Soap's Unique Bridge to Cleanliness

Removing an oil stain from a shirt, washcloth, rag or brush with only water is an extremely difficult task. Everybody knows that water is not going to do the trick of removing that stain or spot.  Which is why soap is so crucial to the process of cleaning and removing stains from almost anything, specifically clothing and cheap fabrics. After reading this article by D. P. Tieleman, D. van der Spoel, and H. J. C. Berendsen, I feel much more confident in knowing how soap cleans through the use of chemistry.  The chemical reaction that soap creates with water is interesting to me because I was completely unaware of the structure and pathway that soap takes in order to remove a substance from another.  The soap in essence creates a bridge/pathway between the water and oil substance, which allows for the fabric to be freed of any previously existing oil particles.  It fascinates me that such small molecules of soap are able to react with water and can almost take the place of oil by pulling it away from the fabric.  Now, whenever I am using soap to remove a stain, I’ll be aware of the chemical reaction that is occurring within the palm of my hand.

I enjoyed reading through this article as it provides a great understanding of how soap operates and the chemical reaction it creates with water, which allows for the removal of dirt substances.

http://www.edinformatics.com/interactive_molecules/soap.htm

Submitted by Michael Haueisen