◎Intern reporter Pei Chenwei
Down jacket cleaner, small white shoe cleaner and stain remover pen are actually similar in terms of composition. Their principle is to use surfactants as active ingredients for decontamination, plus auxiliary solvents, thickeners, foaming agents and other ingredients.
As the weather gradually warmed up, many people took off their heavy down jackets and changed into light spring clothes. Before putting the down jacket in the wardrobe, an important step is indispensable - cleaning.
At this time of year, sales of down jacket cleaners grow. "The down jacket cleaner has saved me a lot of money on dry cleaning, and it's a gentle formula that deeply removes stains without damaging the down. After washing, the clothes are fluffy and soft, and there is a faint fragrance. A netizen recommended on a social platform.
The most sought-after cleaning products are not only down jacket cleaners, but also small white shoe cleaners, stain removal pens... What is the decontamination principle of these "Internet celebrity" decontamination products? Are they really that amazing? The reporter interviewed Sun Yafei, a doctor of chemistry at Tsinghua University and a popular science writer.
The active ingredient is surfactant
On an e-commerce platform, the reporter searched for "down jacket cleaner" as the keyword and found a large number of similar products. Most merchants claim that this product is suitable for down jackets, wool, glossy clothing and other clothing, and can cope with various stains such as oil, sweat, tea, lipstick, coffee, etc., and the decontamination is fast and the decontamination effect is obvious. When in use, simply shake the tank, press the pump head, apply the cleaning agent to the surface of the stain, gently brush in the same direction with the cleaning brush, and wipe off excess foam with a wet towel wrung out of water after brushing.
The reporter looked at a certain brand of small white shoe cleaner in the same way. The merchant's promotional interface shows that if you want to clean small white shoes, you only need to brush the upper with a brush to clean the dust, gently shake the product, press the spray head to spray foam at the shoe, wait half a minute and wipe the upper with wet wipes.
Using a stain remover pen is simpler, first use a paper towel to wipe off excess stains on the surface of the garment, then put a paper towel under the stain, then use the stain remover pen to apply vigorously along the periphery of the stain until the stain fades, and finally wipe the surface liquid with a wrung out wet towel.
By comparing the ingredient lists of these three products, the reporter found that they all contained the ingredient "surfactant". At the same time, some down jacket cleaner merchants have made it clear that because the product contains flammable solvents, it is necessary to keep it away from high temperature and open flame.
"Down jacket cleaner, little white shoe cleaner and stain remover pens are actually similar in terms of ingredients." Sun Yafei said, "Their principle is to use surfactants as active ingredients for decontamination, plus auxiliary solvents, thickeners, foaming agents and other ingredients. ”
How do surfactants fulfill their decontamination "mission"?
In daily life, oil and water have different polarities and cannot dissolve each other, so it is impossible to remove oil stains by washing with water. Surfactants can "connect" two substances of different polarities, and its "one hand" - the hydrophilic group can "catch" the water, and the "other hand" - the lipophilic group can "catch" the oil, with which the oil can be washed away by the water.
"Surfactants are not only the active ingredients of these 'influencer' detergent products, but also the active ingredients in general laundry detergents or laundry detergents." Sun Yafei added.
Although the active ingredients and decontamination principles of these cleaning agents are the same, different types of products differ slightly in terms of relevant parameters according to the characteristics of the cleaning target.
"For example, when cleaning white shoes, given the rough upper and the need for friction to remove surface stains, manufacturers add small particles that facilitate friction in the formulation, while also increasing the amount of foam generated to bring the stain out of the micropores." Sun Yafei said, "The situation with down jacket cleaners is the opposite. The surface of the down jacket is relatively smooth and the area is large, so when designing, the manufacturer will reduce the viscosity and foam richness of the cleaning agent, and increase the organic solvent, which will help the rapid volatilization of the cleaning agent to achieve a similar effect to dry cleaning. ”
Although it is easy to use, there are also shortcomings
Sun Yafei said that "net red" cleaning agent manufacturers have greatly reduced the water consumption during cleaning by choosing the right surfactant, such as a new nonionic surfactant, and can even replace water with volatile organic solvents, thus achieving the purpose of portability.
However, Sun Yafei reminded that these cleaning agents also have shortcomings.
First, these cleaners have a hard time getting inside the fiber of the garment and usually just clean the surface. "In most cases, just cleaning the surface is enough. But sometimes, clothes or shoes absorb sweat, and bacteria may grow inside their fibers. Cleaning only the surface does not achieve a thorough cleaning effect. Sun Yafei said.
Secondly, organic solvents in some cleaning agents may damage the fabric. Sun Yafei reminded that it is best for users not to use detergent products in a large area at once, but to read the product manual carefully, and then try it in a small area in places that are not easy to be noticed, such as the cuffs of the down jacket, to ensure that the detergent does not harm the fabric before continuing to use.
Third, keep away from open flames when using cleaning agents to avoid fire caused by flammable solvents.
Finally, after using these cleaners, some ingredients will remain on the surface of the clothes, including non-volatile surfactants. "If you are allergic to these substances, when you wear these clothes or shoes again, you may experience symptoms such as itchy skin. Therefore, for this type of population, such portable cleaning agents are not suitable. Sun Yafei reminded.