Structure of typical soap molecule Soaps V’s Detergents Infection Control Principles - 4 Soaps are fats that have been treated with alkali (sodium or potassium hydroxide) to form a salt. A soap is technically a detergent because a detergent is “a product which is capable of cleansing”. What most people commonly call a detergent is a synthetic or semi-synthetic surfactant. Many of these synthetic detergents are in-fact derived from natural products. Plant derived oils are used as the “hydrophobic” component of the detergent, and sugars, alcohols or betains are used for the “hydrophilic” component. So many of these modern advanced detergents are extremely biodegradable and made from renewable resources. ©Copyright Quality Medical Innovations Pty. Ltd. and Majac Medical Products Pty. Ltd. Soaps have some major disadvantages over modern detergents: • Soaps have limited detergency power. Because of their chemical structure soaps are poor at penetrating and dissolving certain types of soil such as heavy fats and proteins. • Soaps react with metals (calcium, magnesium, iron etc.) that are dissolved in the water and form very insoluble precipitates (soap scum) that can deposit onto surfaces and are very hard to remove. • Soap has lower solubility in cooler water. Therefore less cleaning power and harder to rinse oﬀ.

Soaps V’s Detergents - Majac Healthcare · Soaps V’s Detergents Infection Control Principles - 4 Soaps are fats that have been treated with alkali (sodium or potassium hydroxide)

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Structure of typical soap molecule

Soaps V’s Detergents

Infection Control Principles - 4

Soaps are fats that have been treated with alkali (sodium or potassium hydroxide) to form a salt. A soap is technically a detergent because a detergent is “a product which is capable of cleansing”. What most people commonly call a detergent is a synthetic or semi-synthetic surfactant. Many of these synthetic detergents are in-fact derived from natural products. Plant derived oils are used as the “hydrophobic” component of the detergent, and sugars, alcohols or betains are used for the “hydrophilic” component. So many of these modern advanced detergents are extremely biodegradable and made from renewable resources.

©Copyright Quality Medical Innovations Pty. Ltd. and Majac Medical Products Pty. Ltd.

Soaps have some major disadvantages over modern detergents:• Soaps have limited detergency power.

Because of their chemical structure soaps are poor at penetrating and dissolving certain types of soil such as heavy fats and proteins.

• Soaps react with metals (calcium, magnesium, iron etc.) that are dissolved in the water and form very insoluble precipitates (soap scum) that can deposit onto surfaces and are very hard to remove.

• Soap has lower solubility in cooler water. Therefore less cleaning power and harder to rinse o�.

QMIQUALIT Y MEDICAL INNOVATIONS

Infection Control Principles

For more information go to the MAJAC Learning Centre:http://majacmedical.com.au/learningcentre

©Copyright Quality Medical Innovations Pty. Ltd. and Majac Medical Products Pty. Ltd.

Modern detergents have many advantages over soap:• Greater cleansing e�ciency because the structure of the

surfactant can be tailored to the type of soil and the surface to be cleaned.

• They do not react with heavy metals and other salts so they will not produce an insoluble residue.

• Greater solubility in water at di�erent temperatures, therefore better cleaning and rinsing.

• Higher e�ciency as “wetting” agents means they can penetrate soils that have been dried onto surfaces or contain high levels of heavy fats and oils.