What is the difference between laundry detergent and stain remover? Would stain remover work as detergent?
In: Chemistry
Detergents use physical means to remove dirt and such. The detergent molecules are long and skinny; one end of the molecule dissolves in water, and the other end doesn’t. The ends that don’t stick to dirt particles and form a sort of shell around them, meaning the sides of the molecules that dissolve in water are all facing “out”, so the dirt particle essentially dissolves in the water by proxy and is carried away in the rinse.
Stain removers work by chemical means. They cause a chemical reaction with the stain molecules that either breaks them apart, or changes their colour.
Latest Answers