Washing up liquid
Encyclopedia
Detergent
A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with "cleaning properties in dilute solutions." In common usage, "detergent" refers to alkylbenzenesulfonates, a family of compounds that are similar to soap but are less affected by hard water...
used to assist in dishwashing
Dishwashing
Dish-washing is the process of cleaning cooking utensils, dishes, cutlery and other items. This is either achieved by hand in a sink or using dishwasher and may take place in a kitchen, utility room, scullery or elsewhere...
. It is usually a highly-foam
Foam
-Definition:A foam is a substance that is formed by trapping gas in a liquid or solid in a divided form, i.e. by forming gas regions inside liquid regions, leading to different kinds of dispersed media...
ing mixture of surfactant
Surfactant
Surfactants are compounds that lower the surface tension of a liquid, the interfacial tension between two liquids, or that between a liquid and a solid...
s with low skin irritation, and is primarily used for hand washing of glasses, plate
Plate (dishware)
A plate is a broad, concave, but mainly flat vessel on which food can be served. A plate can also be used for ceremonial or decorative purposes.-Materials:...
s, cutlery
Cutlery
Cutlery refers to any hand implement used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food in the Western world. It is more usually known as silverware or flatware in the United States, where cutlery can have the more specific meaning of knives and other cutting instruments. This is probably the...
, and cooking utensils in a sink or bowl.
The reduced surface tension
Surface tension
Surface tension is a property of the surface of a liquid that allows it to resist an external force. It is revealed, for example, in floating of some objects on the surface of water, even though they are denser than water, and in the ability of some insects to run on the water surface...
of dishwashing water, and increasing solubility of modern surfactant mixtures, allows the water to run off the dishes in a dish rack very quickly. However, most people also rinse the dishes with pure water to make sure to get rid of any soap residue that could affect the taste of the food.
Notable brands of dishwashing liquid include Fairy Liquid, which is the bestselling brand in the United Kingdom, Dawn
Dawn (brand)
Dawn is a brand of dishwashing liquid owned by Procter & Gamble. Introduced in 1972, it is the best-selling brand of dishwashing liquid in the United States...
, which is the leading brand in the United States, and Joy.
Other uses
A dilute combination of dishwashing liquid with water can be used to produce soap bubbleSoap bubble
A soap bubble is a thin film of soapy water enclosing air, that forms a hollow sphere with an iridescent surface. Soap bubbles usually last for only a few seconds before bursting, either on their own or on contact with another object. They are often used for children's enjoyment, but they are also...
s. Dishwashing liquid has also been administered orally as a substitute for soap
Soap
In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...
as a form of corporal punishment
Corporal punishment
Corporal punishment is a form of physical punishment that involves the deliberate infliction of pain as retribution for an offence, or for the purpose of disciplining or reforming a wrongdoer, or to deter attitudes or behaviour deemed unacceptable...
. This is often colloquially referred to as washing the mouth out with soap
Washing out mouth with soap
Washing out mouth with soap is a form of physical punishment. It is most commonly administered to children for actions such as cursing, lying, or talking back. It is considered symbolic of cleansing out a dirty mouth but is used primarily because some people feel that the foul taste of soap is an...
or another similar phrase. However, this use carries health risks that can be associateship and has declined substantially in recent decades. Dishwashing liquid has also been used as a stain cleaner or laundry soap.
Dishwashing liquid has also been used to treat bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s affected by oil spill
Oil spill
An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially marine areas, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is mostly used to describe marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters...
s. After the Exxon Valdez oil spill
Exxon Valdez oil spill
The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989, when the Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker bound for Long Beach, California, struck Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef and spilled of crude oil. It is considered to be one of the most devastating human-caused...
in 1989, the International Bird Rescue Research Center received hundreds of cases of Dawn dishwashing liquid that were used to clean up birds and other animals contaminated with spilled oil.
Similarly, rubbing the undiluted liquid soap over black, oily hands after working on one's car engine for example, is as efficient at removing the grime as proprietary grime-removers and less damaging to the skin by being immediately washable. it can also be used to mix morter when there is no Plasticizer available on the building sites.