WHATS IN OUR DETERGENT?? IS IT HARMFUL TO US???

we have been using detergent everyday to wash our clothes everyday. detergent really helps us in removal of stain in our clothes and also to soften our clothes. what is detergent actually??? what are the chemicals used to make detergent??? detergents were developed in response to the shortage of the animals and vegetables fats used to produce soap during World War I and II. detergents are primarily surfactants, which could be produced easily from petrochemicals. surfactants lower the surface tension of the water, essentially making it "wetter" so that it is less likely to stick to itself and more likely to interact with oil and grease. modern detergents contains more than surfactants. cleaning products may also contains enzymes to degrade protein-based stains, decolorize stains and to add power to cleaning agents, and blue dyes to encounter yellowing. like soaps, detergents have hydrophobic or water-hating molecular chains and hydrophylic or water-loving components. the hydrophobic hydrocarbons are repelled by water but are attracted to oil and grease. the hydophylic ends of the same molecule means that one end of the molecule will be attracted to water, while the other site is binding to oil. neither detergent nor soap accomplish anything except binding to the soil until some mechanical energy or aggitation are added into the equation. swishing the soapy water around allows the detergent to grime away from clothes or dishes into the larger pool of rinsing water. rinsing washes the detergent aswell as the soil away. warm or hot water melts the fats and oils so that it will be easier for the soap or detergent to dissolve the and pull it away into the rinsing water. detergents are similarly to soap, but they are less likely to form films or soap scum and are not as affected by the presence of minearls in water(hard water). modern detergent may be made from petrochemicals or oleochemicals derived from plants and animals. alkalis and oxidizing agents are also found in detergents. detergents can be used both in hard water aswell as soft water. detergents are more soluble in water than soap. detergents also have a stronger cleansing power compared to soaps. detergents dont need expensive vegetable oils for their preparations as they can be prepared from hydrocarbons of petroleum. they can be used in a very acidic condition too... though detergents really help us out to remove the stains of our dishes and our clothes, but they do have their disadvantages too!!! detergents are neither soluble nor biodegradable like soap. once we add them into the water, they just remain there resisting to breakdown into any smaller particles or componenets!!! some detergents are considered environtmental frenly as they do not contain phosphates or bleaching agents. however, according to the article, there are some evidence from Italy that said that they themselves are the pollutants to the environment. regardless the advantages of the detergents, we as the human beings, must really think of the pros and cons of detergents before using it. we must think of our mother earth and environment before over using the detergent which can harm them... someting that everyone have to think about.??

eswari

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