detergents definition
detergents means substances and preparations, within the meaning of Council Directive 73/404/EEC of 22 November 1973 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to detergents (3), as last amended by Directive 86/94/EEC (4), which are intended to be used for cleaning certain products as referred to in Article 1 (1) (a).
detergents actually means any cleaning agents. There are two main types of detergents: the soaps already mentioned and the nonsoaps, which are commonly referred to as “synthetic detergents”. Synthetics were originally developed not because of a scarcity of soap, but to overcome its disadvantages. While soap is a very good general cleaning agent in soft water, it is not so satisfactory when used in hard or cold water. Calcium and magnesium salts, in hard water, react with soap to form soft, gummy scum that stick to the surface being cleaned. This scum is as difficult to wash off as is the original dirt itself. This means that part of the soap added to hard water is consumed in softening the water, and only after that can the leftover soap do the cleaning for which it is intended.