Are anti-dye tablets and incense beads IQ tax or "black technology"?

Original title: anti-stain tablets, incense beads, softeners...

Use science to tell you that these laundry "ingredients" are really fragrant

In the past "March 8" International Women's Day, major online shopping platforms have launched promotional activities, and women's frequently purchased goods - washing powder are also in the category of profit.

Nowadays, the types of laundry products are constantly renovated, and when washing clothes, not only the "main ingredient" - washing powder, but also a lot of "ingredients", such as anti-dyeing tablets, incense beads, softeners, etc.

So, are these products IQ taxed or "black tech"? What role do they play? What can I do to get the most out of it?

In response to the above problems, the reporter of Science and Technology Daily interviewed relevant experts to solve your puzzles one by one.

Stain-proof tablets: Powerful adsorption locks in the "escape" dye

Dyeing clothes is a headache, and if you are not careful, light-colored clothes will inevitably be dyed by dark clothes. In recent years, a product called anti-dye tablets has become popular on online shopping platforms, and merchants call it a new type of auxiliary laundry tool that avoids dye particles from attaching to other clothing. However, does it really have such a god?

"Anti-staining tablets, also known as anti-string color washing tablets, can prevent clothes from stringing and fading when washing, and it is made of adsorbable materials." Zeng Jia, a senior engineer at the Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Industry of China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation, said in an interview with the Science and Technology Daily reporter that this small white cloth piece that looks ordinary is actually "full of skills".

First of all, the anti-dye film makes use of the principle of anion and plasma adsorption commonly used in the chemical industry. Clothing made of cotton fiber, animal fur, artificial leather, polyester fabric and other materials is dyed with chemical dyes before leaving the factory. If this kind of clothing is decolored during washing, the dye surface in the water will have anions, and the surface of the anti-dyeing tablet has cations, and the combination of anions and anions can prevent the falling dye from "contaminating" other clothing. Secondly, the anti-dyeing tablets are mostly loose and porous structures similar to activated carbon, and they also have a certain adsorption effect on the cationic dyes commonly used in fabrics such as acrylic.

"Stain-proof tablets with these two skills have a strong adsorption capacity and can quickly adsorb dye molecules released during washing of multi-color fabrics, thus avoiding the shedding dye molecules from being adsorbed by other clothing." Zeng Jia added that before washing, it is best to read the product description of the anti-dyeing tablets, and put a sufficient amount of anti-dyeing tablets according to the number of washed clothes to ensure that they can fully play their role.

Lingering Beads: Nanoscale microcapsules release aromas for a long time

Nowadays, many women feel that washing clothes should not only be clean, but also fragrant. But it is difficult to do this with washing powder alone, so the incense beads turned out.

Zeng Jia said that the incense beads are a commonly used clothing toiletries, which can make the clothes stay fragrant for a long time after washing.

"The main ingredients of the incense beads are fragrance essential oils and microcapsules. Most clothing fiber surfaces carry anions when washing, while the surface of the incense bead microcapsules has cations on the surface, which will be firmly adsorbed on the surface of the clothing. Zeng Jia explained that the microcapsules wrap the fragrance essential oil in a small micro-nano capsule, and the capsule material does not produce a chemical reaction with the fragrance essential oil, which can serve as a barrier to prevent the rapid evaporation or oxidation of the fragrance. After washing the clothes, the fragrance in the microcapsules of the incense beads can only be slowly released through the pores of the microcapsules shell, so that people feel that the clothes washed with the incense beads can retain the fragrance for a long time, and even resist the smell of clothes caused by eating hot pot, eating barbecue, sweating and smoking.

"With the advancement of technology, the formula of the new generation of incense beads has been adjusted, adding functions such as sterilization, mite removal, stain dissolution and suppleness, etc., which adopts the structure of color and white two-color beads - color beads are soft and fragrant, and white beads are sterilized, mites are removed, and stains are dissolved." Zeng Jia said.

At the same time, when washing clothes in the washing machine, due to the relatively large friction strength of the machine, or resulting in the explosion of the microcapsules of the incense beads, the aroma is released, and a pleasant fragrance is emitted. "Machine washes maximize the release of the aroma of the beads, which is why many bead products recommend them for machine washes. It should be noted that if it is a multi-colored clothing mix, it is recommended to add anti-stain tablets first, wait for a period of time, and then put in the incense beads, which can prevent the chemical reaction of the two substances. Zeng Jia added.

Softener: Eliminate static electricity from the fabric by lubricating the protective film

Softeners are the "big brother" in laundry products. Laundry detergents and softeners have long been a golden combination, like a fixture between shampoo and conditioner. The biggest selling point of softeners is that they make clothes supple and non-static.

"In fact, clothes are usually supple when they leave the factory, but after people wash them with alkaline detergents, they destroy their softness. For this reason, the addition of softeners during washing can play a role in making the fabric soft, fluffy and non-static. Zeng Jia said.

She introduced that the role of the softener is similar to evenly applying a layer of lubricating protective film on the surface of the clothing fibers, and the fiber surface of the clothing is adsorbed with the softener, so that the friction coefficient between the fibers is reduced, the mobility is enhanced, and the inherent smoothness, extension and compression performance of the fibers are also restored, and the clothes will appear soft, fluffy and elastic. At the same time, the softener will also reduce the resistivity of the surface layer of the clothing fibers, prevent charge accumulation, thereby reducing the possibility of static electricity, and reduce the dust adsorption caused by static electricity. As a result, the clothes become fluffy after washing and rarely absorb ash.

"However, it is worth noting that due to the different mechanisms of action of various detergents and softeners, if they are poured into the washing machine together, there may be a charge 'fight' phenomenon, which makes the washing effect of the clothes and the softening effect greatly reduced." Therefore, it is recommended to pour the softener into the softener tank of the washing machine, or add the softener in the middle of the washing to ensure the softening effect of the softener. Zeng Jia added.

Bacteriostatic liquid, sterilization liquid: Use various methods to kill bacteria on clothing

In public places such as shopping malls, buses, and hospitals, bacteria are everywhere. E. coli residue attached to intimate clothing cannot be removed with laundry products alone. Washing machines that have not been cleaned for many years are a breeding ground for bacteria. Laundry detergent can only play a role in decontamination, can not remove the bacteria hidden in the depths of the clothing, when people realize the necessity of clothing sterilization, clothing antibacterial liquid, sterilization liquid products have been introduced.

"Ordinary laundry detergents do not have antibacterial functions, and can only clean the surface stains of clothes." Zeng Jia introduced that the standard names of bacteriostatic liquid and sterilization liquid are bacteriostatic detergent and antibacterial detergent, which have the function of inhibiting the reproduction of microorganisms on the surface of clothing or contact sterilization, and can reduce the possibility of bacterial cross-infection after use.

The mainland has formulated the "antibacterial and bacteriostatic detergent" light industry standard, stipulating that it is formulated from surfactants, washing aids and fungicides or bacteriostatic agents, which must have decontamination and antibacterial or bacteriostatic functions. Bacteriostatic agents and fungicides use metal ion contact reactions, catalytic activation mechanisms, and cation fixation mechanisms to achieve the effect of inhibiting bacterial growth and then killing bacteria.

"The sterilization efficiency of the sterilization solution and the bacteriostatic solution is not the same. The sterilization rate of the sterilization solution is required to be no less than 90%, while the sterilization rate of the bacteriostatic solution is generally required to be no less than 50%. Zeng Jia especially reminded that although the difference between the bacteriostatic liquid and the sterilization liquid is only one word, the bactericidal effect is hugely different, and consumers should be clear when purchasing to achieve the expected disinfection effect. (Reporter Zhang Yun)