Why does some detergent say it works for cold water and some doesn’t? Does the cold water kind not work with hot or warm water and vice versa? What is the difference in chemistry/ingredients?

Question

Why does some detergent say it works for cold water and some doesn’t? Does the cold water kind not work with hot or warm water and vice versa? What is the difference in chemistry/ingredients?

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

Enzymes are proteins which digest stuff. They are very effective at removing stains from oils and other proteins. Many detergents include enzymes for this purpose.

As a protein, enzymes will denature (change shape) when the temperature is too high. They cannot be used with hot water, unless specially engineered.