We offer a liquid laundry program that includes the use of surfactant technology. When a surfactant molecule is introduced into water, the water-hating part tries to escape by attaching itself to any available surface other than water. At the same time, the water-loving part tries to remain in water. When they adsorb to soil, surfactants hold soil particles in suspension and help prevent them from redepositing onto the surface from which they have been removed. This beading slows down the wetting of the surface and inhibits the cleaning process.
Anionic surfactants have a negative charge.
In hard water, they react with positively charged water hardness minerals, such as calcium and magnesium. In general, anionic surfactants tend to generate higher suds levels than other classes of surfactants. Nonionic surfactants do not have an electrical charge. Because of this, they tend to be less seriously affected by water hardness. In general, they are low foaming and are especially useful in products that are designed to require little rinsing.