Modern detergents, ingredients and alternatives
The offer is huge, the opinions and views are many and sometimes you have the feeling, you can not do anything right. And the speech here is only of detergents. As with everything, is not there any right? or? completely wrong ?, but there are info and tips to help with? is it relative? calm conscience towards the environment and man can wash.
What is in the detergent?
Soap comes to mind spontaneously, what else? Not correct. The motto is: Can it be a bit more?
Washing active substances:
surfactants: The washing-active substances dissolve the dirt? that's the soap, so to speak. There are very different, anionic, cationic and nonionic. The former are or were mostly made of petroleum, the latter can be partly produced from renewable raw materials. These also show a good washing effect, are less sensitive to water hardness and are biodegradable.
softeners: With hard water, the soaps do not work so well? and it arises? lime soap? on the textiles that make them hard and brittle.
bleach: What used to be done by the sun, but today substances are responsible for releasing oxygen and the dyes due to oxidation? and also bacteria - destroy.
enzymes: Not everything can be removed by surfactants and bleach. Protein and starch are better solved by enzymes.
These were the washing-active substances. There are also plenty of additives.
additives:
- Optical brighteners make the laundry appear particularly white.
- Graying inhibitors and discoloration inhibitors make sure that removed dirt or paint does not revert to the fiber.
- stabilizers protect the washing-active substances, especially the bleaches from the attack of heavy metals in the water.
- foam inhibitors regulate the foaming, which by the way has no influence on the washing effect.
And then there is still corrosion inhibitorsso that the wash liquor does not decompose the aluminum of the washing machine. fragrancesbecause wash liquor does not smell so good. dyes, so that the detergent looks clean. fillers for better flowability. And finally preservatives, Any questions?
Which detergent is right for you?
Vollwaschmittel is the jack of all trades? suitable for most textiles and for the temperature range from 30 to 95 degrees.
colorful detergent usually have less bleach. Instead of graying discoloration inhibitors are used, which - as the name suggests - protect against discoloration. Perfect for colored to 60 degrees.
duty detergent contain little bleach and optical brightener and more enzymes. They unfold their washing effect best when hand washing or up to 30 degrees.
special detergent are designed for the special requirements of special fibers? For example, wool and silk detergents do not contain protease, an enzyme that damages animal fiber. Who drives a lot of sports, should use a special agent for functional fibers that does not stick the sensitive membranes. On the other hand, detergents for black are often only colored laundry in a new "dress".
Application detergents consist of the basic detergent, a bleach and a water softener. They are particularly environmentally friendly, because you can dose individually. With a heavy-duty detergent, the harder the water is, the higher the dosage. For the construction kit, only the softener is dosed higher, with normal contamination, the bleaching agent can be reduced.
softener no human needs! It only pollutes the environment and can damage the laundry, especially sports and functional underwear. Terry towels lose their absorbency. The enormous amounts of fragrance can trigger allergies. If you like wonderfully fragrant laundry, you can also try it with a laundry spray. You can also do it yourself: Fill a spray bottle with distilled water and add a few drops of scented oil.
Powder or liquid?
Independent washing tests by Stiftung Warentest, for example, have proven that powder detergents wash better than liquid detergents. Because liquid detergents contain no or less bleach, water softener and the substances that prevent the dissolved dirt immediately deposits again? they only remain stable in powder form for a long time. The laundry turns gray with time. Those who now think that liquid detergents are more environmentally friendly are wrong. Because the missing substances must be compensated by an increase in surfactants. Colored laundry detergents have also performed better in tests as powders.
Incidentally, the dreaded detergent residues in powders are usually caused by overdosage or a washing machine that is too full. Dosing should always be as indicated on the package, then the washing effect is best. Much does not always help a lot!
One thing is important: always buy compact detergent.Because in the supposedly so cheap jumbo packs contain proportionately often more fillers? the washing effect sinks and overall, you drive better with a compact detergent.
The eco-alternatives?
Soap nuts are not a detergent, but almost a worldview. The fruits of Asian soapnut tree contain saponins that form soap when combined with water. Soup nuts are available as skins, powders and liquid extracts. Unfortunately, soapnuts are not the environmentally-neutral washing alternative for which many consider them. The washing-active saponins also burden the sewage treatment plants. In addition, soap nuts are very expensive per wash, the laundry quickly turns gray and stains are not always well removed.
Eco-washing cushion are cushions filled with ceramic spheres that are simply put into the washing drum and supposedly make everything clean without the addition of detergents. Seems like the principle of the past: the people are at the river and have struck the laundry in more or less clear water stones. Unfortunately, there is still no independent test on the washing effect of the pillows. If it works, would it be a really environmentally friendly method? whether she is gentle to the laundry, is an open question. If you want to try it yourself: You can find it on the internet for about 35 Euro.
Washballs of rubber or plastic proceed according to a similar principle. They are added to the laundry in the drum, the detergent can then be added in half the dose. The NDR magazine Markt has tested this and with a rubber ball and a half dose of heavy duty detergent at 40 degrees a white T-shirt of spinach, blueberry and ketchup spots freed! The loud rumbling was criticized in the washing machine. Racquet balls are available for around 20 euros.
