At its most basic laundry detergent is a combination of chemicals that are designed to break down dirt oil and other stains on clothing.
These chemicals usually include surfactants enzymes and alkalis and the specific types and amounts vary from one manufacturer to another.
These chemicals are often combined with other ingredients such as fragrances brighteners softeners solvents and fillers to create a complete laundry detergent product.
All of these components combined together create a mixture in which the individual ingredients are no longer distinguishable.
The Chemistry Behind the Mixture
The chemistry behind laundry detergent is complex and there are a lot of variables that influence the performance of the detergent.
The surfactants for example reduce the surface tension between the fabrics and water which enables the detergent to penetrate the fabric more easily and break down dirt oil and other stains.
Enzymes are proteins that act as catalysts and are capable of breaking down organic matter into smaller pieces that can be more easily removed.
Alkalis such as sodium hydroxide are added to the detergent to help neutralize the pH of the fabric and help the detergent penetrate more deeply.
Finally the other ingredients such as fragrances brighteners softeners solvents and fillers are added to the detergent to provide additional benefits such as making the fabrics feel softer and smell better.
Laundry detergent is a mixture of several different chemicals and other ingredients that work together to clean and freshen fabrics.
These ingredients are combined in specific amounts and formulations to provide the best possible cleaning performance.