Physical Science 12

Product Label and

Active Ingredients in
Cleaning Products
3rd Quarter
Week 8

Competency:
o From product labels, identify the active ingredient(s) of cleaning products used at
home. (S11/12PS-III i-j-31)
o Give the use of other ingredients in cleaning agents (S11/12PS-III i-j-32)
 Objectives: At the end of the week, you shall have:

o Identify the active ingredient(s) of cleaning products used at home using product
labels as guide;
o Explain the mode of action & precautionary measures indicated in various
cleaning products;
o Infer on the uses of the ingredients found in various cleaning agents.
o Give the use of the other ingredients in cleaning agents.

Learner’s Tasks

Lesson Overview

Active Ingredient(s) of Cleaning Materials Used at

Home
Home is our haven especially when we are so tired in
our whole day work in school or office. In this time of pandemic,
the cleanliness of our home is very important. Good
housekeeping requires high standard of cleanliness or the
absence of dirt and its sanitation as well, or the absence of
disease-causing organisms like bacteria. All housekeeping tasks
need the use of the right tool for the right job.
No single product can provide optimum performance on all surfaces and all soils. It is not surprising that
many different household cleaners are available in the market. They are formulated to clean efficiently and
conveniently in many different situations found at home.

Active Ingredients of Cleaning Products Used at Home

There are lots of cleaning products we use daily in our home, office, or school. These
cleaning products play an important vital role in order to make our home spick and
span. They also help in safely and effectively removing dirt, germs and other
contaminants. They can also prevent the spread of infectious diseases and control
allergens, such as dust and mold, in order to keep us healthy. Cleaning products also
enable us to care for our homes and possessions.
There are different kinds of cleaning products. These are laundry detergents, bleaches,
dishwashing products and other household cleaners. Active ingredients are found in
different household cleaning products. They may give different side effects to human.
They can give either positive or negative side effects to us. So before using these
cleaning materials be sure to read first the instructions. Don’t forget to follow all
precautionary and safety measures before using them. Here are some of the active
ingredients found in different cleaning materials we use at home.

1. Alcohol Ethoxylate (AE)

Alcohol ethoxylates are a class of compounds that are commonly used throughout many industrial practices and
commercial markets. These compounds are synthesized via the reaction of a fatty alcohol and ethylene oxide,
resulting in a molecule that consists of two main components, (1) the oleophilic, carbon-rich, fatty alcohol and (2)
the hydrophilic, polyoxymethylene chain.

Alcohol ethoxylate surfactants enhance the mixing and solubilization of oil and water by having these contrasting
sections within the same compound. With this unique structure, a single molecule can inhabit the interface of two
immiscible phases (i.e. oil and water), effectively bringing them closer together and lowering the interfacial energy
associated between them.
Because these compounds are surfactants, they can be used whenever oily substances encounter water or a surface.
It can be used as detergents, wetting agents, emulsifiers, degreasers and emollients in many lines of commercially
available products and industrial practices.

2. Sodium Alkyl Sulfates

Sodium alkyl sulfate are members of alkyl sulfates. They are water-soluble and can form soap bubbles. The
chemical formula is CnH2n+1OSO2ONa.

It can be used in detergents, dish washing liquids, shower gels, shampoos, hair conditioners and fabric softeners. It
can also be used as fire extinguishing agent, because it is not flammable. In the cosmetic industry it is used as an
emulsifier to mix oily and water-soluble compounds for toothpaste or moisturizing products. It can produce
irritating vapors when heated, consisting of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and others. As all
detergents it can irritate skin and eyes. If swallowed, it will cause nausea or vomiting.

3. Amine Oxide
An amine oxide, also known as amine-N-oxide and N-oxide, is a chemical compound that contains the functional
group R3N+–O−, an N–O bond with three additional hydrogen and/or hydrocarbon side chains attached to Long-
chain alkyl amine oxides are used as nonionic surfactants and foam stabilizers.

Amine oxides are highly polar molecules and have a polarity close to that of quaternary ammonium salts. Small
amine oxides are very hydrophilic and have an excellent water solubility and a very poor solubility in most organic
solvents.

4. Ammonia
Ammonia is a colorless, soluble alkali gas that occurs naturally in the environment. It is a chemical containing one
nitrogen and three hydrogen atoms bonded together. It was traditionally used in many household cleaners, though
today it's still found in glass cleaner, all-purpose cleaners, and smelling salts. When used in cleaning compounds,
it’s called “household ammonia.”

Ammonia fumes are powerful irritant, potentially harming your skin, eyes, nose, lungs and throat. When found in
oven cleaners and window cleaning formulations, it is an irritant to the mucous membranes. When working with
ammonia, wearing heavy-duty gloves, goggles, and a face mask are smart precautions to protect your health.

5. Sodium hypochlorite
Sodium hypochlorite also known as bleach is another alkali disinfectant. Bleach works by oxidizing or breaking
down the molecular bonds of stains and germs.

Another useful but dangerous cleaner it also has strong corrosive properties that may do serious damage to the
human body. Ammonia and bleach are a particularly dangerous combination, creating potentially deadly gases
when mixed. Never store these two chemicals in the same place.

Bleach in the bottle is generally a five percent solution. Toxic chlorine gas can be formed if bleach is mixed with
acids, such as bowl cleaners.

6. Ethanol
Ethanol is a natural byproduct of plant fermentation and can be produced through the hydration of ethylene. It
mixes easily with water and many organic compounds, and makes an effective solvent for use in paints, lacquers
and varnish, as well as personal care and household cleaning products.

Ethanol is highly flammable and should not be used near open flames. Ethanol inhalation can cause coughing or
headaches.

7. Phenol
Phenol, any of a family of organic compounds characterized by a hydroxyl (―OH) group attached to a carbon
atom that is part of an aromatic ring. Besides serving as the generic name for the entire family, the term phenol is
also the specific name for its simplest member, monohydroxybenzene (C 6H5OH), also known as benzenol, or
carbolic acid.
 Phenols are similar to alcohols but form stronger hydrogen bonds. They are more soluble in water than are alcohols
and have higher boiling points. Phenols occur either as colorless liquids or white solids at room temperature and
may be highly toxic and caustic.

Phenols are widely used in household products and as intermediates for industrial synthesis. For example, phenol
itself is used (in low concentrations) as a disinfectant in household cleaners and in mouthwash. Phenol may have
been the first surgical antiseptic. In 1865 the British surgeon Joseph Lister used phenol as an antiseptic to sterilize
his operating field.

8. Quaternary ammonium
The quaternary ammonium compounds (or quats) are a family of low-level disinfectants (according to Spaulding)
with most quats being derived from benzalkonium. Quats are reacted to provide a variety of chain lengths and
molecular structures so that the mix of quats used in the disinfectant provide a wider range of efficacy than a single
chain.

Quats are generally used to disinfect countertops, toilets and other high touch environmental surfaces and floors.
Quaternary ammonium compounds are cationic disinfectants. This means the quats chain carries a positive (plus)
charge on one end of the molecule; many soils and soaps/detergents carry an anionic or negative (minus) charge.

Quats can also bind with, or be absorbed by, materials and fibers including cotton (e.g., cleaning rags and mops).
Quats generally take 3-10 minutes to disinfect and should be used with cleaning tools that are tested to be
compatible.

9. Sodium percarbonate.
Sodium percarbonate is a powder that releases hydrogen peroxide, and very concentrated. It is a granulated powder
which can be nice for scrubbing stains and stuck-on-gunk off dishes. Scouring powder is made from hydrogen
peroxide. It can be made into a paste, too, and used on tile grout and tough stains.

In using this product, follow and read the instructions carefully. Be very careful in handling all household cleaning
products.

Uses of the Other Ingredients in Cleaning Products

In cooking, there are many interpretations of some dishes. But when one
or two ingredients are lacking, the food that you will eat will not be
delicious as what you expect. The same with the cleaning products. It is
not only the active ingredient that plays an important role in cleaning
agent but also the other ingredients.

With the different household cleaning products that we have in the market
today, we don’t know which the best is to use in our household We
assume that these cleaning products are safe to use. In fact, many popular
household cleaners are dangerously toxic. They contain different
ingredients that are harmful to our health Together with the active
ingredient there are other ingredients found in cleaning agents. Let’s look
at their uses.

1. Builders
Builders are one of the important group of ingredients that help make cleaning products better. Builders give the
surfactants a helping hand. They are found in several different kinds of products, but you need less of them than
you do surfactants.

Builders help make the surfactant more powerful by reacting with stuff found in tap water. Water in your home
may contain minerals (such as calcium and magnesium). The more minerals in your water, the “harder” the
water is. It is not bad to have minerals in water, but it can leave white marks on surfaces (like dishes). When
calcium and magnesium are present in water, they will stop surfactants from being able to do their job of
removing soil.

Builders help prevent this by keeping the minerals out of the way of the surfactants. This leaves the surfactants
alone to focus on the soil.
1. Solvents
Solvents are chemicals that help ingredients stay mixed and gives cleaning products the right thickness, so they
are easy to use. In addition, solvents can help to prevent liquid products from freezing in cold climates.
Without solvents, a product will be very thick. But for other products, we want the liquid to pour out of the
bottle. When we add solvents, we decrease the viscosity, meaning the liquid will move faster when poured out
of the bottle. The solvent also helps to makes sure we do not end up with a separated solution like when you
have pulp at the bottom of your glass of orange juice.

2. Enzymes
Enzymes are powerful stain removing ingredients. Their power is to break down stains just like the enzymes in
our digestive system help break down the food we eat. Enzymes are not living organisms but are created by
naturally occurring microorganisms, like bacteria and fungi. In the laboratory, we use carefully selected
microorganisms and allow them to grow in a very controlled environment. As they grow, they produce the
desired enzymes.

3. Fragrances
Fragrances are a group of ingredients that provide the cleaning product with a pleasant smell. They are not
found in every product, and typically a very small amount can make a large difference in smell. In many cases,
the fragrance is the driving factor for why someone decided to buy a specific product.

A fragrance is a mix of many different substances. These ingredients may be natural compounds (that come
from materials like flowers, fruit, trees, plants, or nuts), essential oils, or synthetic compounds.
5. Preservatives
Just like it is important to prevent food from spoiling, cleaning products need to be preserved as well. Adding a
small amount of a preservative protects the product from microorganisms.

A preservative is a substance that is added to a cleaning product in order to make it stable and safe for a longer
period. Without a preservative, it is possible for bacteria or fungi to grow in the product. This can cause the
ingredients in the product (like surfactants and enzymes) to break down and not work as well. Adding a
preservative allows a cleaning product to stay on the shelf longer both in the store and in your home.

6. pH Adjusters
Every cleaning product needs to be “balanced” to work well and to be safe for your skin. In order to do this,
chemists use pH adjusters to make sure the product is balanced and safe for you to use. The amount used
depends on the other ingredients in the formula.

pH is a measure of how acidic (like lemon juice) or basic (like baking soda) a solution is.
One way to measure this is by using the pH scale. The pH scale is read from 0 to 14 and tells us if a solution is
acidic or basic. Pure water has a pH of 7, which means it’s neutral.
pH adjusters are used in cleaning products to raise or lower the pH of a solution, making it either more basic or
acidic.

Chemists make sure that the product is effective while balancing safety, in part, by making sure the pH will not
be harmful if it touches your skin.

If the pH is less than 7, then the solution is acidic. Lemon juice has a pH around 2. Our skin is slightly acidic,
with a pH on average near 5. If our skin comes into contact with a chemical that is too acidic it can cause itching
or discomfort.

Adjusting the pH helps to keep the product working well as it gets old. It also affects how the product cleans.
For example, each surfactant has a different pH level in which they are the most powerful. Therefore, a chemist
may want to adjust the pH to that level.
If the pH is greater than 7, then the solution is basic. For example, baking soda has a pH of around 9. If a
solution is too alkaline (basic), it can also irritate your skin.

7. Dye
There are several other ingredients used in cleaning products that help create a unique experience. For example,
dye can be used to give a product color.
 1. Thickener
Thickeners give soap the proper viscosity (thickness), making sure it can still flow out of a bottle. Can you
imagine trying to wash your hands with a soap that feels like water? It would run right off your skin!

2. Foam Enhancer
Foam Enhancers help create suds or bubbles. While not necessary for effective cleaning, many people feel
bubbles show that a product is working.

3. Antibacterial or Disinfecting Ingredients

Cleaning washes away germs with any dirt and soil that is removed, but a further reduction of germs can be
achieved by using additional ingredients that will kill germs.

Antibacterial or disinfecting ingredients can be included in a cleaning or hand hygiene product or used
separately after cleaning. Their use provides a further reduction in germs on our hands or surfaces in our homes.
This reduction of germs helps to prevent people from getting sick when commonly used surfaces, such as door
handles, or our hands are cleansed using these products. In environments with sick individuals or where food is
prepared, this is especially important.

There are many different types of antibacterial or disinfecting ingredients. Depending on the chosen ingredient
used in a product, it may be more effective on certain microbes that make us sick like bacteria, viruses or mold.

Activity 1. Product Exploration

Direction:
With your cleaning products available at hand, read the product information on the packaging. Fill out what is ask
on the table below using the product information. During the activity, observe the products with caution, particularly
in smelling and touching as they may have harmful effects upon contact. Write your answer on a separate sheet.

Product Active/Major Guidelines in Precautions in

Product
Description Ingredient using the product using the product

For laundry: Separate

whites from colored.
99.9% antibacterial
Avoid using on silk,
protection, whitens,
wool, unfast colors or Do not use together
shortens cleaning time,
leathers. with other acidic
Zonrox Bleach removes tough stains &
Sodium Hypochlorite Deodorizing/ cleaners or chemicals.
(DO NOT TOUCH WITH BARE HANDS) dirt, deodorizes, &
Disinfecting: Mix 2 Not taken internally.
eliminates disease-
tbsps. Of Zonrox & Store in cool place
causing germs &
detergent per liter of
viruses
water. Immerse cloth,
wash and rinse.

Detergent Soap

Dishwashing Liquid

Toilet bowl cleaner

(DO NOT TOUCH
WITH BARE HANDS)
Activity 2. 4 PICS – 1 WORD. Below are four pics linked by one word. Work out what the word is,
from a set of letters given below the pictures.

Activity 3. WHICH CLEANING PRODUCT? Match the various household cleaning products in
Column A with which to use these products on Column B. Write a line connecting the two images.
 Formative Test

Answer the following questions in the answer sheet. Write the letter of the correct answer.

1. This is the type of cleaning products which many of the ingredients can be manufactured from
plants.
a. astringent c. detergent products
b. bleaches d. dishwashing liquid

2. Most of the cleaning materials have active ingredients but different materials, what bleaching
agent contains active ingredient that can remove stains?
a. chlorine c. potassium
b. magnesium d. sulfur
3. This cleaning product provides the chemical energy to help clean and remove food soil from
different types of cooking and serving items.
a. astringent c. detergent products
b. bleaches d. dishwashing liquid
 4. A cleaning agent that helps to disinfect and sanitize the materials and furniture in our home.
a. astringent c. detergent products
b. bleaches d. dishwashing liquid
5. To keep us healthy, the main function of this item is to prevent the spread of infectious
diseases and control allergens.
a. cleaning product c. electrical appliances
b. cooking utensils d. vehicles

6. Aside from the active ingredient, there are also other ingredients included in cleaning agents.
This ingredient helps in keeping the minerals out of the way of the surfactants.
a. builders c. pH adjusters
b. fragrance d. solvents
7. Depending on the chosen ingredient used in a product, what is the ingredient that helps to be
more effective on certain microbes?
a. antibacterial c. foam enhancer
b. enzymes d. preservatives
8. Adding of this ingredient in a certain liquid cleaning agent will decrease the viscosity of the
liquid. What is this ingredient?
a. dye c. solvents
b. enzymes d. thickener
9. Many people feel bubbles show that a product is working. What is the ingredient that creates
suds in a cleaning agent?
a. dye c. pH adjuster
b. foam enhancer d. preservatives
10. What is the group of ingredients that came in a natural or synthetic compound which gives
pleasant smell to the product?
a. antibacterial c. fragrance
b. foam enhancer d. thickener

References

“Amine oxide”, Accessed July 17, 2020,

https://www.clinisciences.com/en/buy/cat-amine-oxides-1830.html

“Chem 101: What you need to know about active ingredients?”, Accessed May 20, 2020, cleanlink.com.
https://www.cleanlink.com/hs/article/Chem-101-What-youneed-to-know-about-active-ingredients--372

“Chemicals Found in Household Products Chapter 6, Lesson 1”, Accessed May 20, 2020, study.com.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/chemicals-found-inhousehold-products.html

‘Ethanol”, Accessed July 17, 2020, https://www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/ethanol/

“Phenol”, Accessed July 17, 2020, https://www.britannica.com/science/phenol

“Sodium alkyl sulfate”, Accessed July 17, 22020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_alkyl_sulfate

“What is Alcohol Ethoxylate?”, Accessed July 17,2020,

https://www.oxiteno.us/what-is-alcohol-ethoxylateuses/#:~:text=Alcohol%20ethoxylates%20are%20a
%20class,industrial%20practices %20and%20commercial%20markets.&text=Alcohol%20ethoxylate
%20surfactants% 20enhance%20the,sections%20within%20the%20same%20compound.
Commission on Higher Education. Teaching Guide for Senior High School: Physical Science.
Book.https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B869YF0KEHr7SHFGVG5mVFFhcXc/view.
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0

Baking Soda”, Accessed July 21, 2020,

https://oconto.extension.wisc.edu/files/2011/02/Baking-
Soda.pdf#:~:text=Cleaning%3A%20Baking%20Soda%20acts%20a%20cleaning%20a gent%20because,for%20easy
%20removal%20as%20a%20gentle%20scouring%20po wder.
“Ingredients”, Accessed July 22, 2020, https://explorationclean.org/ingredients