The property of soap to get rid of dirt, dust and bacteria was used by people several thousand years ago. We can talk about two or three thousand years, at least. But what properties and components of soap are responsible for the fact that it gives purity?
Soap used in ancient Rome! And also the inhabitants of Egypt and Mesopotamia could not do without it. People already knew how to make soap. But on an industrial scale, soap began to be produced only in the thirties of the twentieth century in Europe.
Initially, soap was made from soap root. Such a soap did not have any chemical components. Natural product from the use of which there was no harm. The substance obtained from the root was washed and washed.
Soap was also made from animal fats mixed with ash. It was this composition that became the prototype of modern soap. It has changed that soda is used instead of ash, and oil is used instead of fat.
From whatever soap is made, from whatever components it consists, the main function remains unchanged. The function is so important and so simple - it is to clean the contaminated surface. And this function in the composition of the soap is handled primarily by alkali. Alkali has the ability to break down fats. Be it fats of vegetable or animal origin. And fats, just, make up the basis of dirt, which we want to get rid of with soap.
Why is there a greasy component in soap? The task of the soap is to prevent dirt that has been separated from the surface from adhering to it again. The enveloping component contributes to this. And the already separated dirt can be washed off with water.
From childhood, we learned to wash our hands with soap and water to kill bacteria. But soap does not kill bacteria. It only separates them from the surface of the skin, and we already wash them off with water. But without it, using water alone, getting rid of bacteria would be much more difficult.
If soap copes with its simple composition, why do modern manufacturers add so many components to it? Such a soap is much more expensive than its "simple" counterparts. In expensive varieties, essential oils or aromatic substances of chemical origin are added.
Moisturizers are also added. In this case, the skin is protected from overdrying. This is done to improve product properties, in the struggle for consumer choice. Antibacterial substances are added to certain types of soap. The choice of soap is huge! By the same principle as soap works, the majority of other detergents of our time also work.
To cope with its main task, to get rid of dirt, soap should contain two components. It is fat and alkali. Alkali dissolves fat, which does not allow water to wash away dirt from the surface, and greasy bases helps to prevent dirt from sticking back and can be easily removed with water.
