7/24/2019 Chemistry of Stain Removal

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THE CHEMISTRY OF STAIN REMOVALA number of substances can stain clothes or furnishings, and some can be stubborn to remove. A range of chemicals can help do the job, varyingdepending on the type of stain. Stains will often have more than one characteristic, meaning a mix of these agents is often used to facilitate their removal.

ENZYMATIC STAINS OXIDISABLE STAINS GREASY STAINS PARTICULATE STAINS

Blood, grass, chocolate Tea, cofee, red wine Oil, collar stains, butter Mud, soil, dirt

ENZYMES BLEACHES SURFACTANTS BUILDERS

Oxidise coloured substances to colourlessones by breaking down chromophores,sections of chemical structures that can

cause colouration. Bleaches are often

either oxygen-based or chlorine-based.The oxidising agent in oxygen-based

bleaches is hydrogen peroxide; this is lessefective below 40C, so the compound

tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) isincluded to produce peracetic acid, a

better oxidising agent.

Enzyme-based agents help to break downproteins, starches and fats by breaking upthe large, insoluble molecules into smaller,more soluble ones. Proteases break downproteins, amylases break down starch, and

lipases break down fats.

Surfactants help oils and grease dissolvein water. They are molecules that havea water-soluble head and a oil-soluble

tail. They form spherical structures calledmicelles around oil droplets, which then

allows them to dissolve in water.

Builders are compounds that help softenhard water by removing calcium and

magnesium ions. This helps remove soilmolecules, as they are often bound to

fabrics by calcium ion bridging. They alsoenhance the action of surfactants.

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