Natural Laundry Powder is a kind of detergent that is used for cleaning washed laundry. It is made from a combination of two different kinds of detergents namely, liquid detergent and powder detergents. Laundry detergents are popular among all people who want to clean their clothes without much cost. There are different types of detergents available in the market. Liquid detergents have fewer chemicals compared to the powdered form of detergents.
Coldwater is mixed with the detergents. The cold water helps in cleaning without causing any damage to fabric because it causes damage to clothes and other things present on the surface of the fabric. The powder form of laundry detergent contains some specific ingredients that are specially designed for removing stains from clothes. The ingredients present in this kind of laundry detergent are generally vegetable-based.
Hard water can cause several problems in clothes. It results in damage to the fabric because the minerals present in it react with the ingredients present in laundry detergents. The only difference between hard water and soft water is that it contains a lot of minerals in it. Therefore, one should use detergents containing mostly minerals in it to tackle hard water problems.
There are also different varieties of detergents available in the market including tablets, capsules, oils, powders, and pods. Some of the common varieties are discussed below:
Powder detergents are made from crushed cornstarch or cornmeal. This powder detergent is available in small bottles. The powder is added to lukewarm water and then swatches or tiny beads of this powder are added in the water. After few minutes, the swatches or beads of the powder are seen floating on the surface of the water.
Swatches of liquid detergents are mixed with water and used to clean clothes and other fabrics. You may find some surfactants in liquid detergents. Surfactants help prevent stain formation because they bind water molecules to the stain and prevent its re-hesion. However, detergents containing surfactants are very expensive and it may not be suitable for small washing loads. One should opt for powder detergents containing fewer surfactants and instead using detergents containing stronger ingredients which are less water-soluble.
Creamy detergents are also available. They do not have strong odor-producing capabilities but they work very well to remove stains from clothes and lighten dingy colors of shirts. They work very effectively after mixing a small amount of milk with chamomile oil. However, these types of laundry detergent may find it difficult to remove stains from fine clothes. Chamomile milk is an alternative option available in market which may help you to remove light-colored stains from clothes.
You may find detergents having added fragrances or aroma chemicals. Such ingredients can make your clothes smell fresher than ever before. Such scenting detergents are usually added to improve the cleaning power of the detergents. However, they are made out of petroleum or animal products which may affect your health badly. Detergents having added fragrances or aroma chemicals are not suitable for use in machine washing machines. Such products contain triclosan which is a potential environmental toxin.
You can select detergents having various applications and ingredients. While some detergents are specifically used for fabric softening and stain removal, others are designed to deal with tough stains. Laundry detergents can be categorized into two categories namely liquid detergents and powdered detergents.
Liquid detergents consist of water, fats, lanolin or both, and other additives which may be a combination of these ingredients or purely one. The powder detergents are in powder form and contain a variety of active ingredients, fats, lanolin or both and other powdered materials to help removal of stain and dirt from clothes. According to some experts, liquid powders do not work as effectively as the liquids do as they tend to leave residue behind which can be a safety risk if inhaled.
While discussing about cleaning power of liquid and powder detergents, John Webster defines the difference between liquids and powders as, “A mixture of solids that yield a semi-solid solution when added to water”. Liquid soap is usually made by mixing oils and lanolin together. The oil-based soap is more soluble than the lanolin based soap and it does not form a thick coating on any surface. Larger particles of soap tend to clump together and so they are unable to perform the task of cleaning. Larger particles of soap are formed into a foam which results in the thickness of the foam and hence the cleaning power.
The greatest advantage of the powdered soaps over the liquids is that the sodium or potassium salts of alkalies are retained in the soap resulting in a longer lasting cleaning period. Most of the detergent manufacturers recommend the use of sodium or potassium salts of alkalies in order to maximize the shelf life of the detergent. Some manufacturers also add certain additional chemicals in order to extend the shelf life of their detergent.