Why detergents are better than soap?

Let me add another point - detergents are more versatile. You can formulate them for specific purposes like laundry pods, dishwasher tablets, or hand sanitizers. Regular soap can't handle extreme pH conditions, but detergents work in both acidic and alkaline environments. This is why you'll find detergents in everything from shampoo to industrial cleaners. The customization possibilities are endless, which is why they've largely replaced soap for most cleaning applications in the past 50 years.

As someone who does a lot of laundry for a family of five, I can tell you practically: detergents just work better for modern cleaning needs. They're formulated with surfactants that are more effective on oily stains, they rinse out more completely from fabrics, and they don't leave residue that can damage washing machines over time. Plus, liquid detergents work better in cold water, which most of us use now to save energy. Soaps might be more "natural," but for actual cleaning power, detergents win hands down.

From a chemistry perspective, it's all about the molecular structure. Traditional soaps are carboxylate salts with a charged head and hydrocarbon tail. Detergents often have sulfonate groups or other charged heads that are less likely to bind with metal ions. Also, modern detergents contain enzymes that break down protein-based stains (like blood or egg) and whitening agents that soaps lack. If you're interested in the science behind this, the American Cleaning Institute has some great educational resources.

Great question! Detergents generally work better than soaps in hard water because they don't form scum. Soap molecules react with calcium and magnesium ions in hard water to create that nasty, insoluble film you see on bathtubs. Detergents, on the other hand, are synthetic compounds specifically designed to avoid this reaction. Their molecules don't precipitate out in hard water, so they keep cleaning effectively. That's why your laundry comes out cleaner with detergents if you live in a hard water area!