The secret of efficient degreasing analysis of active ingredients in dish soap
Publish Time: 2025-05-07
In daily life, kitchen cleaning is a task that every family must face. Greasy dishes, pots and stoves are often the most difficult to clean. At this time, dish soap becomes our indispensable helper. However, many people do not know why a drop of dish soap can easily remove stubborn oil stains? The key behind this lies in the "active ingredient" - surfactant.
Surfactants are the core functional ingredients in dish soap. They have a unique molecular structure, with one end being hydrophilic (likes water) and the other end being lipophilic (likes grease). When dish soap is mixed with water, the lipophilic end will quickly combine with the oil, wrap it and disperse it into the water. This process is called "emulsification". In this way, the oil that was originally insoluble in water is broken down into fine particles and washed away with the water flow to achieve a cleaning effect.
There are many types of common surfactants on the market, mainly including anionic, nonionic, cationic and zwitterionic. Among them, anionic surfactants such as sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) are widely used in various types of dish soaps due to their good detergency and foaming properties; while non-ionic surfactants such as fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (AEO) are more suitable for low temperature or hard water environments, have strong resistance to calcium and magnesium, and can effectively prevent scale residue.
In addition to basic cleaning functions, many high-end dish soaps also add auxiliary ingredients to enhance the user experience. For example, enzyme preparations can decompose protein stains and are particularly suitable for removing food residues; thickeners help adjust the viscosity of the product, making it easier to control the dosage; flavors and pigments not only enhance the sensory appeal of the product, but also give people a pleasant cleaning experience. In addition, some brands have also added skin care ingredients such as glycerin and aloe vera extract to reduce skin irritation and protect the health of the user's hands.
It is worth noting that although surfactants are the key to cleaning, their type and concentration are also directly related to the safety and environmental protection of the product. Some traditional surfactants may have a certain impact on the aquatic ecosystem. Therefore, in recent years, more and more companies have begun to develop biodegradable green surfactants, such as glucoside (APG), which comes from natural plant resources, is mild and non-toxic, and is one of the important directions for the development of dish soap in the future.
The reason why dish soap can efficiently remove oil stains is inseparable from the scientifically proportioned active ingredients. From the basic mechanism of action of surfactants, to the synergistic combination of different types, to the functional additives added to modern formulas, every link is serving to improve cleaning efficiency and user experience.
