Scribd
Upload
29 views2 pages

Active Ingredients in Product Labels

Cleaning products contain active ingredients that help achieve their intended purpose. Detergents contain surfactants like sodium alkyl benzyl sulfonates that form micelles to trap grease. Bleach contains chlorine compounds that break dye bonds to whiten fabrics. Drain cleaners use bases or acids to react with clogs. Disinfectants use chemicals like alcohol or chlorine to denature microbe proteins and kill pathogens.

Uploaded by

twintailtheresha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
29 views2 pages

Active Ingredients in Product Labels

Cleaning products contain active ingredients that help achieve their intended purpose. Detergents contain surfactants like sodium alkyl benzyl sulfonates that form micelles to trap grease. Bleach contains chlorine compounds that break dye bonds to whiten fabrics. Drain cleaners use bases or acids to react with clogs. Disinfectants use chemicals like alcohol or chlorine to denature microbe proteins and kill pathogens.

Uploaded by

twintailtheresha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS IN PRODUCT LABELS

Cleaning products contain substances that remove dirt, stain, and bad smell. There are a number of cleaning
products, and some of them are used to clean surfaces as bathroom tiles, floors, sinks, and drains. Others are used to clean
clothing, blankets, and curtains.

Moreover, they contain substances that are classified either as active or inactive ingredients. Active ingredients
are substances that directly help in achieving the performance objective of a certain product while inactive ingredients
include fragrance and solvents.

Below are examples of cleaning products and their respective active ingredients.

1. Detergent

Detergent contains surfactant, which are substances with cleaning properties. The most common surfactants are
sodium alkyl, benzyl sulfonates, and carboxylates. These specific active ingredients have long water-insoluble
hydrocarbon tail and water-soluble polar heads. When a group of surfactant molecules is placed in water, they form
micelles. They orient themselves with the hydrocarbon tails, sticking to one another while the polar heads are pointing
outwards and into the water.

When detergent is mixed with water, the micelles are dispersed throughput the water. In a scenario, when grease
is present on a fabric, the micelle disperses and entraps the grease. When detergent is rinsed out, the grease comes with
it.

2. Bleach

This is a household cleaning product used to remove dyes and whiten clothing. The color that stains white
fabrics typically arise from organic dyes and pigments. For example, when ballpen ink spills on your white uniform, th
ink pigment binds with the fabric.

Chlorine-based bleaches, like sodium hypochlorite and calcium hypochlorite, are used to break the chemical
bonds of the pigment. Then, the pigment is changed to a different substance that does not absorb visible light,
thereby making the fabric appears white again.

3. Drain Cleaner

A drain cleaner is a chemical product that unblocks sewer pipes or clogged wastewater drains. Caustic drain
cleaners contain substances such as lye (sodium hydroxide) and caustic potash. They are bases, so they give
electrons to the clogging substance. Meanwhile, the hydroxide ions create the reaction that clears the clog.
On the other hand, acid drain cleaners contain high concentrations of sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid. These
are substances that increase the number of hydrogen ions in a solution and attract electrons from the clog.

4. Disinfectant

Disinfectant is used to lessen microbes on surfaces but not clean them. It is usually used to disinfects door
handles, tables, toilets, and bathroom surfaces because it can kill disease-causing microorganisms called pathogens
such as salmonella and staphylococci bacteria. Most disinfectant, such as alcohol and chlorine, work by denaturing
proteins of microorganisms is disrupted, causing death.

Remember that all products have an active ingredient that enables it to work. Some may even have two or
more active ingredients. Here are some important pointers in determining the active ingredient:

1. It can be seen in the labels of consumer products.


2. It can be classified as acidic, basic, or neutral.
3. The determination of its acidity or basicity will dictate how the product will work.

It is very important to know the active ingredient in certain products because it will tell you what
function they can serve. In addition, knowing this kind of ingredient can at least make consumers aware and
cautious of the toxicity of the product.

You might also like