"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"michael adams" writes:
|
| Most washing up liquid - including supermarket budget brands - is
| around 95% soap. There is nothing magical about soap which is merely a
| compound of glycerine, and fatty acids derived from sources such
| as tallow, grease, fish oils, and vegetable oils.

No, it isn't. Its active ingredient is sodium laureth sulphate, which
is very different from sodium stearate and similar true soaps. I have
no idea what the chemical distinction between a detergent and a soap is,
but sodium stearate is pretty simple (C18H35NaO2 according to Wikipedia).
For comparison, sodium laureth sulphate is CH3(CH2)10CH2(OCH2CH2)nOSO3Na,
and the presence of both sulphur and nitrogen in the same organic molecule
is a well-known warning flag.

That is why sodium laureth sulphate is (a) more effective, (b) riskier
for delcate fabrics and finished and (c) more likely to provoke reactions
than sodium stearate.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Must admit that's a bit better than Mike's comments-but only just.
Some of the cheaper washing up and Laundry liquids have an increasing amount
of sodium fatty acids in them. It's one way of getting rid of the fat no one
wants to eat anymore.
What's this thing about nitrogen and sulphur being a well know warning flag?
Come to think of it where is the Nitrogen in Sodium lauryl sulphate? It does
not contain any does it? Perhaps dissolved Nitrogen in the tap water:-)