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Laundry detergent

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Laundry powder in white

Laundry detergent, or washing powder, is a substance which is a type of detergent that is added when one is washing laundry to help get the laundry cleaner. Laundry detergent has traditionally been a powdered or granular solid, but the use of liquid laundry detergents has gradually increased over the years, and the popularity of liquid detergent now rivals that of solid detergent. Some brands also manufacture laundry soap in tablets and dissolvable packets, so as to eliminate the need to measure soap for each load of laundry. In some countries where washing clothes by hand is more popular, detergent bars are more popular. Recently, environmentally friendly detergents have enjoyed a surge in popularity.


Containers and sizes

Solid laundry detergent is commonly sold in cardboard boxes and plastic tubs. In many parts of the world, laundry detergent is also sold in single-use packets or sachets. This single use allows the consumer to buy the detergent they need for the day rather than having to spend a larger amount upfront. The size of the boxes can vary from small single-use boxes sold from vending machines in laundromats to large economy-size boxes. In some cases, plastic measuring scoops have been included inside the boxes. Liquid detergent is sold in plastic bottles, usually high density polyethylene or sometimes PET or other kinds. Again, various sizes are available. On large size bottles, a handle to carry the bottle is often pre-formed as part of the bottle. Above 1.5Litre it is difficult to carry a bottle without a handle. The bottle caps are often made large enough so they can be used as cups for measuring out the liquid detergent, however this can make the cap very large as the dosage can be as much as 120ml.

Dosing balls became popular during the 1990s as a way of promoting liquid detergents. The argument was that some percentage of detergent poured into the drawer of the washing machine was lost in the sump. Putting the detergent into a dosing ball that is placed directly onto the clothes, would reduce the loss to the drain. These dosing ball devices became more sophisticated including roller balls, allowing pretreatment. One of the disadvantages of the dosing ball was noise, and some of the more recent examples are coated with softer plastic material.

Environmental Impact

In the 1960s, detergent manufacturers waged an advertising battle over who had the longest lasting suds, and detergent compounds quickly appeared in the waterways. Suds began to appear in streams, rivers, lakes, and at the foot of Niagara Falls, where piles of discolored detergent foam rose eight feet high.[citation needed]

Detergents also contain phosphate additives to soften the water and thereby improve the effectiveness of the detergent molecules. It was noted that between 1940 and 1970 the amount of phosphates in city wastewater increased from 20,000 to 150,000 tons per year.[citation needed]

With the increase in phosphates, algal blooms grew splendidly on the excess phosphorus and consumed most of the oxygen in the waters, killing fish and plants.[citation needed]

As part of the switch to go green and protect the environment, by 2009, almost all liquid laundry detergent will be sold in small bottles and in concentrated form, which supposedly helps protect the environment by introducing less plastic into it.[citation needed]. Some stores around the US are already carrying concentrated laundry detergent while some in the Northeast and Midwest States are only carrying the small bottles that are used for High Efficiency Washers.

Soap nuts are a natural alternative to laundry detergent that have been used in India and Nepal for centuries. They are actually not nuts at all, but a fruit of the sapindus tree. With no added chemicals or preservatives, soap nuts are one of the best environmentally friendly alternatives to commercial laundry detergents. They can be purchased in many online stores. ..

Brands of laundry detergent

The name "Ultra" is not brand specific and many "Private Label" store brands use it in their product name. Stores such as Wal-Mart, Costco, Sam's Club, Smart & Final, Sears, Walgreens, Longs Drugs, Albertsons, Lucky, and Stater Bros. sell an "Ultra" detergent. They are all manufactured by the same company, Huish Detergents. CVS Pharmacy also sells a private label "Ultra" laundry detergent, but it is not manufactured by Hewish Detergents.

References

  • Outwater, Alice (1996). Water: A Natural History. New York, NY: Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-03780-1.
  • Commoner, Barry (1971). The Closing Circle: Nature, Man, and Technology. New York, NY: Random House. ISBN 039442350X.
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