A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with cleaning properties in dilute solutions. These substances are usually alkyl benzene sulfonates, a family of compounds that are similar to soap but are more soluble in hard water, because the polar sulfonate (of detergents) is less likely than the polar carboxyl (of soap) to bind to calcium and other ions found in hard water. Detergents work because they are amphiphilic - partly hydrophilic (polar) and partly hydrophobic (non-polar). Their dual nature facilitates the mixture of hydrophobic compounds (like oil and grease) with water.
· Powder Detergent falls into four major groups:
· Heavy duty detergents (high and low foaming),
· Light duty detergents,
· Soap powders, and
· Soda products.
The major use of powder detergent is in households for washing clothes and utensils even though there exisst large quantity of industrial users. They are suitable for hand washing and also for machine washing in laundries and dish washers.