Detergents are specially formulated products for cleaning. On the market, laundry powder and laundry liquid are the most commonly used products for washing clothes. Laundry powder cannot dissolve completely during use; its residues may easily damage clothes and are difficult to rinse off. In contrast, laundry liquid dissolves fully at a fast rate, is easy to rinse and wash, features low alkalinity and mild performance, and will not harm the skin or clothes.
Performance Requirements
As a type of detergent, laundry liquid naturally prioritizes decontamination performance in its formula design. Decontamination performance includes primary detergency and secondary detergency.
Primary detergency refers to the whiteness and bleaching performance of fabrics after washing, as well as the detergent’s ability to remove dirt and grease. Secondary detergency means the brightness retention of fabrics after the second wash; in other words, the formula must be capable of preventing redeposition of dirt and modifying the surface color of fabrics. If a detergent has poor secondary detergency, fabrics will become stiff and rough due to residual dirt after washing, their service life will be shortened, and their surface will turn dull and grayish.
One-time decontamination power;
The primary detergency performance is generally improved through several approaches, including the compounding of anionic surfactants and nonionic surfactants, the introduction of enzymes into the formula, and the addition of builders. Surfactants are the main substances that exert detergency effects. The compounding of anionic and nonionic surfactants can enhance the low-temperature stability of the formula and boost its detergency.
Secondary detergency;
Redeposition of dirt on clothes will reduce the brightness and vividness of colored fabrics. A high-quality detergent should effectively inhibit the redeposition of removed dirt onto fabrics throughout the entire washing cycle, maintaining a high level of whiteness for laundered fabrics. Incorporating specific lipolytic enzymes together with lime soap dispersants into detergents can improve fabric whiteness retention and reduce stain formation.
Low foam and easy to rinse;
Moderate foam can suspend dirt and prevent it from redepositing on the surface of washed items. However, excessive foam will cause unnecessary troubles for consumers when washing clothes, such as foam overflowing from the washing machine and wasting both water and time during rinsing. Therefore, it is necessary to control foam by improving detergent formulas or adding appropriate defoamers. Solutions include the use of low-foam surfactants, fatty acid soaps and defoamers. In the formulation process, it is also required to examine its compatibility and stability with the formula system.
Added value;
Added value refers to integrating additional functions to meet the demands of different consumers on the basis of decontamination, such as antibacterial care, softening, anti-static protection, color protection and long-lasting fragrance. This allows consumers to complete multiple functions in one washing process, achieving the effects of saving time, effort, electricity and water.
Washing products have become essential daily necessities for people. With an increasing variety of product types, the industry is gradually developing towards green environmental protection, functionalization, specialization and serialization. Therefore, only by adding extra functions while firstly ensuring the price and washing performance of laundry detergent can brands continuously gain recognition from consumers.
Common raw materials are as follows
Surfactant: Surfactant is the main active ingredient in laundry detergent for removing dirt, usually composed of anionic surfactants and nonionic surfactants. Common anionic surfactants include Sodium Alcohol Ether Sulfate (AES), Sodium Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (LAS), Sodium Alkyl Sulfonate (SAS), Alpha-Olefin Sulfonate (AOS), etc., with 1 to 2 types serving as primary surfactants. Nonionic surfactants such as Fatty Alcohol Polyoxyethylene Ether (AEO7, AEO9, etc.) act as auxiliary synergistic active agents. Nonionic surfactants with a low EO number can be added as penetrants to improve penetration speed. Alkanolamide (6501) or amine oxides mainly function as thickeners and synergists. The industry recommended standard requires the total surfactant content to be no less than 15% to ensure detergency under normal dosage.
Synergist: Ingredients that enhance the washing effect in liquid detergents, including enzyme preparations such as protease, lipase and cellulase.
Anti-redeposition Agent: Sodium polyacrylate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, etc.
pH Regulator: Commonly used types include potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, triethanolamine, citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium succinate, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium metasilicate and so on.
Chelating and Dispersing Agent: Sodium citrate, sodium polyacrylate, sodium salt of acrylic acid/maleic anhydride copolymer.
Inorganic Salt: Sodium chloride is mainly used to adjust the viscosity of laundry detergent; sodium sulfate and calcium chloride are used for enzyme protection.
Functional Auxiliary: Including color transfer inhibitors, active oxygen auxiliaries for color bleaching, plant extracts with antibacterial effects, etc. Softeners with fabric softening functions are also added in some formulations.
Solvent: Ethanol, propylene glycol, isopropanol, etc.
Cosolvent: Sodium methyl sulfonate, sodium dimethyl sulfonate, urea, etc.
Defoamer: Defoamers are used to control foam volume in laundry detergent, facilitating rinsing and saving water. Common types include silicone-based, polyether-based and mineral oil-based defoamers. Silicone defoamers deliver the best defoaming and foam inhibition performance but are mostly used in emulsion form; excessive addition will affect the transparency of laundry detergent. Polyether defoamers work above their cloud point and are suitable for formulating transparent laundry detergent. Mineral oil-based defoamers feature relatively low cost and high cost-effectiveness.
Preservative: Common preservatives for liquid detergents include Kathon and Bronopol.
Fragrance and Pigment: Endow laundry detergent with an appealing appearance and leave long-lasting fragrance on fabrics after washing.
The development trends of laundry detergent lie in concentration, low-temperature water saving, safety, environmental friendliness and green natural ingredients. It will become more functional to meet personalized demands, such as antibacterial performance, color transfer resistance, anti-pilling, brighter and softer fabrics, and longer-lasting fragrance retention.
Post time: Apr-30-2026