What are laundry detergents made from? Composition of popular brands

In the market of household chemicals, the lion’s share of the counters is occupied by ordinary washing products: powders, capsules and liquid gels, and only a small part of the windows is occupied by eco-chemistry. Such funds have not received wide advertising publicity, so many buyers bypass them, choosing the usual ones.

Why fall prey to advertising and the harmful effects of harmful chemicals? If you know the composition of the washing powder, you can choose the safest laundry for washing. Next, we will look at what chemical and natural products are made of, so you can make an informed choice.

The chemical composition of the washing powder: what is added according to GOST

First, let’s look at what is added to the vast majority of conventional automatic powders:

• Anionic surfactants (A-surfactants). The level of foaming depends on these surfactants. These components are characterized by minimal cost and wash stains well, eliminate greasy marks. But there are more minuses: they dissolve not only fat on clothes, but also a protective layer on the skin of the hands; they are almost not washed out of the tissues, therefore they enter the body through the skin and accumulate in the internal organs, which ultimately leads to a number of diseases. For example, in the EU it is forbidden to add more than 2% A-surfactant to the composition of products, and we have powders with a 15-30% level.
• Nonionic surfactants. They clean fabrics, acting inside the materials, so they penetrate deep enough into the structure of the fibers. They are non-toxic and break down well. In view of low foaming, they are used in combination with A-surfactants. The effectiveness of non-ionic substances is better at low temperatures. Usually it can be found in the composition of washing gels – there they are present in minimal quantities, no more than 5%.
• Oxygen bleaches. Their vocation is the neutralization of yellowness on the fabric. In oxygen-containing powders of recent years, sodium percarbonate is used as such a bleach, which not only bleaches, but also performs other tasks: disinfection, elimination of odors. The substance is non-toxic, well decomposed.
• Phosphonates. Softens water for more efficient washing. They are considered less toxic substances that today replace phosphates – the harm of the latter is known to almost everyone.
• Polycarboxylate added to the powder to protect the parts of the washing machine from rust, also softens the water. Safe for humans and the environment.
• Zeolites. These are so-called absorbents that neutralize dirt. In combination with phosphanites, they replace phosphates, making water softer. Only natural zeolites are not dangerous for living organisms, and synthetic ones are just as harmful as phosphates. You will hardly find BIO-zeolites in cheap powders.
• Enzymes. Protein spots cannot be eliminated by surfactants, and therefore compounds are used that can destroy organic compounds, including protein. In budgetary funds, there is one enzyme for all types of stains, in expensive ones – separate types for different pollution. At temperatures above 40 degrees, enzymes are destroyed, since they themselves have a protein structure. Their toxicity is at an average level – they can cause skin reactions, as well as ruin things made from natural fabrics.
• Optical brighteners. This is the “descendant” of blue, which tricked things into brighter and whiter. Optical brighteners work on the same principle: they absorb UV rays, converting them into blue light. Roughly speaking, this is not a bleaching agent at all, but a coloring agent. They penetrate deep into tissues and are not washed out, they can cause allergies.
• Aromatic additives and fragrances. They do not just add flavor to powders, but mask unpleasant odors. There are both chemical and natural. As a rule, this is not written on the pack, but it is clear that in a cheap powder, most likely, there will be artificially synthesized substances. Be that as it may, these are allergens that can cause irritation – both skin and mucous membranes.

Other components

We have listed the typical components. There are other components that are usually added to powders with the effect of “dazzling white” and “frosty freshness”:

• Sodium tripolyphosphate. This is a classic phosphate that softens water. Easily found in any cheap powder.
• sodium hypochlorite. Chlorine bleach that harms the body and enhances the action of surfactants and phosphates. Almost in all powders it is replaced by oxygen bleaches, but you can still meet it as part of some inexpensive product.
• Cationic surfactants. Not very powerful, but can reduce harm from A-surfactants. They have bactericidal properties, are part of expensive rinses and powders.

“Secret” Components

These substances may be present in the detergent, and the manufacturer may “forget” to mention them:

• TAED – whitening activators. Oxygen bleaches work only at high temperatures (over 80 degrees). To activate them in cold water, TAED are used. If you see oxygen bleach in the composition, there is not a word about TAED, but it is written that the powder removes stains at low temperatures, it is quite possible that the manufacturer kept silent about something.
• Antiresorbant may be present in laundry detergent to prevent dirt from sticking back to washed laundry.
• Phthalate fixes the smell and does not allow it to erode. If you are promised that the blouse will smell good for a long time, then the composition clearly contains phthalates. They also reduce the percentage of dust in the powder and prevent it from rolling in lumps.

As you can see, there are “pests” in the composition of laundry powders or gels that we are used to. Therefore, it is worthwhile to approach the choice selectively.

GOST requirements

All of these chemicals harm or do not harm the body at a certain concentration. The GOST specifies the density for the most harmful components, as well as the requirements for the appearance of the powder and other points:

• Externally, the powder should look like a granular mixture from white to light yellow, but coloring is also acceptable.
• Uncolored powders should be 60% white.
• Mass fraction of dust should not exceed 5%.
• The hydrogen ion concentration should vary from 7,5 to 11,5 pH.
• The mass fraction of phosphate salts is not more than 22 percent.
• Foaming is not more than 20 centimeters.
• Washing capacity is not less than 85%.
• Bleaching (for powders with chemical bleaches) not less than 80%.
• The expiration date for products with chemical bleaches or BIO additives is at least 9 months from the date of production. Other funds in the expiration date are not limited.
• The mass fraction of active oxygen should not exceed 6%.

There are other requirements of the State Standard for laundry detergents, but we have listed the main ones. When choosing, it is not necessary to rely on GOST, for example, often safe ECO-powders are not made according to GOST at all, while there are no harmful “chemistry” in them. We will talk about the composition of natural powders below.

What are natural laundry detergents made of?

In BIO-powders, manufacturers seek to replace all harmful substances with harmless analogues:

• Surfactants are replaced biological surfactants (ecosurfactants). They are compounds of glucose, potatoes, wheat and rice, as well as fatty alcohols from coconut or palm oil. They may also contain yeast or bacteria – this does not particularly affect the quality of the wash, but greatly simplifies the disintegration of the products, preventing them from harming the environment.
• All chemical and optical whitening ingredients have been replaced for auxiliary and non-ionic surfactants. They show excellent whitening performance and are harmless.
• Instead of phosphates, the natural powder contains sodium disilicate, which binds part of the water hardness salts. It has a similar action to phosphates: softening water, taking care of the details of the washing machine. Especially effective are products with a 15-55% content of this substance.
• In the ECO powder you will not find chlorine and active oxygen, instead of it there will be peroxide stabilizer or water-soluble complexing agent organic origin.
• Instead of a chemical fragrance, a safe product uses natural essential oil or a whole complex of them.

Popular washing powders: which ones are more natural

We will tell you about the most popular automatic powders that can be found in almost any store so that you can decide for yourself whether each of them is worth buying or not.

We will not advertise ECO- and BIO-powders – now you just know which components should alert you in the usual powders. When choosing another detergent, take a look at the label. There are already enough harmful things in life – even if the powder does not spoil health.