From 10d365c664d0cb29bbc478fd7b8fd91aa66d1480 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Kenneth Odle Date: Sun, 12 Jan 2025 20:20:40 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] Began section on bases --- science-of-cleaning.tex | 16 ++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 16 insertions(+) diff --git a/science-of-cleaning.tex b/science-of-cleaning.tex index 621ee60..65c5a16 100644 --- a/science-of-cleaning.tex +++ b/science-of-cleaning.tex @@ -322,6 +322,22 @@ Hydrochloric acid is pretty strong stuff (and therefore, it's pretty dangerous s \chapter{Alkaline Cleaners} +Basic (that is, ``alkaline'') cleaners work by releasing an \ch{OH-} (hydroxide) ion into a solution. + +\section{Sodium Bicarbonate} + +Sodium bicarbonate has a number of different names, but in a lot of places it's called ``baking soda'', which is a fine white powder. It's a weak base, so it's fairly safe to use as a cleanser, although its weakness means it will not be as effective as other items in this section, which is fine if you want to use some elbow grease. + +In fact, a lot of people recommend making a paste of water and baking soda to use as an abrasive cleaner, as baking soda typically will not scratch most surfaces. The problem with this is that sodium bicarbonate is highly soluble in water, so by mixing it with water, you are really eliminating its ability to scrub dirt off a substance. It's much more effective to make a paste with baking soda and oil, because the baking soda is not soluble in oil. Additionally, the oil is more viscous than water, and so tends to stay in place. + +You will often hear the recommendation to place a box of baking soda in your refrigerator and another one in your freezer to absorb odors. This is actually a myth, one created by the Arm \& Hammer company in the 1920s to sell more baking soda at the time that home refrigerators were just coming on the market. In fact, baking soda has little to no ability to absorb odors. If odors in your refrigerator are an issue, you would do better with a box of activated charcoal to absorb those odors, although the best thing to do is to find out where those odors are coming from and eliminate them. + +\section{Ammonia} + +\section{Bleach — Sodium Hypochorate} + +\section{Lye — Sodium Hydroxide} + \chapter{Surfactants}