Understand your detergent

Soap has been around for 5000 years. Egyptians and Babylonians used soap for personal cleansing. Soap was then a mixture of fats and ash from molten animals. Although its basic principles remain the same, it is now manufactured using a sophisticated chemical and manufacturing process.

In the Middle Ages, the use of soap was not natural. Some historians suspect that rejecting soap and associated poor hygiene may have contributed to the plague that has plagued Europe.

Even the intolerance of people who continue to use detergents could have increased. Their religious laws required cleaning, so they continued to use soap. At that time, however, Europeans refused to use soap because it was considered an evil product.

For some people, it is a mysterious product that they imagine with many secret ingredients that are cooked in a teapot. While it is not a magic product, it is certainly a substance that has helped transform society. It is something we use every day to make our busy lives easier and safer.

Detergent is not a soap

Before World War II, clothes were washed with soap or soap flakes. After the war, laundry detergent became the main option for cleaning clothes. It was cheaper, more practical, and worked better with the new Fangled washers.

How to clean clothes

Most people don't know that the water in the washing machine does most of the cleaning, not the detergent. It is mainly the water that mixes with the dirt in the clothes that removes and keeps the dirt in suspension. When the washing machine runs out, the water finishes the job taking away the dirt.

Question: If the water is fine, why do we need the detergent? Answer: Because detergent makes everything more effective.

Although water appears to be a large body of liquid, it is not. In fact, it is made up of small balls of water due to a phenomenon called surface tension. The task of detergent is to break this surface tension. As soon as the surface tension breaks, the water mixes better with the other water molecules.

By reducing surface tension, water can penetrate the fabric of the garment instead of slipping off its surface. Detergent makes water more efficient. Some people describe it as "slippery" water. The result is that water can attack, loosen, and retain dirt more aggressively until it can be washed off.

The detergent also keeps dirt in the water. This is necessary to prevent dirt from adhering to the garment fabric again.

Detergent and hard water

If the detergent is used in hard water, soap residue forms. Yes, the same as this ring sounds in your bathtub. The harder the water, the more soap suds.

Water hardness is a measure of its mineral content. The more minerals, the more soap suds. The more foam, the less concentrated is the detergent. If your water is hard, you should make up for it with more detergent. Conversely, the softer the water, the less detergent is needed to clean clothes. When you read the detergent box, it usually shows the amount of detergent needed for different levels of water hardness.

Not sure how hard your water is? Call your municipality or water provider and ask about the hardness of the water. It is quoted in beans. In other words, 2 to 4 grains are soft, 4 to 6 grains are medium, and 6 to 8 grains are hard water. If you don't know how hard your water is, try it. Reduce your detergent. If the clothes always come out clean, keep cutting.

Once the perfect amount of detergent required is determined, continue using the same amount for each load. Always use a measuring cup to dispense your detergent. The plastic that is normally supplied in the detergent box is sufficient. Use a marker to draw a line on the measure so that its corresponding quantity is consistent. Simply emptying too much of the box is wasteful and contributes to poor cleaning results.

new products

In recent years, the front-loading washing machine has become common. They have attracted a lot of attention because they use much less water and electricity. A front loader uses approximately 40% less water and 50% less electricity.