A group of organic compounds that cause foaming and serve as cleansing agents based on their surface-active properties. A detergent molecule is termed surface-active because a portion of the molecule is hydrophilic and a portion is hydrophobic. It will...

Commonly called syndets, these were introduced as substitutes for soap. The major advantage is that they do not form insoluble precipitates with soap. Two serious problems with environmental significance were foaming in aeration tanks and in receiving...

A substance, other than SOAP, which is used as a cleaning agent. They vary in chemical composition but contain SURFACTANTS to lower the surface tension of liquids and thereby improve their ability to dislodge dirt adhering to surfaces. The term does...

A substance used for cleaning. Basic ingredients are surface active agents (surfactants), which are large polar molecules, see Synthetic...

Detergent is a compound, or a mixture of compounds, intended to assist cleaning. The term is often used to differentiate between soap and other chemical surfactants used for cleaning...

An environmental group asked the federal government Tuesday to ban a class of toxic chemical compounds that are found in industrial and household detergents and are believed to cause male fish to develop female characteristics.The Sierra Club also asked the Environmental Protection Agency to bar...

Procter & Gamble Co. will try to convince consumers that less is better when it comes to laundry detergent.The company Tuesday detailed its plans for the rollout of "Tide 2X Ultra" and other increased-concentration liquid detergent brands. They are supposed to wash the same amount...

City streets got an unscheduled cleaning as a sudsy citrus-scented foam erupted from manhole covers like geysers.The bubbles spewed from a three-block stretch on the city's east side Thursday after American Linen accidentally released detergent into the municipal sewer lines. The combination of gravity and...

Procter & Gamble Co., boosted by strong sales of new Gillette shavers and by new products in longtime brands such as Tide and Crest, reported profits for its fourth quarter and the full year each rose 19 percent.P&G also announced plans to step up stock...