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Pages: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [Back to Fact Sheet Notebook Main Page] TYPES OF LAUNDRY PRODUCTS Different types of laundering products exist to meet the needs and preferences of many different consumers. An understanding of the products and how they work will help a consumer select and use laundry products successfully. This review of laundry products includes a discussion on the following:
SOAPS Soap for laundering has existed for centuries. The basic raw materials are fats/oils (tallow or coconut) and alkali (sodium or potassium hydroxide). Despite improvements made over the years in the quality of the product and in the manufacturing process, all soaps continue to suffer from a major drawback. They combine with water hardness minerals to form a lime soap or soap curd (a sticky white or yellow residue that deposits on the washer and the fabrics in the wash load). This performance negative has led to the limited popularity of soaps; only a few brands are available. Today, there are two types of laundry soaps: Light Duty Powders Light duty powders are essentially pure soap with perfume and fluorescent whitening agents. They are designed for lightly soiled items and delicate fabrics. Because of their mildness, they are also used for laundering diapers and other baby clothes. Soap Bars Laundry soap bars were precursors of the chip and the powder forms. They are generally made from tallow or a combination of tallow and cocoa (coconut oil). Borax and builders, such as sodium silicate and sodium carbonate, are included to improve performance and help soften water. While a laundry soap bar is good for
pretreating heavy soils and stains
prior to laundering, a toilet bar could
be used. Handwashing lingerie and
hosiery are other uses for the laundry
soap bar.
Considerable diversity exists among
laundry detergents. They are classified by their general purpose
or light duty performance and are
available in powder or liquid forms.
A new category of detergents will soon be available for new high-efficiency horizontal axis washers. These detergents will be specially formulated for use in low water volume. Light Duty Powders
Combination Laundry Detergents Laundry detergents combined with a bleach alternative, color-safe bleach or fabric softener were developed to respond to consumer needs for easy-to-use, effective products and may eliminate the need to buy two products. The detergent/bleach combination products utilize new technology which has provided more effective, low-temperature bleaching systems in response to the lower wash temperatures used in today's washloads. |