Cleaning Agents

Soap
Soaps for cleaning are obtained by treating vegetable or animal oils and fats with a strong base,
such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide in an aqueous solution. Fats and oils are
composed of triglycerides; three molecules of fatty acids attach to a single molecule
of glycerol.[4] The alkaline solution, which is often called lye (although the term "lye soap" refers
almost exclusively to soaps made with sodium hydroxide), induces saponification.

Ammonia

Ammonia or azane is
a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with
the formula NH3. The simplest pnictogen hydride,
ammonia is a colourless gas with a characteristic
pungent smell. It contributes significantly to
the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by
serving as a precursor to food and fertilizers.
Ammonia, either directly or indirectly, is also a building
block for the synthesis of many pharmaceutical
products and is used in many commercial cleaning
products.
 Detergent

A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with cleaning properties in dilute

solutions.[1] These substances are usually alkylbenzenesulfonates, a family of compounds that are
similar to soap but are more soluble in hard water, because the polar sulfonate (of detergents) is
less likely than the polar carboxylate (of soap) to bind to calcium and other ions found in hard water.

Acetic acid
Acetic acid /sitk/, systematically named ethanoic
acid /nok/, is a colourless liquid organic
compound with the chemical formula CH3COOH (also
written as CH3CO2H or C2H4O2). When undiluted, it is
sometimes called glacial acetic acid. Vinegar is roughly 3
9% acetic acid by volume, making acetic acid the main
component of vinegar apart from water. Acetic acid has a
distinctive sour taste and pungent smell. In addition to
household vinegar, it is mainly produced as a precursor
to polyvinyl acetate and cellulose acetate. It is classified as
a weak acid since it only partially dissociates in solution,
but concentrated acetic acid is corrosive and can attack the
skin.
 Citric acid
Citric acid is a weak organic tricarboxylic acid having the chemical formula C6H8O7. It occurs
naturally in citrus fruits. In biochemistry, it is an intermediate in the citric acid cycle, which occurs in
the metabolism of all aerobic organisms.

Borax

Borax, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate, is an

important boron compound, a mineral, and a salt of boric acid. Powdered borax is white, consisting
of soft colorless crystals that dissolve easily in water. A number of closely related minerals or
chemical compounds that differ in their crystal water content are referred to as borax, but the word is
usually used to refer to the decahydrate. Commercially sold borax is partially dehydrated.
 Rubbing alcohol

Rubbing alcohol refers to either isopropyl alcohol (propan-2-ol) or ethanol based liquids,[1] or the
comparable British Pharmacopoeia defined surgical spirit, with isopropyl alcohol products being the
most widely available. Rubbing alcohol is undrinkable even if it is ethanol based, due to the
bitterants added.

Sodium hydroxide

Sodium hydroxide is a highly caustic base and alkali, that decomposes proteins at ordinary
ambient temperatures and may cause severe chemical burns. It is highly soluble in water and readily
absorbs moisture and carbon dioxide from the air. It forms a series of hydrates NaOHnH
2O.[10] The monohydrate NaOHH
2O cystallizes from water solutions between 12.3 and 61.8 C. The commercially available "sodium
hydroxide" is often this monohydrate, and published data may refer to it instead of
the anhydrous compound.
 Saltwater soap

Saltwater soap, also called sailors' soap, is a potassium-based soap for use with seawater.
Inexpensive common regular commercial soap will not lather or dissolve in seawater (or also "hard
water" from calcium) due to high levels of sodium chloride in the water. Similarly, common soap
does not work as well as potassium-based soap in hard water where calcium replaces the sodium,
making residual insoluble "scum" due to the insolubility of the soap residue. To be an
effective cleaning agent, soap must be able to dissolve in water.

Sodium bicarbonate (IUPAC name: sodium hydrogen carbonate) is a chemical compound with
the formula NaHCO3. It is a saltcomposed of sodium ions and bicarbonate ions. Sodium bicarbonate
is a white solid that is crystalline but often appears as a fine powder. It has a slightly
salty, alkaline taste resembling that of washing soda (sodium carbonate). The natural mineral form
is nahcolite. It is a component of the mineral natron and is found dissolved in many mineral springs.
It is among the food additives encoded by the European Union, identified as E 500.