because enzymes are naturally occurring and biodegradable, they’re inherently sustainable. The enzymes in laundry detergents are also sensitive skin-friendly.

• Enzymes are natural born cannibals (directed evolution fixes that)

Certain enzymes are designed by nature to break down proteins, which is problematic because they are made of proteins themselves. If left unchecked, laundry enzymes can digest themselves instead of stains. Directed evolution manipulates this feature and ensures the same superior performance in every load, from the first to last pour in every bottle of detergent.

• Enzymes are overachievers that just don’t quit

Enzymes are the ultramarathoners of detergent technology: thanks to their catalytic qualities, they are able to keep going and going and going. That gives P&G the opportunity to produce more compact products that use fewer resources. Producing, packaging, and transporting these products is less expensive and resource intensive.

It may seem as simple as just adding detergent and taking away clean, stain-free garments, but detergents are quite complex and are more than just soap and enzymes.  Visit our website  to learn more about how ingredients in laundry detergent actually work.

Glowing Invisible Ink Secret Messages

This post may contain affiliate links.

Want to learn how to make glowing invisible ink secret messages? I am excited to show you how today! This is such a fun Harry Potter science themed activity to do with kids.

This week I am joining forces with some of my favorite bloggers to bring you a week of Harry Potter STEM activities. You guys are going to love these fun Harry Potter teaching ideas. This week along with my glowing invisible ink secret messages, I have Dry Ice Crystal balls and Arithmancy Math activities for you. Plus, I will be linking to some other awesome Harry Potter STEM activities from the other participants. (Check that out at the end of the post!)

This glowing invisible ink secret message is my version of a marauder’s map. I know it isn’t exactly a map, but you could easily take this activity and make a treasure hunt map or some other hidden secret map with it. My daughter wanted to do a series of clues with ours to lead her brother on a hunt around out yard.

Watch it in action here:

Did you know that laundry detergent glows? Cool, right?  We have tried a few different invisible ink experiments to decide which is our favorite. This glowing invisible ink is the best one we have tried. All you need is laundry soap and a small paint brush or q-tip.

Water the soap down just a tiny bit.

We used a very fine paint brush to write the message. A smaller tip works best so you can write the letters smaller. Once it is written, it takes a bit of time to dry out, especially if it is written thick.

When it is dry, you do see spots where the soap is, so it is not perfectly invisible, but is nearly impossible to read it without the black light.

Our message starts with ‘I solemnly sear that I am up to no good,” because that is the phrase used on the Marauder’s map! Then my daughter said to meet her under the whomping willow tree. 🙂 From there she led her brother on another series of clues.

We have a little UV flashlight that we used to reveal the messages. This was perfect, but any black light or UV light will do!

The Science Behind the Glowing Invisible Ink:

Why does it glow.

Laundry soap has something added to it called phosphors. This helps to make clothes appear brighter in the sunlight. A phosphor is something that glows under a black light. When they are exposed to the Ultra violet light they absorb the light and remit some of it back. It is also called fluorescence.

Download the blank map now!

See more harry potter themed activities:.

Harry Potter STEM: Arithmancy Math Harry Potter Dry Ice Crystal Ball Experiment Harry Potter Escape Room for Teaching

Check out the rest of the awesome Harry Potter STEM ideas by hopping over to Babble Dabble Do .

Also posted today: How to make a Magic Wand from Babble Dabble Do Troll Bogeys (Magnetic Slime) from STEAM Powered Family

Former school teacher turned homeschool mom of 4 kids. Loves creating awesome hands-on creative learning ideas to make learning engaging and memorable for all kids!

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Can you please share with me on where you found the Harry Potter Clipart? I’m in love with it and have searched all over for it. Much appreciated 🙂

Yes! I used a wizard set from Kate Hatfield Designs. I bought it on Teachers Pay Teachers. 🙂

Is normal printer paper okay for this project?

Yes, absolutely!

So sad, for me, is not working! 🙁 Maybe not all laundry soap works for this activity.

I cannot find the blank map for the secret messages. I have subscribed, but I still cannot find it. Can you help please?

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• Last updated: October 25, 2023
• Category: Tips and tricks

Unveiling the Science Behind Liquid Laundry Detergents: Ingredients, Functions, and Formulation

Laundry detergent is a daily essential, but do you know what goes into making it? Join us as we unveil the science behind liquid laundry detergents. From SLES to LABSA, AEO-9, CDEA, and EDTA, we'll uncover the roles and amounts of key ingredients that ensure your clothes stay fresh and clean. Whether you're using standard or high-efficiency formulas, your laundry detergent's effectiveness is backed by years of scientific research and formulation expertise.

Introduction

Laundry detergent is an indispensable part of our daily lives, helping us maintain clean and fresh clothes. However, what goes into making this essential cleaning agent? In this article, we’ll explore the intricate science behind liquid laundry detergents, from the ingredients that play crucial roles to the precise order of their addition during manufacturing.

The Role and Amount of SLES in Laundry Detergent

Role of sles in laundry detergent:.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) is the unsung hero in liquid laundry detergents. As a surfactant, SLES is tasked with reducing the surface tension of liquids, making them easier to mix. But its importance doesn’t stop there:

• Cleaning Power: SLES acts as a surfactant, wetting surfaces, emulsifying oils, and suspending soil, ensuring effective cleaning and stain removal.
• Foaming Agent: It contributes to the foaming properties of the detergent, essential for thorough cleaning.
• Versatility: SLES enhances the overall performance of the detergent, making it more effective at removing dirt, stains, and grime.

Amount of SLES in Laundry Detergent:

SLES typically makes up 25-28% of the detergent’s composition, though the exact percentage may vary among different brands and products. This surfactant is the cornerstone of laundry detergents, boosting their cleaning power.

The Role and Amount of LABSA in Laundry Detergent

Role of labsa in laundry detergent:.

Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonic Acid (LABSA) plays an indispensable role, especially in powder detergents. Its functions are multi-faceted:

• Cleaning Power: LABSA takes center stage as the primary surfactant, responsible for the detergent’s cleaning effectiveness. It breaks down and removes dirt, stains, and oils from clothing with precision.
• Foaming Properties: LABSA contributes to controlled foam, lifting and suspending dirt during the wash.
• Emulsification: It aids in breaking down and dispersing oily stains effectively.

Amount of LABSA in Laundry Detergent:

The concentration of LABSA in detergent powder typically ranges from 5% to 28%, with manufacturers carefully calibrating it to achieve the desired cleaning and foaming properties.

The Role and Amount of AEO-9 in Liquid Detergent

Role of aeo-9 in liquid detergent:.

Fatty Alcohol Polyoxyethylene Ether-9 (AEO-9) is a nonionic surfactant that brings a unique set of capabilities to liquid detergents:

• Emulsification: AEO-9 excels at breaking down and dispersing oily stains and soils during the washing process, ensuring they don’t stand a chance.
• Foaming Agent: While excessive foam isn’t always desirable, controlled foaming with AEO-9 helps lift and suspend dirt and grime.
• Decontamination: AEO-9 is a key player in the decontamination process by enhancing the detergent’s ability to dislodge and remove various types of dirt and stains from fabrics.
• Biodegradability: AEO-9’s high biodegradability makes it an eco-friendly ingredient in detergent formulations.
• Solubility: AEO-9 exhibits good solubility, ensuring it can be effectively dispersed in the liquid detergent.

Amount of AEO-9 in Liquid Detergent:

AEO-9 is usually found in concentrations ranging from 1% to 2% by weight in liquid detergents. The specific amount may vary depending on the manufacturer’s goals for cleaning and foaming performance.

The Role and Amount of CDEA in Liquid Detergent

Role of cdea in liquid detergent:.

Cocamide Diethanolamine (CDEA) is a key player in liquid detergents, contributing its unique attributes to the formula:

• Foaming Agent: CDEA is renowned for its foaming properties. When added to liquid detergents, it enhances the foaming capacity of the product. This is particularly valuable in products like shampoos and liquid soaps, where rich lathering is desired.
• Viscosity Enhancer: CDEA increases the viscosity of liquid detergents, contributing to their texture and stability. This property enhances the user experience, making the product feel more substantial and easier to apply.
• Cleaning Power: CDEA also contributes to the cleaning power of liquid detergents, particularly for removing greasy and oily dirt. It aids in breaking down and emulsifying oils and dirt for effective cleaning.
• Dermatological Effect: In personal care products like shampoos and liquid soaps, CDEA can provide a soothing and moisturizing effect on the skin.

Amount of CDEA in Liquid Detergent:

Liquid detergents typically contain 2% to 4% CDEA by weight. This ingredient enhances foaming and cleaning performance, particularly in high-foaming products like shampoos and body washes.

The Role and Amount of EDTA in Liquid Detergent

Role of edta in liquid detergent:.

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid (EDTA) is a significant component in the formulation of liquid detergents, contributing its unique properties:

• Water Softening: EDTA acts as a chelating agent, binding to metal ions like calcium and magnesium in hard water. This softens the water, allowing the primary surfactants to work more effectively and preventing mineral deposits on fabrics.
• Stain Removal: By sequestering metal ions, EDTA prevents them from binding to stains or fabrics, making it easier for the detergent to break down and remove stains.
• Preservative: EDTA can also act as a preservative in liquid detergents, extending the product’s shelf life by inhibiting the growth of microorganisms and maintaining stability.

Amount of EDTA in Liquid Detergent:

The concentration of EDTA in liquid detergents can vary depending on the specific formulation and product requirements. In general, EDTA is used in relatively small percentages compared to primary surfactants. The amount of EDTA is carefully adjusted to achieve the desired water softening and stain removal effects without overloading the product with unnecessary chelating agents.

It is common for the concentration of EDTA in household laundry detergents to range from 0.5% to 5% by weight. However, the exact percentage may vary between different brands and formulations. Manufacturers carefully consider the balance of ingredients to optimize the detergent’s performance, especially in regions with hard water.

The Role and Amount of Sodium Chloride in Liquid Detergent :

Role of sodium chloride in liquid detergent:.

Sodium chloride, or table salt (NaCl), plays a specific role in liquid detergent formulations:

• Viscosity and Thickness: It increases the detergent’s viscosity and thickness for user convenience.
• Enhanced Detergent Texture: Sodium chloride provides a balanced texture to the detergent. It contributes to the solid consistency of the liquid detergent, ensuring it’s neither too thick nor too thin. This balance is crucial for user convenience and product stability.
• Stabilizing Surfactants: Sodium chloride helps stabilize the surfactants in the detergent, ensuring that they maintain their performance over time. Surfactants are responsible for breaking down and removing stains, so their stability is essential for effective cleaning.
• Reduced Separation: Sodium chloride helps detergent ingredients adhere to one another, preventing phase separation and ensuring the uniform distribution of components in the liquid detergent.

Amount of Sodium Chloride in Liquid Detergent:

Typically, sodium chloride is added at concentrations of 2-3% by weight, carefully adjusted to achieve the desired thickening and stabilization effects without compromising the performance of other detergent components.

The Role and Amount of Deionized Water in Liquid Detergent:

Role of Deionized Water in Liquid Detergent:

Deionized water, often abbreviated as DI water or simply as distilled water, plays a crucial role in the formulation of liquid detergents:

• Solvent and Carrier: Deionized water acts as a solvent and carrier for the various detergent ingredients. It provides a medium in which other components can be dissolved or suspended, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the detergent.
• Dilution and Concentration: Manufacturers use deionized water to control the concentration of the detergent. By adding the appropriate amount of water, they can adjust the concentration of the detergent solution to meet the desired product specifications.
• Preventing Residue and Stains: Deionized water is particularly useful because it contains no minerals or ions. This lack of impurities means that it leaves behind no residue, spots, or stains on surfaces or clothing when used in detergents. It helps ensure that the cleaning process leaves surfaces or fabrics spotless.
• Ensuring Consistency: The use of deionized water helps maintain the consistency and quality of the detergent. It ensures that the detergent doesn’t introduce impurities or unwanted substances that might interfere with its cleaning performance.

Amount of Deionized Water in Liquid Detergent:

The specific amount of deionized water in a liquid detergent formulation varies among products and manufacturers. The quantity of water is carefully calibrated during the detergent manufacturing process to achieve the desired concentration and consistency while maintaining the effectiveness of the detergent. Liquid laundry detergents, especially in non-concentrated forms, are typically composed of a significant percentage of water, ranging from 60% to 90% of the total composition.

Order of Adding Laundry Detergent Raw Materials:

The order of adding laundry detergent raw materials is crucial for a successful formulation. First, add 90% water, LABSA, and AES to fully dissolve. Then, add AEO-9 and stir evenly. Dissolve EDTA into water and pour it in. Next, add sodium chloride. Finally, add Casson and Flavor (these two need to be added below 40 degrees). Complete the process by adding water.

Why SLES and LABSA are Added in Largest Amounts in Common Standard Laundry Detergent Liquid Formulas:

Common standard laundry detergent liquid formulas include significant amounts of SLES and LABSA because of their indispensable roles in the cleaning process. SLES, known for its foaming properties and mildness, enhances cleaning and stain removal. LABSA, as the primary surfactant, effectively breaks down and removes dirt, stains, and oils from clothing. Their synergy ensures a powerful yet gentle cleaning experience.

Why SLES, CAB, and AEO-9 are Added in Largest Amounts in HE Laundry Detergent Liquid Formulas:

HE laundry detergent liquid formulas prioritize SLES, CAB, and AEO-9 because they are tailored for high-efficiency washing machines. SLES offers effective cleaning with reduced foaming, ideal for machines using less water. CAB enhances stability and mildness, crucial for HE machines. AEO-9, a non-ionic surfactant, aids in soil removal in HE machines with low water levels, ensuring efficient cleaning without excess foam. These ingredients are carefully balanced to meet the specific needs of HE machines while maintaining cleaning effectiveness.

Next time you do your laundry, take a moment to appreciate the science and precision that go into creating your liquid laundry detergent. From SLES and LABSA to AEO-9, CDEA, EDTA, and the strategic use of water, each ingredient plays a vital role in ensuring your clothes come out fresh and clean. So, whether you’re using a standard or high-efficiency formula, you can trust that your laundry detergent is backed by years of scientific research and formulation expertise.

Why choose STPP Group as a supplier of liquid washing raw materials and liquid washing production lines?

At our company, we take pride in our expertise in providing high-quality liquid washing raw materials and liquid washing production lines.

Our Commitment to Quality

At STPP Group, we take immense pride in our commitment to quality. Our dedication to providing top-tier liquid washing raw materials and production lines stems from our belief in producing laundry detergents that not only meet but exceed industry standards. With our team of experts and state-of-the-art facilities, we ensure that every ingredient and production line we offer adheres to the highest quality control measures.

Industry-Leading Expertise

Our company has earned a reputation for being at the forefront of detergent production. With years of industry experience and a team of seasoned professionals, we understand the nuances and demands of the market. We continually invest in research and development to stay ahead of the curve, offering you the latest advancements in detergent technology.

Customized Solutions

One size does not fit all, especially in the highly competitive world of detergent production. At STPP Group, we understand that your needs are unique. That’s why we offer customized solutions to meet your specific requirements. Whether you’re looking for tailored detergent formulations, ingredient blends, or production line setups, we’re here to create solutions that fit your business like a glove.

Sustainable Practices

In an era where sustainability is a global imperative, we’re committed to environmental responsibility. Our company emphasizes the use of eco-friendly ingredients and sustainable manufacturing processes. We’re here to help you meet your sustainability goals by providing detergent solutions that minimize environmental impact while maximizing cleaning efficiency.

Customer-Centric Approach

Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. At STPP Group, we prioritize your needs and are dedicated to delivering the best customer experience. From offering competitive pricing to providing prompt technical support, we’re here to make your journey in the detergent industry smooth and successful.

Global Reach

STPP Group doesn’t just serve locally; we have a global footprint. Whether you’re looking for solutions in North America, Europe, Asia, or beyond, our international reach ensures that you have access to our top-notch products and services, no matter where your business is located.

Stay Updated with Our Blog

Want to stay informed about the latest industry trends, detergent innovations, and company updates? Be sure to check out our blog on our website. We regularly share valuable insights and knowledge that can help you make informed decisions in your detergent production journey.

Connect with Us

For any inquiries, quotes, or to discuss how we can assist you in your detergent production endeavors, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our dedicated team. We’re here to answer your questions, provide guidance, and help you take the next steps toward success.

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