Living · 6 pages · 12 min
How detergent lifts oil
Each molecule has two ends, and oil ends up inside a tiny cluster.
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From the opening
Detergent lifts oil because each molecule has a water-loving head and an oil-loving tail. In water the molecules crowd around grease so the tails face the oil and the heads face the wash. The opening covers tails in and heads out, wetting is not the same as lifting, and too little cleaner lets oil redeposit.
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Inside
- Tails in and heads out
- Wetting is not the same as lifting
- Too little cleaner lets oil redeposit
- Enzymes tackle a different soil
- Where the idea stops applying
- A distinction worth keeping
Sources
- Micelles formed by surfactant molecules
- Emulsification of oil so rinse water can carry it