DETERGENT

Detergent

A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with "cleaning properties in dilute solutions." These substances are usually alkylbenzenesulfonates, a family of compounds that are similar to soap but are more soluble in hard water, because the polar sulfonate is less likely than the polar carboxyl to bind to calcium and other ions found in hard water. In most household contexts, the term detergent by itself refers specifically to laundry detergent or dish detergent, as opposed to hand soap or other types of cleaning agents. Detergents are commonly available as powders or concentrated solutions. Detergents, like ...

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detergent

Noun

  1. Any non-soap cleaning agent, especially a synthetic surfactant.

Adjective

  1. Having the power to clean.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: detergent
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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