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Soaps and detergents are essential to personal and public health. Through their ability to loosen and remove soil from a surface, they contribute to good personal hygiene; reduce the presence of germs that cause infectious diseases; extend the useful life of clothes, tableware, linens, surfaces and furnishings; and make our homes and workplaces more pleasant.
Why…
What is soap and how does it work?
The sudsy stuff we use every day of our lives is a mystery to most of us. But behind our cleaning products is an array of scientific data and information. This science and chemistry helps to ensure our products work and are safe for you and your family to use. The resources below will walk through what it means to be clean and how the cleaning process works. For more information and…
What is the history of soap? And where did cleaning come from?
This history of soap is a long one, dating back thousands of years to Ancient Babylon. Humans have built on that knowledge to create the soaps and detergents we use to clean dishes, laundry, our homes and ourselves today.
Evidence has been found that ancient Babylonians understood soap making as early as 2800 BC Archeologists have found…
No matter the type of product you are using (soap or detergent), good cleaning takes a lot of energy. Three different kinds to be exact:
Chemical energy, provided by the soap or detergent
Mechanical energy, provided by a machine or by hand
Thermal energy, provided by heating water Let’s look at how all these elements work together.
Assume we have a great, big, oily, greasy stain on one of our favorite shirts. Water alone is not enough to remove the stain and get our shirt clean…
The ingredients in your cleaning products fall into several different categories, added to provide different characteristics and cleaning functions. Each product formula is a careful balance of various ingredients that will work best for what you are trying to clean.
For more information about the specific ingredients in a cleaning product, visit the manufacturer's website or look for the product in SmartLabel…
Understand the language of soaps and detergents.
ALCOHOL: A class of organic compounds containing one or more hydroxyl groups. The alcohols used in light duty and liquid laundry detergents are isopropanol or ethanol (ethyl alcohol). These alcohols are used at low levels in liquid detergent formulations to control viscosity, to act as a solvent for other ingredients, and to provide resistance to low and freezing temperatures…
The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) has enhanced and expanded its “Exploration Clean” online experience to further help teach middle-school students the science and chemistry behind cleaning. New features include:
A new, interactive surfactant game – "Get the Dirt"
Updated Science of Soap ebook
Ingredients reimagined as Characters of the Cleaning Court
This site relaunch is the next step in building educational modules for children describing the science and…
American Cleaning Institute Also Launches Concise Online Portal for Ingredient Information by Brand and Company
Helps Consumers Better Understand Their Cleaning Product Labels
Part of ACI’s Ingredient Communication Initiative
The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) unveiled two new online resources aimed at enhancing consumer understanding and access to information about cleaning product ingredients.
“How to Read a Cleaning Product Label” breaks down the elements of a…
Always use the proper amount of detergent when washing. What's the right amount? Read the label and keep in mind that too much detergent or too little can leave your clothes less clean than using the optimal amount. Follow the fabric care instructions on your clothing.
Also, be sure to keep all laundry products up and out of reach of children and adults with dementia. Detergents on the market today have been formulated and tested to be…
Helps Consumers Better Understand How and Why to Recycle Cleaning Product Packaging
Part of ACI’s Sustainability Initiative, Striving for All Cleaning Product Packaging to Be Circular
The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) launched a new web page and guide devoted to helping consumers navigate recycling cleaning product packaging. “Close the Loop on Cleaning Products” breaks down the considerations when recycling different containers and how to find details…