Whether mechanically or manually – perfectly removing food residues from dishes is a highly demanding cleaning task. Dishes are expected to sparkle and be hygienically clean, ideally in no time at all and regardless of the type and stubbornness of the residues.
In manual dishwashing, consumers often equate foam with cleaning power. Thus high-foaming surfactants are preferred for formulating manual dishwashing agents.
The cleaning process in a dishwasher requires low-foaming surfactants.
Hydrotropic surfactants improve the solubility of nonionic surfactants in alkaline or electrolyte-rich formulations, such as detergents for use in dishwashers.
With the right product, perfume oils or hydrophobic solvents can be clearly solubilised.
Depending on product type, dosage system and application, the viscosity of a cleaner must be in the “right” range and therefore needs to be either decreased or increased.
Degreasing means completely removing hydrophobic dirt (e.g. oils and fats). For this purpose, nonionic surfactants are a good choice since they provide a high fat-dissolving power.
Wetting of dirt and surfaces is the first step in the cleaning process and thus very important. Special surfactants with good wetting properties speed up the cleaning process.
Cleaning dishes means removing dirt from the surface first and subsequently dispersing all dirt components in water to avoid dirt redeposits on the dishes. Dishwashing agents must contain surfactants that are able to emulsify the main dirt components (oils and fats) effectively.
Metal surfaces can be damaged by acidic cleaners and rinse aids. Surfactants with anti-corrosion properties can prevent corrosion during the cleaning process.
