Soap Vs. Detergent: What's the Difference?
The short answer is: soap is natural and detergent isn’t. But there’s more to it than that.
Soap is created by mixing fats and oils with an alkali or base. This method has been around for hundreds of years–remember the soft soap Ma used in the Little House books? It was created with ashes (that contain lye, a base) with animal fats.
Detergents are made by combining chemicals in a slurry mixer. The mixture heats up as a result of chemical reactions, and then it’s dried and powdered to form the final product. On average, there are about ten steps between the original raw materials and the final detergent.
Soap and detergent are used on our skin, our clothes, and in our homes. Immediately after use, they go down the drain and into our environment. Doesn’t it make sense to use the least toxic products we can find?
Soap is created by mixing fats and oils with an alkali or base. This method has been around for hundreds of years–remember the soft soap Ma used in the Little House books? It was created with ashes (that contain lye, a base) with animal fats.
Detergents are made by combining chemicals in a slurry mixer. The mixture heats up as a result of chemical reactions, and then it’s dried and powdered to form the final product. On average, there are about ten steps between the original raw materials and the final detergent.
Soap and detergent are used on our skin, our clothes, and in our homes. Immediately after use, they go down the drain and into our environment. Doesn’t it make sense to use the least toxic products we can find?
We often say "wash with soap" when we're truly using detergent. What's the difference? Does it matter?
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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That does make sense. Thank you for this informative post!
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