WHITEWASH

Comparing the effectiveness of synthetic vs. plant derived detergents

ABSTRACT

To test the washing ability of various

detergents I decided to put them through a

stain and wash test. I selected several leading

brand detergents known for their stain

removing ability from the two categories of

synthetic based and plant-derived. My

hypothesis directed me into thinking that the

plant-derived detergents would outperform the

synthetic detergents, mainly because of the

hype they have received through the media and

various commercial campaigns. I then applied

various stains that people may get on their

clothing in their everyday lives, such as

ketchup, mustard, olive oil. I let the stains set

for about twenty-four hours to simulate the

approximate time it takes for stained clothing

to go from the hamper to the washing

machine.

Since I did not want to waste the water needed

to run a load of laundry with only one cotton

swatch, I decided to do what many Americans

still do, hand wash them. I filled a washbasin

with approximately ten gallons of hot water

(which is usually used when washing white

cotton), let them soak for precisely seven

minutes, and then hand agitated them for

exactly four. Once the “washing” was finished,

I rinsed the sample with cold water and hung it

on a drying rack.

Afterwards I repeated the washing cycle for

each sample and its detergent. Once all

samples were dry, I imposed a subjective scale

and measured the results of each detergent on

each stain on a scale of one to ten, one being

poor with the stain still very visible and ten

being superior with it being completely gone.

Once I had the results, I plotted my data on a

chart and found out that Seventh Generation©

was the best detergent to remove stains overall

as only in one category was it surpassed. Then

out of the categories, Seventh Generation©

was the best nature based, and Tide© the best

synthetic.

(see results for details)

INFORMATION

For me, this experiment served two purposes.

First it fueled my interest in biochemistry, as I

was curious how different surfactants removed

organic and inorganic stains from clothing. For

example, I was very surprised when I learned

that a coconut derivative can be used to take

out ketchup on my shirt. Also, my mother was

thrilled to be able to know what detergent is

the best to remove stains.

This experiment also posed a challenge as to

how I would set up the experiment and actually

carry it out; and I adore challenges. While

watching a Tide© commercial, I found out how

I would work it. I designed a multi-stain test

and I would compare the action between all of

the detergents I chose to accurately cover the

possibilities of a consumer. While researching, I

learned that many companies are happy to

oblige a few (and in some cases more than a

few) samples of their cleaners for me to test. I

furthermore learned a plethora of information

including how plants are used to manufacture

surfactants, the main stain remover in

detergents. I also discovered that in some

detergents there are many unnecessary

chemicals such as whiteners that actually dye

the stain instead of removing it and fragrance.

HYPOTHESIS

If plant-based surfactants work better at

dissolving stains than the standard synthetic

surfactants and one puts both through a wash

test, then the plant-derived detergents will be

more successful at treating and removing a

variety of stains.

RESEARCH

History Before the turn of the twentieth century,

detergents were nonexistent and soaps were

widely used to clean people and their clothes.

The beginning of the use of soaps is somewhat

unknown and the first records of use pinpoint it

before the Common Era. In ancient Babylon,

vases were found containing a boiled mixture

of animal fat and soda ash, a primitive soap.1

This mixture was sometimes used when

cleaning all the way into medieval times.

The name “soap” is said from ancient Romans

to come from Mount Sapo, where it was

common to sacrifice animals. When it rained,

the animal fats washed down the hill picking up

the natural ash deposits, and pouring into the

Tiber River where clothes were washed. It was

a “miracle” that clothes washed there were

easier to clean than clothes washed in another

river.1

The production of soaps followed a steady

progression with a few stops, namely in the

Middle Ages, until it resembled what it is today.

Another important step in the advancement of

soap technology was the invention of the

ammonia process by the Belgian chemist,

Ernest Solvay in the mid-1800s (the French

chemist Nicholas Leblanc2 is also accredited to

this process). The ammonia process used

common table salt, NaCl, and turned it into

soda ash. By the 1850s the production of soap

was one of the fastest growing industries in

America and became for the first time, not a

luxury, but a necessity.

When World War One rolled onto the world’s

stage, soaps and fats became scarce and the

first synthetic detergent was created in 1916 in

Germany. After the war, soaps were available

again and detergents went behind the curtain.

When World War Two came to involve the

United States, soaps were once again in

scarcity. Military funding went into finding a

cleaner that works in cold seawater in addition

to ease the need for animal fats and oils.

Detergents came to mind as a way to create a

cleaner from readily available synthetic raw

materials and the benefit that they do not

create any insoluble substances, such as soap

scum was a bonus.

The first widespread American detergent came

from Procter & Gamble (P&G), known then as

Dreft© to treat and wash lightly soiled stains.

After much research and marketing, P&G

introduced Tide© that had stronger surfactants

and “builders” which consisted of enzymes and

other chemicals to help the surfactants remove

the stain.1,3 Many other companies followed

suit and the race was on for commercial

companies to out-do each other in order to

produce a more efficient cleaner.

By 1953, detergents were more popular to the

American public than soaps1, and the sales of

each proved this true. Advancing up to today,

detergents have almost completely removed

the use of soap bars from the washing of soiled

clothes and linens. Even the bars of “soap”

used in personal cleaning are now just

detergents mixed with a small amount of soap

for substance.

The Chemical Basis All detergents work necessarily in the same

way. Water in general is a very good solvent,

but it regrettably has a very high surface

tension and would not care to bond with other

compounds. Because of this, surface active

agents, or surfactants, are added to reduce the

surface tension and dissolve the stains.3 The

main surfactants, either plant-derived, or

synthetic, consist of a very long hydrocarbon

chain with a hydrophilic head and a

hydrophobic tail, much like the bi-lipid

membrane in a cell. The head bonds to a water

molecule and the tail to a molecule of the

staining substance, such as grease, dirt, or oil.

The bonded compound of a surfactant to a

water molecule and an isolated particle of the

stain are called micelles. While the wash is

agitated, either from hand washing, the

agitator of a top loading washing machine, or

the spinning cycle of a front loader, the

surfactants are finding their way into the

crevices of the fabric, bonding with the stain,

and are being lifted out.

In most detergents sold today, surfactants are

not alone. They are usually combined other

“builders” such as an abrasive to scour the stain

and help in the agitation phase of washing.

Also, one may find enzymes to assist the

surfactants in their dissolving of proteins, fats,

oils and other organic material. In addition to

the chemicals added to help in the actual

washing, many companies add optical

brighteners to make the clothing appear to be

clean or to cover up a very stubborn stain. Yet

another aesthetic builder would be those that

add to the clothing to make it feel softer, or to

make the clothing stain repellent or

hypoallergenic.4

In Today’s Market There is a controversy that has been waged for

a few decades as to whether synthetic

detergents, such as Tide©, All©, or Cheer©, or

plant-derived detergents, such as Charlie’s

Soaps©, ECOS©, and Seventh Generation©,

are better. The controversy is fought in many

different areas. One of which is the fact that

some additives, or builders, may harm the

person wearing the clothing. Some people

have received allergic reactions or irritating

rashes from certain detergents and must use a

basic one instead. This sparks the question if

some people are severely affected, is there

something dangerous that many people would

get a reaction to? On these grounds, some

detergents, such as Charlie’s Soap© have

removed their synthetic chemicals from their

products4, while others, such as ECOS©, have

substituted them with natural ingredients like

coconut and horsetail plant7.

Another argument revolves around the earth-

friendliness of a product. Many synthetic

detergents, which are petroleum based, get

washed down the drain after a cycle and end up

in a stream or other water basin, thus harming

the environment. On a large scale this can be

rather disastrous. Because plant-derived

detergents come from nature, they are

completely safe and the only harm they can do

is due to the fact that they are bonded with

stain residue that is not necessarily organic.

A third argument that can be a factor which

may sway a consumer, is that plant derived

detergents need vast resources from which

companies create surfactants. Because of the

large need for resources, environmentally

friendly surfactants are on average more

expensive than their synthetic counterparts,

which may turn some shoppers off.

But, when it all comes down to itself, it depends

on which works better both efficiently and

effectively. Various tests have been done to

research this, most notably from Consumer

Reports. The top ratings for HE (high

efficiency) laundry detergents are held by

synthetic detergents (Tide©, Cheer©, Tide©)

but in fourth place, Seventh Generation© holds

as the best of the synthetic detergents.6

Another test, done by an ABC subsidiary local

news channel produced similar results. In

addition to these outside tests, each individual

corporation produces their own set of tests to

create new materials and stay competitive.

An Overview When deciding the right detergent, the

consumer makes the ultimate choice. Whether

or not to buy plant based or synthetic, while

being careful as to verify the claims made

because they are not federally regulated. They

must also decide whether to get a detergent

that has more capabilities, or a less expensive

one due to cost issues. They must decide over

whether or not they would prefer a

concentrated liquid or powder based on the

washing machine or method they are going to

use. Albeit there are many choices to be made,

such as the color or scent of it, the effectiveness

is usually not that much of a reckless variable as

it usually is consistent with the brand. The best

advice to the shopper is to select the detergent

that will fit their needs the best.

_______________________________________

1 Detergents&Soaps.com

http://www.detergentsandsoaps.com/detergents-

history.html

2History of Soap

http://science.jrank.org/pages/6209/Soap-history-soap.html

3Chemistry Explained by Jrank

http://www.chemistryexplained.com/Ru-Sp/Soap.html

4Taylor Sutherland (Charlie’s Soaps©)

5New Zealand Kiwi Chemistry

http://www.chemistry.co.nz/deterg.htm

6Consumer Reports©

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/appliances/laundry-

and-cleaning/laundry-detergents/laundry-detergent-

ratings/ratings-overview.htm

7ECOS© Laundry Detergent

http://www.ecos.com/ecosliquid.html#spec

MATERIALS

6 white cotton cloth samples of the

same weave (at least 100 in² each) 1 white control sample Blueberries Olive oil Maple syrup Milk chocolate Snow cone flavoring Ketchup Stadium mustard Scissors (if needed) Fabric marker Newspaper (to cover tabletop) Rags (to wipe off excess material) Source of water Wash basin Paper Pencil 6 different brands of detergent (e.g.

All, Tide, Charlie’s Soaps, ECOS, etc.) Drying rack

METHOD

1. Cut 6 sheets of cotton fabric (if needed).

2. Lay out newspaper over surface.

3. Lay each swatch of cotton onto

newspaper.

4. Label each cotton sample with the

detergent that will be tested upon it.

5. Apply each staining material (Ketchup,

mustard, etc.) by either pouring or

compressing onto fabric.

6. With a rag, wipe off excess staining

material.

7. Label each stain with a number, record

the stain/number combinations

8. Repeat steps five and six for each cotton

sample.

9. Let all samples set in for 24 hours

10. Fill the wash basin with roughly 8 gallons

of hot water.

11. While filling, add detergent to the water.

12. Let the sample soak in the tub for eight

minutes.

13. With a coarse laundry scrub brush, swipe

each stain 60 times, 15 times in each

direction (up, down, left, and right).

14. Hand agitate for one minute.

15. Drain hot, soapy water and rinse sample

in cold water thoroughly.

16. Hang sample on drying rack.

17. Repeat steps 10-15 for each sample.

18. Once all are dry, on a scale of one to ten,

rate each detergent's capabilities of

removing each stain and plot on a table.

RESULTS EXPLAINED

All of the detergents tested showed excellence

in their removing of the red shaved ice flavoring

stains. When tested against stadium mustard,

Seventh Generation© performed the best with

a rating of 7.5/10 with Tide© in second and a tie

between All© and the liquid Charlie’s Soap©

for third. ECOS© performed the worst by

leaving a noticeable stain behind with a rating

of 2.5. Furthermore, when tested against

ketchup, all performed very well with the liquid

Charlie’s Soap© and Seventh Generation©

both holding tens. This time, All© came in last

with a rating of 7/10. As of the first three stains,

the plant-derived detergents held their own.

With the test of olive oil removing, the only

brand not to score a ten was ECOS© with a 9.5.

When it came to the blueberry test, all

detergents were rather ineffective. The top

performer of the six was the powdered form of

Charlie’s Soap© with a score of 3.5/10. Once

again, ECOS© was the worst with a dismal

score of 1.

The detergents then came onto a comeback

with the maple syrup test. Tide©, both

Charlie’s Soaps©, and Seventh Generation© all

came out with a ten while ECOS© for yet

another test came in last with a 7.5/10. Finally

the test on the removal of chocolate stains was

the test with the most scattered results.

Seventh Generation© scored with a perfect

ten, Tide© came in second, and powdered

Charlie’s Soap© came in third. It was no

surprise when ECOS© took the prize of last

place with a 2.5.

SYNTHETIC vs. PLANT-DERIVED

Looking at the results, it seems that the plant

based detergents performed comparably to the

synthetic, if not surpassing at some points. For

example, Seventh Generation© was a solid

performer in all of the tests and never dropped

below second place in any of the tests. The

synthetic detergents are good choices if one

would like a detergent what is cost effective

and treats a variety of stains considerably well.

If a person loves and eats a lot of chocolate,

they may be well in choosing the powdered

Charlie’s Soap©, which was another solid

performer.

Overall, the plant based detergents worked as

well as the synthetic, except for ECOS©.

ECOS© seems to be an example the dangers of

buying “plant based” as there are no federal

regulations to monitor claims. ECOS© was

constantly the bottom performer and only did

well in the cases where every other detergent

tested received a ten out of ten score.

The results this experiment uncovered are

comparable to the results found by Consumer

Reports, except for the fact that All© Small and

Mighty did not perform up to the standard set

except for Seventh Generation© which in fact

surpassed expectations. This leads me to

believe that this experiment used a different

form of All©, and these suspicions were

confirmed. CR used basic All©, while All© 2x

concentrated was selected to perform in this

test.

CONCLUSION

This experiment both fortified and weakened

my hypothesis. Although the best performer at

removing stains worked with a plant-derived

surfactant, the poorest performer also was

plant-derived. All-the-while Tide ©, a synthetic

detergent, took a strong second place with the

sturdy, plant based Charlie’s Soaps© holding

the next two spots. This information leads the

belief that plant-derived detergents can and do

work better than their synthetic counterparts,

but because their claims are not regulated they

can claim to have a specific stronghold when in

fact they do not. If one was to repeat this test,

an improvement would be to use a wider

variety of detergents from both sides to gain a

better general understanding of the strengths

and weaknesses of both synthetic and plant

based detergents. Another beneficial change

would be to increase the number of stains on

the samples, such as adding motor oil, wine, or

even blood to further test the capabilities of

each detergent.