History

Soap has been around for 5,000 years. Both the Egyptians and the Babylonians used soap for personal cleansing. The soap then was a mixture of extracted animal fats and ashes. Although its basic principles remain the same, it is now manufactured using a sophisticated chemical and manufacturing process.

During the Middle Ages, the use of soap was considered unnatural. Some historians suggest that the rejection of soap and the associated lack of hygiene may have contributed to the Black Death that ravaged Europe.

Even the intolerance of people who continued to use cleansers may have been exacerbated. Their religious laws required cleanliness so they continued to use soap. However, the Europeans rejected soap at this time because they considered it an evil product.

For some people it is a mysterious product that they imagine filled with numerous secret ingredients boiled in a cauldron. While it is not a magical product, it is definitely a substance that has helped transform society. It’s something we use every day to make our busy lives easier and safer.

Detergent is not soap.

Before World War II, clothing was cleaned with soap or soap flakes. After the war, detergent became the predominant choice for cleaning clothes. It was less expensive, more convenient, and worked better with the newer washing machines.

how to clean clothes

Most people don’t realize that it’s the water in the washing machine that does most of the cleaning, not the detergent. Mainly, it is the water that mixes with the dirt on the clothes that lifts the dirt and keeps it in suspension. Then, when the washer is drained, the water finishes the job, taking the dirt with it.

Question: So if the water does the job, why do we need the detergent? Answer: Because detergent makes everything happen more efficiently.

Although water appears to be a large mass of liquid, it really isn’t. In fact, it is made up of small balls of water due to a phenomenon called surface tension. The job of the detergent is to break this surface tension. Once the surface tension is broken, the water will mix better with other water molecules.

By reducing its surface tension, water can be made to penetrate the fabric of the clothing instead of running off its surface. So, in effect, the detergent makes the water more efficient. Some people describe it as making water “slippery.” The result is that water can more aggressively attack dirt, loosen it, and then hold it until it can be washed away.

Also, the detergent helps keep the dirt suspended in the water. This is necessary to prevent dirt from re-adhering to the fabric of the clothing.

Detergent and hard water

When detergent is used in hard water, it produces soap scum. Yes, the same thing that makes it sound inside your bathtub. The harder the water, the more soap scum.

The hardness of water is a measure of its mineral content. So the more minerals, the more soap scum. The more foam, the less concentrated the detergent is. Therefore, if your water is hard, you should compensate by using more detergent. Conversely, the softer the water, the less detergent is needed to clean the clothes. If you read the detergent box, it will usually state how much detergent is needed for different water hardnesses.

Not sure about the hardness of your water? Call your municipality or water provider and ask for the hardness level of the water. It is quoted in grains. That is, from 2 to 4 grains is soft water, from 4 to 6 grains is medium, and above 6 to 8 grains is hard water. If you don’t know the hardness of your water, experiment. Reduce your detergent. If the clothes still come out clean, trim more.

Once the perfect amount of detergent required is determined, continue using this same amount for each load. Always use a measuring cup to dispense your detergent. The plastic one that usually comes in the detergent box is sufficient. Use a marker to draw a line across the measurement so your proper amount is consistent. Simply throwing away an amount from the box is wasteful and will contribute to poor cleaning results.

New products

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

Clothes are no longer suspended in a large tub of water. Instead, they roll into a horizontal tub and only pass through the water when they are at the bottom of the tub. Clothes are constantly being picked up and then dropped into the water. This tumbling action takes the place of the agitator used in a top-loading machine.

Along with the introduction of the front loader has come a new generation of laundry detergent. It is called high energy or high efficiency detergent. Generally known as HE detergent. This type of detergent produces very little foam.

A low sudsing detergent is needed for a front load washer. If there were foam, they would form a cushion at the bottom of the tub, between the clothes and the water. This would drastically reduce the cleaning action of the water.

Also, front-loading machines generally require less detergent per load of clothes.

Some sources indicate that this is because less water and less detergent are needed to get the same ratio of water to detergent. Other sources suggest it’s because HE detergent is more concentrated and therefore less is needed to produce the same cleaning action.

The future

What will the future bring to the field of laundry detergents and cleaning?

Manufacturers have been hinting at a type of washing machine that does not require detergent. Some think it will take the form of a microwave washing machine. Dirt is irradiated to the point where it is virtually vaporized. Sounds like something out of Star Trek.

Others suggest that washing machines can use electrically charged particles to do the cleaning. Dirt would be given a different electrical charge than clothing. In this way, dirt can be removed from the cloth and then disposed of in a filter.

These things seem pretty exaggerated and theoretical.

But then the same thing is always said until someone learns how to turn a crazy theory into a practical device.