
What happens when you mix detergent and water?
When detergent is added to water, the detergentmolecules break down the cohesive attractive forces of the watermolecules at the surface. Thus, the surface tension is broken and viscosity increases due to attractive forces between watermolecules and detergents. Moreover, can oil and water ever mix?
Can you mix laundry detergents?
Mixed two or more laundry detergents are not safe for skin and clothes. Mixing two or more brands of laundry detergents is totally unsafe. You can mix brands of laundry detergents, but do not mix ‘HE’ high-efficiency detergent with ‘HE’ detergent.
What is a detergent that is attracted to both oil and water?
Detergent is attracted to both water and oil helping them all join together and form something called an emulsion. About Us Trending Popular Contact Why does detergent mix oil and water? Asked By: Agate Jarne | Last Updated: 13th February, 2020
Is detergent soluble or insoluble in water?
In water, detergents are usually highly or completely soluble, but form a heterogeneous solution of Micelles in solution above the critical micelle concentration. This is opposed to, say, salts or sugars, for which solubility refers to each molecule individually surrounded by the solvent.

Does detergent dissolve in water?
Water and oil do not mix with each other, because they are very different kinds of materials. They feel different when you touch them, and they act differently when you drop them on to a plastic sheet. Detergents are special kinds of materials that can dissolve in both water and oil.
What happens when detergent mixes with water?
When detergent is added to water, the detergent molecules break down the cohesive attractive forces of the water molecules at the surface. Thus, the surface tension is broken and viscosity increases due to attractive forces between water molecules and detergents.
Is detergent attracted to water?
How do detergents work? Soaps and detergents are made from long molecules that contain a head and tail. These molecules are called surfactants; the diagram below represents a surfactant molecule. The head of the molecule is attracted to water (hydrophilic) and the tail is attracted to grease and dirt (hydrophobic).
Why is detergent soluble in water?
Because air is not hydrophilic, detergents are also foaming agents to varying degrees. Detergent molecules aggregate to form micelles, which makes them soluble in water.
Why do you mix detergent powder with water to wash clothes?
Detergent mixes with water to remove dirt and oil from clothes. Water can't remove oil and dirt from clothes. Detergent cleans by causing a chemical reaction with water to force dirt and debris out of clothing. Detergents work with water to loosen the dirt trapped in the material of clothing and clean them away.
What is the difference between soap and detergent?
Soaps are made from natural ingredients, such as plant oils (coconut, vegetable, palm, pine) or acids derived from animal fat. Detergents, on the other hand, are synthetic, man-made derivatives.
Does detergent powder dissolve in water?
Soaps are water soluble while detergents are water insoluble.
How does a detergent work?
0:031:15How Detergents Works: Surfactants - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOne of the key ingredients in soap and other cleaning products is surfactants. The word surfactantMoreOne of the key ingredients in soap and other cleaning products is surfactants. The word surfactant comes from service active agents a surfactant is a molecule with one end that is attracted to water
Does detergent react with hard water?
Soap and detergent simply don't work as well in hard water. Those dissolved minerals hamper the effectiveness of many cleaning products. That's because minerals like calcium and magnesium prevent water from mixing with detergent to form a solution. As a result, soap scum gets left behind.
How does detergent make oil and water mix?
Detergent grabs onto both types of molecules causing oil droplets to be suspended in the water. When you shake the jar the detergent molecules adhere the water and oil together forming an emulsion. An emulsion is the combination of molecules that are not normally attracted to each other, that don't usually mix.
Surfactants
Detergents were developed in response to the shortage of the animal and vegetable fats used to make soap during World War I and World War II. Detergents are primarily surfactants, which could be produced easily from petrochemicals.
Additional Ingredients
Modern detergents contain more than surfactants. Cleaning products may also contain enzymes to degrade protein-based stains, bleaches to de-color stains and add power to cleaning agents, and blue dyes to counter yellowing.
How Detergents Work
Neither detergents nor soaps accomplish anything except binding to the soil until some mechanical energy or agitation is added into the equation. Swishing the soapy water around allows the soap or detergent to pull the grime away from clothes or dishes and into the larger pool of rinse water. Rinsing washes the detergent and soil away.
Modern Detergents
Modern detergents may be made from petrochemicals or from oleochemicals derived from plants and animals. Alkalis and oxidizing agents are also chemicals found in detergents. Here's a look at the functions these molecules serve:
Can You Mix Laundry Detergents
Can you mix laundry detergents? This is an important question because many people think about mixing laundry detergents of two brands or with another. If you need to mix laundry detergent, please read this article first.
Can You Mix Laundry Detergents
Yes, You can mix laundry detergents. But you can only mix those laundry detergents which ingredients are the same. If different laundry detergents ingredients are not matched, please do not mix that laundry detergent.
Is It Ok to Mix Laundry Detergents
Mixing the same brand or same ingredients laundry detergents is ok and safe totally. But mixing laundry detergents with unmatched ingredients is not safe and too dangerous for laundry, health, and skin.
Can You Mix Laundry Detergent and Bleach
Yes, Absolutely you can mix laundry detergent and bleach. Mixing laundry detergent and bleach is safe. But do not add any other laundry product with laundry detergent and bleach. For Example:
Can You Mix Fabric Softener With Detergent
No, You can not mix fabric softener with laundry detergent. Because it is not safe to mixing fabric softener with laundry detergent.
What Happens if You Mix Fabric Softener With Detergent
If you mix fabric softener with laundry detergent, It will not work and it is totally a waste of time and money. Your clothes brightness some loss and not properly wash. It does not give you a better laundry finishing.
Can You Mix Laundry Detergent and Vinegar
No, You can not mix laundry detergent and vinegar. Because vinegar loses the laundry detergent power and does not clean clothes in the washing machine.
Molecules
To understand how soap and detergent work, it is first necessary to understand the chemistry behind the molecules of detergent, water and unwanted particles such as oil and grease. All molecules have a particular polarity, which is a charge. This charge affects how the molecule will bind with other molecules.
Solids and Liquids
Additionally, it is important to note that substances do not have to be liquid to bind together; many salts such as sodium chloride (NaCl), also known as table salt, will easily dissolve in polar compounds such as water. Nonpolar compounds such as fat and grease can be dissolved in nonpolar liquid solutions such as gasoline.
Binding and Removing
So how does this allow detergent to react with and clean away oil? It’s because detergent has both a nonpolar end and a polar end. According to Chemist David A. Katz, the reason that soaps and detergents are able to clean is a result of their ability to disperse water insoluble (nonpolar) molecules such as oil and grease into solution with water.

Surfactants
Additional Ingredients
- Modern detergents contain more than surfactants. Cleaning products may also contain enzymes to degrade protein-based stains, bleaches to de-color stains and add power to cleaning agents, and blue dyes to counter yellowing. Like soaps, detergents have hydrophobicor water-hating molecular chains and hydrophilic or water-loving components. The hydrophobic hydrocarbons a…
How Detergents Work
- Neither detergents nor soaps accomplish anything except binding to the soil until some mechanical energy or agitation is added into the equation. Swishing the soapy water around allows the soap or detergent to pull the grime away from clothes or dishes and into the larger pool of rinse water. Rinsing washes the detergent and soil away. Warm or hot ...
Modern Detergents
- Modern detergents may be made from petrochemicals or from oleochemicals derived from plants and animals. Alkalis and oxidizing agentsare also chemicals found in detergents. Here's a look at the functions these molecules serve: 1. Petrochemicals/Oleochemicals: These fats and oils are hydrocarbon chainswhich are attracted to the oily and greasy grime. 2. Oxidizers: Sulfur trioxide, …