How are Liquid Detergents Made?

[iheartmaytag]

This sounds like a question for our Dear Laundress

Hoody-who, Laundress.

I would like some enlightenment on this question. I too wondered this. I know that liquids were late to be developed because they had trouble keeping it in suspension. I too thought it was a water dilute.

If anyone has a nice, informative contribution I would enjoy the answer.

 

[spoodles]

There's a video from 2009 on the BBC website demonstrating how a single bottle of Persil Small & Mighty is made.

Pretty much all the ingredients are liquids or solvents, apart from the powdered optical brightener. Some of the surfactants are solids at room temperature, but are stored in ovens to keep them as liquids.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7785479.stm

 

[yogitunes]

not that this is the full formula for said laundry detergents.....it gives you an idea of how manufacturers start off, and mix combinations to achieve their products....

for the most part, formulas are kept secret, I know a lot of the cheaper liquids water theirs down, versus the newer 2x, 3x, and 4x liquids are just more concentrated, less water, more chemical!..

 

[liamy1]

liquid detergent

no idea how they're made. but on topic of shelf life, looking around the web, it seems to be opened - upto 6 months, unopened - around 9 months?? seems little short for me. other places say upto 3 years. I've got 2 bottles of tide and 2 of cheer that are around 5 years old and seem to be just on the turn.

 

[liberatordeluxe]

Where do you get Tide from? That's a US detergent brand unless it used to be sold over here?

 

[liamy1]

tide

got it from ebay - when the shipping rates used to be reasonable.

you can still buy it on ebay - along with gain, all, wisk and purex - just be careful on shipping rates.

amazon do it too.

also got another bottle quite recently from an American online store.

also there's a link on your question about shelf life

http://savingmoneymommy.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/saving-money-mommys-tuesday-tip-shelf.html

 

[liamy1]

tide

and yes it was a mainstream brand in the UK up until the 70S (According to P&G) I have seen it on sale in UK maybe twice.

I think it would have been too much in competition with Ariel - maybe why we don't have it, or it maybe that it just didn't sell well anymore. we have lost a few detergent brands over the years.

 

[liberatordeluxe]

We used to have Wisk detergent over here too and it smelt really soapy. The closet soapy smelling detergent currently on the market is Persil non bio liquid and powder. I am currently using Henklel Persil that I got from PoundStretcher and prefer the fragrance to UK Persil.

 

[liberatordeluxe]

What American online store would that be? Are they on par with our detergents you think?

 

[liamy1]

american store

americansweets.co.uk - they only have one tide product in at the moment according to them, the tide stuff sells really quickly.

I only used them for the really odd wash, I don't use them continuously so cant 100% compare. but our detergents are really good. so cant say theirs are better or worse than ours. although Tide is considered the best of the best in detergents (in the US) its supposed to be really dear there, compared to other brands.

I got a box of Prudax (don't know what country that's from?) in Morrisons - £6 for 90 washes, but it smells like furniture polish and is foamy and has very large grains - so not really using that either.

I like persil, really like ariel - but find most p and g detergents too soapy - and as I have Samsung eco bubble - worried about foam - scared im never gonna be able to change from persil hahaha

 

[liamy1]

american detergents

cheapest American detergent to buy on ebay (cost of product and shipping combined) is Purex, if you're looking to buy American brand

 

[liberatordeluxe]

I find the problem with Ariel and most modern detergents if using the recommended amounts the anti foaming agents don't activate til the water gets very warm which is not much use for low temperature washes. Anyone else noticed that? I find adding Dripak liquid soap remedies that so you can use the recommended amount then.

 

[liamy1]

foam

really not sure. I don't actually use low temp washes a lot (don't shoot me ) I think its a load of nonsense this cold wash malarkey. I wouldn't wash my dishes/floors or even myself in cold water. so wont do it to my clothes.

I do for darks to stop fading. but whites go on as hot as I can get away with. not very green I know.

(that's just my opinion though)

also I read somewhere, that manufacturers actually add foaming agents to convince consumers that the product is cleaning (as psychologically we like to see "soap") detergent products don't need to foam at all.

 

[spoodles]

What was the point of this thread? Answers were just completely ignored by the thread starter. Nice.

 

[liamy1]

off topic

I answered the bit about liquid detergent shelf life (couldn't answer how they're made as I don't know) we just went off a bit regarding the brands of detergent.

 

[aquarius1984]

Spoodles welcome to the battle.

Glad we're not the only ones noticing the troll here

 

[aquacycle]

It's been the story for weeks now, Spoodles. Thanks for noticing - it's not just me he's driving round the twist then.

 

[liberatordeluxe]

I washed the clip as some NICE person on here kindly linked. Nice to know there are some NICE people on here unlike some I could mention.

 

[liberatordeluxe]

Whatever you say.

 

[aquacycle]

Whatever you say.

Ladies and Gentleman, point proven.