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— Choose a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) —
 
1.-

Are there different types of surfactants?
2.-

Are there effective ways to clean and prevent spotting of glassware, plugging or scaling of plumbing and fixtures, or other problems caused by hard water without going to a water softener?
3.-

Are there water quality concerns for any of the chemicals used in today’s soaps and detergents?
4.-

Can I spray a small amount of detergent on stagnant water surfaces to kill mosquito larvae?
5.-

Can water and oil be mixed to form a solution?
6.-

How do detergents that contain sodium metaphosphates (NaPO3)x work in hard water to prevent the formation of scales and enhance cleaning.
7.-

How is sodium hexametaphosphate used as a dispersing and deflocculating agent?
8.-

How is sodium hexametaphosphate used for water softening applications?
9.-

What are alkyl benzene sulfonate (ABS) detergents and why are they no longer used?
10.-

What are common uses for phthalates?
11.-

What are nonylphenols or nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) and why are they becoming a water quality issue?
12.-

What are optical brighteners in laundry detergents and how do they work?
13.-

What are the different types of bleaching agents used in laundry detergents?
14.-

What causes most glassware discoloration and etching in dishwashers and how does one eliminate these problems?
15.-

What factors contribute to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) decomposition in water?
16.-

What is a detergent builder and what are some common examples?
17.-

What is a surfactant?
18.-

What is a synthetic detergent?
19.-

What is soap?
20.-

What is sodium hexametaphosphate and what are its water-related applications?
21.-

What is sodium lauryl sulfate and what cleaning advantage does this type of detergent have over regular soap?
22.-

What is sodium percarbonate and what does it do as a component of some detergents?
23.-

What is the chemical hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) normally used for?
24.-

What is the difference between an oil-water suspension and an emulsion?
25.-

What is the difference between soap and detergent?
26.-

What is the difference in temporary and permanent hardness in water?
27.-

What roles do phosphate-based chemicals play in detergents?
28.-

What types of additional chemicals are generally added to the soaps of today?
29.-

What types of businesses generate hazardous waste?

30.-

What was the weakness of early soaps?
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This website was developed by the ACES Water Quality Team, under the leadership of Dr. James E. Hairston. It is funded, in part, by USDA-CSREES water quality grant support under Section 406 of the Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform Act of 1998.