Is foam a sign of cleanliness?
When you think about cleaning detergents the main characteristic that comes to mind is foam, but have you ever wondered what happens to the foam when it goes into the sewage system?
And is the amount of foam in the wash equivalent to the removal of dirt? You know the answer to these questions.
Is the amount of foam in the wash equivalent to the removal of dirt?
Every day, hygiene products such as soap, detergents and many others used in homes and industries reach sewage systems.
Without proper treatment, they end up reaching aquatic systems, where they cause various impacts on water bodies and aquatic life.
Constitution of soap and detergent
Before we explain the impacts, it is necessary to understand what soap and detergent are made of. Both contain substances called surfactants, that is, they reduce the tension formed between two liquids.
Thus, elements such as water and oil lose their ability to remain separated. It's no wonder that we often use these products for general cleaning.
All soaps are produced from biodegradable raw materials, oils and fats that have undergone a saponification process. Therefore, soaps contain biodegradable surfactants, such as surfactants obtained through the EcoX process.
Synthetic detergents may or may not have biodegradable surfactants, as most of them come from petroleum.
Foam is normally associated with a greater cleaning capacity of detergents, that is, it is associated with a decrease in the surface tension of the solution. But lower surface tension is not directly linked to detergency (cleaning capacity).
What happens to the foam when it goes into the sewer system?
Excess foam can cause harm to the consumer, as it can damage the gears of washing machines, for example.
Worst of all, lakes and rivers turn into foam deposits, which causes environmental problems. In systems that depend on oxygen, surfactants are harmful as they reduce the surface tension of the medium, as a result of which air bubbles remain in contact with the medium for less time than expected.
Furthermore, the formation of foam on the surface, with the movement of water, prevents light from entering water bodies – essential for the photosynthesis of underwater organisms.
Another damage caused by soap and detergent in the environment is the interference with water birds. These have an oil coating on their feathers and float in the water thanks to the layer of air that is trapped beneath them. When this coating is removed, birds cannot float and drown.
At EcoX we try to combine soap that is quickly biodegradable, coming from used cooking oil, and ionic surfactants of vegetable origin in order to increase the cleaning power of our detergents in any type of water, at the same time reducing the amount of foam produced during washing.
