When was detergent invented

The Arabs regularly produced soap from olive oil and laurel or thyme. They were the first to use caustic soda NaOH, sodium hydroxide, a strong alkali , and were therefore the inventors of modern soap. Fragrant and colourful soap, initially produced in Aleppo, rapidly spread throughout the Arab world and starting from AD, in the wake of their expansion, the Arabs introduced soap into Sicily and Spain, from where it spread throughout Europe.

The first soap factories in Europe were built in the twelfth century, in Castile Spain and in Italy Savona, Venice , then in France where Marseille soap was born, which derives directly from that of Aleppo.

But these were mainly artisan products, even if in considerable quantities for the time. Unfortunately, in the Middle Ages, general hygienic conditions rapidly declined and this contributed to the spread of certain serious diseases, such as the plague in the fourteenth century.

Thanks to the Belgian Ernest Solvay, who in discovered a chemical process which, starting from sodium chloride and using ammonia, allowed sodium carbonate to be produced in large quantities, new and significant impetus was given to the manufacture of soap. These developments paved the way for the industrialisation of soap production.

Until the end of the nineteenth century, soap was the only detergent with surfactant properties. Other ingredients were added to soap bringing specific benefits: ash, for example, was used for laundry since it had a sequestering effect on water hardness, due to the presence of phosphorus and soda that contributed to increasing the alkalinity of the washing solutions.

For dishes, on the other hand, sand was often added due to its abrasive power. For the products we use today we must reach very recent times. The history of synthetic detergents only began in the twentieth century and was marked by two dramatic events: the two World Wars.

It was precisely the scarcity of some basic materials for the production of soap fat and oil which stimulated the search for synthetic alternatives. In , the first totally "constructed" laundry product was introduced in the United States, containing a combination of synthetic surfactants.

Soap as a chemist sees it! Have you ever wondered what soap is? Why were animal fat and ash needed to make it? In short, have you ever wondered what it is made of? From the chemical point of view, soap is a salt obtained from a fatty acid and a strong base such as soda, potash or lime. Fatty acids, as their name already suggests, are contained in animal and vegetable fats, while soda or potash commonly lye are contained in ash.

This explains the ancient recipe for the preparation of soap! To inform younger students about Energy and Environment, Science, Chemistry, English culture and English language, with accompanying images, interviews and videos. CLIL will no longer be a secret with"clil in action"! Watch the lessons on physics, biology, earth science and chemistry, in CLIL mode, the result of the synergy of Eniscuola with the students and teachers of Italian schools.

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A storyboard full of texts and drawings to narrate one's country in an original manner: letting loose the imagination of children around the world in the edition. And for the winners, production of animated short films! Tablet of the Sumerian era showing the recipe for making soap. In practice, the animal fat lard or suet was purified to produce tallow and then mixed with the lye. The latter was obtained from ash, first subjected to a cleaning procedure; the ash suspended in water was filtered and the liquid obtained then underwent a kind of cooking.

The liquid was again filtered and stored, also for prolonged periods, in glass containers. This traditional method was revived and re-used during the Second World War when, especially in small towns and in the countryside, there was a shortage of everything and therefore also of soap. Soap obtained in this manner, however, is useful for washing clothes: it is produced in the presence of an excess of base which, remaining partially incorporated in the soap, makes it too aggressive for our skin.

Credits: saponescientifico. The industrial method substantially uses the same type of reagents: the difference lies mainly in the speed of execution of the reaction and in the possibility of dosing the reagents. By Benna Crawford. Who Invented the Car. Best Rated Washing Machine. By Gabrielle Applebury. Laundry and Fashion. Office Cleaning Contracts. By Mary Gormandy White. Teacher Organization Ideas.

How to Clean a Boat Hull. Washing Couch Cushions. By Kathleen Roberts. How Much to Charge for Office Cleaning. Cleaning Stainless Steel Appliances. By Christy Rakoczy. Biblical records from that time also talk about personal hygiene and use of soap and oil products.

Roman Empire brought the use of soaps, oils and ash mixed gels to the height of popularity. During that time both public and nobility used cleaning product regularly, and many legends surrounded soup which was by legend first discovered at Mount Sapo , where fat from sacrificed animals traveled down and was collected into pools of soap.

After the fall of Roman Empire in 5th century AD, the tradition of washing disappeared from Europe, which brought the years of uncleanliness, poor hygiene and several waves of deadly plagues most notably Black Death in 14th century. After 17th century, public hygiene and cleanliness returned to Europe which brought the need for creation of many new cleaning products.