Active Ingredients of Cleaning Products Used at Home

• Alcohol Ethoxylate (AE) - is a class of compounds that are commonly used throughout many industrial practices and commercial markets
• AE surfactants enhance the mixing and solubilization of oil and water by having these contrasting sections within the same compound.
• 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
• Sodium alkyl sulfate are member of alkyl sulfates.
• It can be used in detergents, dish washing liquids, shower gels, shampoos, hair conditioners and fabric softeners
• SAS are water-soluble and can form soap bubbles
• SAS can also be used as fire extinguishing agent, because it is not flammable
• In the cosmetic industry, SAS is used as an emulsifier to mix oily and water-soluble compounds for toothpaste or moisturizing products
• SAS can produce irritating vapors when heated, consisting of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and others.
• As all detergents, SAS can irritate skin and eyes.

  If swallowed, SAS will cause nausea or vomiting.
• Amine Oxide - also known as amine-N-oxide and N-oxide, 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
• Ammonia - is a colorless and soluble alkali gas that occurs naturally in the environment
• Ammonia is a chemical containing one nitrogen and three hydrogen atoms bonded together
• Ammonia traditionally used in many household cleaners, though today it's still found in glass cleaner, all-purpose cleaners, and smelling salts
• Sodium hypochlorite - also known as bleach is another alkali disinfectant
• Bleach works by oxidizing or breaking down the molecular bonds of stains and germs
• Ammonia and bleach are a particularly dangerous combination, creating potentially deadly gases when mixed. Never store these two chemicals in the same place.
• Ethanol - is a natural byproduct of plant fermentation and can be produced through the hydration of ethylene
• Ethanol 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
• 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
• the term phenol is also the specific name for its simplest member, monohydroxybenzene (C6H5OH), also known as benzenol, or carbolic acid
• Phenols are similar to alcohols but form stronger hydrogen bonds
• Phenols 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
• According to Spaulding, quaternary ammonium compounds are a family of low-level disinfectants 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
• Sodium percarbonate - is a powder that releases hydrogen peroxide, and very concentrated
• sodium percarbonate is a granulated powder that can be nice for scrubbing stains and stuck-on-gunk-off dishes
• scouring powder can also become a paste, and used on tile grout and tough stains