A surfactant with a positively charged ionic group.  The most commonly used cationic surfactants are known as quaternary ammonium compounds, such as alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride. Some are w [..]

A surfactant usually (but not always) derived from an aliphatic hydrocarbon and most commonly in the form of a sodium salt, in which detergency and other properties depend in part on the negatively ch [..]

A class of organic compounds containing one or more hydroxyl groups. The alcohols used in light duty and liquid laundry detergents are isopropanol or ethanol (ethyl alcohol). These alcohols are used a [..]

An anionic surfactant, usually a sodium salt, derived from fatty alcohol. Alkyl sulfates are high sudsing surfactants. They have been an ingredient in built, all purpose granular detergents for many y [..]

An inorganic material belonging to the class of compounds called aluminosilicates.  It is now being used as a detergent builder. Crystalline sodium aluminosilicates or zeolites are water soluble. They [..]

Surfactants in which the hydrophilic, or water-loving, component is the highly polar amine oxide group.  They are well known foam stabilizers, widely used in light duty liquid detergents and to a less [..]

An ingredient used in laundry detergents to help prevent soil from resettling on fabrics after it has been removed during washing.  Sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) is the most widely used antirede [..]

A cleaning product designed specifically for use in automatic dishwashers. It can also be used to loosen baked and dried-on food soils by soaking or pretreating with it prior to automatic dishwashing. [..]

Surfactant

A substance that kills bacteria. The most common bactericide used in home laundering is liquid chlorine bleach.  For situations where chlorine bleach cannot be used and disinfecting action beyond that [..]