The Origins of Dirt
In a simple model, "dirt" can be divided into two categories:
Closer investigation of the dispersed soil found on laundry has surprising results. First, there is a lot of hidden soil in our everyday clothes. There are four main sources of such hidden soil, namely:
- Stains: Localized, highly visible
- Soil: Dispersed, less noticeable
Closer investigation of the dispersed soil found on laundry has surprising results. First, there is a lot of hidden soil in our everyday clothes. There are four main sources of such hidden soil, namely:
- Soil generated by our bodies and the bacteria that live on human skin
- Soil derived from personal care products such as lotions, creams, deodorants, make-up and hair sprays
- Soil from our environment, such as from air pollution
- Textile finishes (softeners, optical brighteners
, dye fixatives) and laundry detergent residuals (perfumes, fabric softeners, etc.)
Where Does Dirt Come From?
Soil (or dirt) is generated by various sources, but the largest percentage comes from our bodies. More than 60% of laundry generated at home has been in direct contact with bodies.
Each day a person sheds more than a billion skin flakes, generates about a litre of sweat and produces tens of grams of "sebum," a mixture of triglycerides, fatty acids, wax esters and cholesterol. The human skin microflora (up to 1.5 million bacteria live on 1 cm2) feed on this organic soil, producing additional and often highly odiferous compounds.
An average wash load contains 40 grams of soil, or 3 large spoonfuls. A heavily soiled wash load may contain over 120 grams of soil. Removing all of this soil during a single wash cycle continues to be a challenge to detergent manufacturers and the laundry appliance industry.
Each day a person sheds more than a billion skin flakes, generates about a litre of sweat and produces tens of grams of "sebum," a mixture of triglycerides
, fatty acids, wax esters and cholesterol. The human skin microflora (up to 1.5 million bacteria live on 1 cm2) feed on this organic soil, producing additional and often highly odiferous compounds. An average wash load contains 40 grams of soil, or 3 large spoonfuls. A heavily soiled wash load may contain over 120 grams of soil. Removing all of this soil during a single wash cycle continues to be a challenge to detergent manufacturers and the laundry appliance industry.
What Is Dirt Composed Of?
Dirt extracted from a typical laundry load is complex. It is composed of proteins, starches, carbohydrates, lipids, fatty acids, inorganic salts, clays, pigments and more. The large number of chemically distinct compounds makes soil removal a tough challenge.
Modern detergents are also complex mixtures of chemicals, many of them specifically designed to attack a certain kind of stain.
Modern detergents are also complex mixtures of chemicals, many of them specifically designed to attack a certain kind of stain.