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Ever thought about what goes on after you have put your clothes within the wash? All of us spend time picking out the right laundry detergent whether for fragrance or eco-friendliness - heck, some of us even make our own! But exactly how does laundry soap get your clothes clean?
There are so many different types of dirty it's hard to imagine one sort of product can treat them all. Whether it's the children playing outside getting mud and dirt caked to their clothes, your gym clothes soaking in sweat from an intense workout or just a shirt that you simply put in the wash after a day's residing in the planet - clothes get dirty in so many different ways and to many varying degrees.
Continue reading for more information about your detergent and learn exactly what's happening whenever you close the lid in your washer.
Laundry Detergent Reduces the Surface Tension of Water
Now this is a little a strange one - did you know that without laundry detergent, water neglects to completely penetrate the fabric of the clothes? Laundry soap lowers the surface tension water, allowing it to penetrate fabric completely and lift stains. It will help all the oils and dirt dissolve within the water - the first step for you to get your clothes clean.
Laundry Detergent Additives
Enzymes inside your detergent assistance to break up developed protein-based stains which are tricky to get out. Light bleach additives also break up these build ups and your laundry detergent bonds with dirt and pulls it away from your fabrics because the machine spins. Too much bleach can harm your fabric, but small amounts can help to whiten clothing without causing spotting and discolouration.
Electric Charge
Anionic surfactants in your detergent attach to both dirt in your fabrics and the fabrics themselves to create a repellent, electrical charge. As you might remember from high school science classes, two of the same charges cannot attract, so instead the dirt is 'forced' from your washing. These anionic surfactants also prevent dirt and soil from finding their way back for your fabrics after the washing machine has finished its cycle.
So there you have it! There are some different factors to how your laundry soap gets soils, dirt and make ups out of your clothes. From simple enzymes that break down grime to electric charges that repel built up dirt, it truly is nifty how your clothes get clean.
