Compound

The purchase of detergent is made taking into account the purpose of the drug and its composition. The quality of processing, the achieved effect and health depend on the correct choice.

In this article, we will consider in detail the composition of washing powders, the purpose of each component, its safety or harmfulness to human health and the environment.

What does laundry detergent consist of?

Most modern washing powders have a complex composition. These are multicomponent mixtures containing a large number of chemicals.

Manufacturers of household chemicals form the composition itself taking into account the specifics of the use of the product and its purpose:

1. According to the color of the linen.
2. According to safety requirements (for example, for newborns there must be the safest composition).
3. For automatic/hand washing, etc.

Surfactant

In laundry preparations, surfactants are one of the main components. They are responsible for the effectiveness of removing dirt and giving an antistatic effect.

Surfactants are divided into nonionic and ionic. Taking into account the standards, the amount of surfactants in powders should be no more than 35%.

Sulfates

Sulfates themselves are not active substances in the laundry process. Their task (usually sodium sulfate) is to activate the surfactant, acting as an electrolyte. At the same time, the work of surfactants in the fibers of the material becomes better due to chemical reactions.

Electrolytes and complexing agents

The purpose of electrolytes is to enhance the effectiveness of surfactants. The following substances are most often used for these purposes:

• sodium bicarbonate;
• sodium sulfate.

In order to maintain a decent washing result, manufacturers of phosphate-free powders have to increase the proportion of surfactants in this case.

Phosphates

The purpose of introducing phosphates is to soften hard tap water, rich in magnesium and calcium. This happens due to a chemical reaction, which results in the binding of ions.

Softening the water allows the active components of the powder (surfactants) to act on contaminants more effectively and give better processing results.

One alternative is phosphonates.. These are substances less harmful than phosphates, which are also used to soften water during the washing process.

Will tell you more about phosphates this publication.

Antiresorbents

The task of anti-resorbents is to prevent already washed contaminants from re-depositing on the fabric. For these purposes, the following ingredients are introduced:

1. Carbomethyl cellulose.
2. Sodium silicate.

The proportion of antiresorbents in the powder should be within 2%.

Enzymes

The inclusion of enzymes in washing mixtures ensures high-quality stain removal – fats and proteins. This allows you to remove stains left by sauces, ice cream, chocolate, etc. from materials.

Will tell you more about enzymes this article.

Bleaches

Bleaching agents in washing powder:

Optical

At its core optical brighteners do not lighten the fabric, but create an effect due to the inclusion of substances that reflect light.

At the same time, a film forms on the surface, and the product looks whiter. Such bleaches are dyes and do not participate in the process of removing stains, since they are responsible only for the visual effect.

The role of active substances is played by derivatives:

• stilbene;
• benzimidazole;
• coumarin.

The amount of optical brighteners in the washing composition can be up to 1%. You can learn more about optical brighteners here.

Oxygen

Oxygen bleaches are usually sodium percarbonate. This substance makes clothes white and provides disinfection.

This type of bleach is non-toxic, dissolves well in water and rinses, and also eliminates unpleasant odors.

Peroxide

The action of peroxide bleaches is based on an oxidation reaction. This not only removes contamination, but also ensures disinfection of things. The inclusion of this type of bleach can be up to 30%.

Flavors

Fragrances are present in the vast majority of washing powders.They do not affect the quality of washing, but are only responsible for preserving a pleasant aroma on things.

Flavors can be of two types:

1. Natural.
2. Synthetic.

To enhance the flavor, phthalates can be added to the composition - a product that is obtained during the oxidation of naphthalene.

Other chemical components

In addition to those listed, in the composition of powders can be used:

• dyes,
• substances that maintain the consistency of the product,
• water (in liquid powder form), etc.

Natural powders are most often based on soap, soda and citric acid.

The difference between the active ingredients of capsules, powders, gels

Different forms of detergents have differences in composition, even if they belong to the same manufacturer's line. This is due to the peculiarities of consistency.

Powders are often more effective at washing than gels., and have a more saturated composition. But they are less easy to rinse and can become dusty when used.

The liquid form acts more gently and is suitable for delicate materials; it has a lower surfactant content compared to the dry form. The gels dissolve well and are evenly distributed in water. After washing, such substances are rinsed well. They do not generate dust, which eliminates irritation of the respiratory tract.

Capsules very often have several chambers. The release of their contents occurs in a certain order.

As a rule, such compositions contain:

• concentrated washing gel;
• stain remover;
• air conditioner.

This option allows for comprehensive automatic laundry washing.But this option is not suitable for manual processing.

Features of children's washing powders

There are increased requirements for the composition of children's powders. Their composition must be safe for children. Manufacturers of household chemicals produce synthetic and natural products that undergo strict control, starting with the quality of the ingredients used.

Brighteners for baby powders should not be optical. This is due to the high allergenicity of such substances.

One of the best options for baby powder is natural, soap-based.. The rating of children's powders without phosphates is presented in given publications.

Differences in “hand wash” and “machine wash” components

Powders for automatic washing differ in composition from preparations for manual processing. Their main feature is less foam formation. For this purpose, defoamers are introduced into them, which allow for effective washing with a minimum amount of foam.

Also, many powders marked “Automatic” contain substances used to prevent the deposition of limescale on machine elementsin contact with water and washing mixture. But not all manufacturers of detergents introduce such an addition. Detailed information can be found on the packaging of the drug.

The introduction of additional ingredients into the composition of powders for automatic processing leads to an increase in the cost of products. He will tell you about the difference between powders for hand washing and automatic washing. this article.

GOST

All detergents are produced in accordance with standards and specified norms. One of the main regulatory documents is GOST.

According to GOST 32479-2013, mandatory for inclusion in the information on the packaging are substances whose occurrence is more than 0.2% for the following components:

1. Surfactant
2. Phosphates and phosphonates.
3. Polycarboxylates.
4. Zeolites.
5. Soap.
6. Oxygen-containing bleaches.
7. Some types of acids and salts.

The manufacturer must indicate the percentage of components, taking into account the range:

• 30% or more;
• from 15 to 30%%
• from 5 to 15%;
• up to 5%.

Also included The following ingredients must be indicated without fail (regardless of the mass fraction):

• optical brighteners;
• disinfectant components;
• enzymes;
• preservatives;
• fragrance

Compliance with GOST requirements is mandatory for manufacturers. You can find out more Here.

Information given by the manufacturer

World-class manufacturers who value their reputation, as a rule, provide complete detailed information on the composition.

They also indicate:

1. Your contact information.
2. Storage requirements.
3. Order of use.
4. Purpose.
5. Best before date.
6. Date of manufacture.

An example of comparative characteristics of the compositions of some popular washing products is presented in the table:

You can trust the information on the packaging of products from well-known manufacturers who value their reputation. The inspection is carried out by regulatory state bodies of the Russian Federation.

Harmful and harmless substances

The composition of almost every detergent is complex and contains a whole list of ingredients. Choosing the safest drug is not an easy task:

When analyzing, it is necessary to take into account not only the fact that the component is included in the composition, but also the percentage in which it is present.

Recommendations for selection

When purchasing a detergent It is recommended to consider the following:

1. The most harmless compositions include those that consist of natural ingredients, are marked as biodegradable, and can be used for washing clothes for newborns.
2. The less saturated composition of synthetic powders copes worse with dirt and difficult stains.
3. Hand wash powders should not be put into the washing machine and capsules should not be used for hand washing.
4. The high price of the powder is not a guarantee of the safety of the composition.

He will tell you what a washing powder amplifier is and what is included in its composition. this publication.

Find all the most useful and interesting things about washing powder in this section of the site.

Conclusion

The composition of the washing powder allows us to talk about the degree of its safety and effectiveness thanks to the analysis of the components. When choosing a detergent for children, people with sensitive skin and allergy sufferers, this is especially important.