PHYSICAL SCIENCE (3rd Quarter)

Name: __________________________________ Grade Level: ______________

Date: ___________________________________ Score: __________________

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

Properties and Mode of Action of Cleaning Materials

Background Information
Uses of the Other Ingredients in Cleaning Agents
Cleaning products or agents are very helpful in maintaining our home a conducive place for relaxation. They
can remove dirt, dust, bad odor, and other contaminants present in every corner of our home. They have different
ingredients that suit to different cleaning products. Some can kill virus and bacteria while being able to clean an area.
Others contain ingredients that can remove grease or oil on the surface. Most of the cleaning agents remove the foul
odor in the surroundings.
Uses of the Other Ingredients in Cleaning Products
With the different household cleaning products that we have in the market today, we don’t know which the best is to
use in our household We assume that these cleaning products are safe to use. In fact, many popular household cleaners
are dangerously toxic. They contain different ingredients that are harmful to our health Together with the active
ingredient there are other ingredients found in cleaning agents. Let’s look at their uses.
1. Builders give the surfactants a helping hand. (Surfactants also called surface-active agent, such as detergent,
that when added to liquid, reduces its surface tension, thereby increasing its spreading and wetting properties.)
Builders are found in several different kinds of products, but you need less of them than you do surfactants.
Builders help make the surfactant more powerful by reacting with stuff found in tap water. Water in your
home may contain minerals (such as calcium and magnesium). The more minerals in your water, the “harder”
the water is. It is not bad to have minerals in water, but it can leave white marks on surfaces (like dishes).
When calcium and magnesium are present in water, they will stop surfactants from being able to do their job
of removing soil. Builders help prevent this by keeping the minerals out of the way of the surfactants. This
leaves the surfactants alone to focus on the soil.

2. Solvents are chemicals that help ingredients stay mixed and gives cleaning products the right thickness, so
they are easy to use. In addition, solvents can help to prevent liquid products from freezing in cold climates.
Without solvents, a product will be very thick. But for other products, we want the liquid to pour out of the
bottle. When we add solvents, we decrease the viscosity, meaning the liquid will move faster when poured out
of the bottle. The solvent also helps to makes sure we do not end up with a separated solution like when you
have pulp at the bottom of your glass of orange juice.

3. Enzymes are powerful stain removing ingredients. Their power is to break down stains just like the enzymes
in our digestive system help break down the food we eat. Enzymes are not living organisms but are created by
naturally occurring microorganisms, like bacteria and fungi. In the laboratory, we use carefully selected
microorganisms and allow them to grow in a very controlled environment. As they grow, they produce the
desired enzymes.

4. Fragrances are a group of ingredients that provide the cleaning product with a pleasant smell. They are not
found in every product, and typically a very small amount can make a large difference in smell. In many cases,
the fragrance is the driving factor for why someone decided to buy a specific product. A fragrance is a mix of
many different substances. These ingredients may be natural compounds (that come from materials like
flowers, fruit, trees, plants, or nuts), essential oils, or synthetic compounds.

5. Preservatives is a substance that is added to a cleaning product in order to make it stable and safe for a longer
period. Without a preservative, it is possible for bacteria or fungi to grow in the product. This can cause the
ingredients in the product (like surfactants and enzymes) to break down and not work as well. Adding a
preservative allows a cleaning product to stay on the shelf longer both in the store and in your home.

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 6. pH Adjusters is used to make sure the product is balanced and safe for you to use. pH is a measure of how
acidic (like lemon juice) or basic (like baking soda) a solution is. One way to measure this is by using the pH
scale. The pH scale is read from 0 to 14 and tells us if a solution is acidic or basic. Pure water has a pH of 7,
which means it’s neutral. pH adjusters are used in cleaning products to raise or lower the pH of a solution,
making it either more basic or acidic. Chemists make sure that the product is effective while balancing safety,
in part, by making sure the pH will not be harmful if it touches your skin. If the pH is less than 7, then the
solution is acidic. Lemon juice has a pH around 2. Our skin is slightly acidic, with a pH on average near 5. If
our skin comes into contact with a chemical that is too acidic it can cause itching or discomfort. Adjusting the
pH helps to keep the product working well as it gets old. It also affects how the product cleans. For example,
each surfactant has a different pH level in which they are the most powerful. Therefore, a chemist may want to
adjust the pH to that level. If the pH is greater than 7, then the solution is basic. For example, baking soda has
a pH of around 9. If a solution is too alkaline (basic), it can also irritate your skin.

7. Dye can be used to give a product color.

8. Thickener give soap the proper viscosity (thickness), making sure it can still flow out of a bottle.

9. Foam Enhancer help create suds or bubbles. While not necessary for effective cleaning, many people feel
bubbles show that a product is working.

10. Antibacterial or Disinfecting Ingredients can be included in a cleaning or hand hygiene product or used
separately after cleaning. This reduction of germs helps to prevent people from getting sick when commonly
used surfaces are cleansed using these products. There are many different types of antibacterial or disinfecting
ingredients. Depending on the chosen ingredient used in a product, it may be more effective on certain
microbes that make us sick like bacteria, viruses or mold.
Active Ingredients of Cleaning Products Used at Home
Cleaning products also enable us to care for our homes and possessions. There are different kinds of cleaning
products: laundry detergents, bleaches, dishwashing products and other household cleaners. Active ingredients are
found in different household cleaning products. They can give either positive or negative side effects to us. So before
using these cleaning materials be sure to read first the instructions. Don’t forget to follow all precautionary and safety
measures before using them. Here are some of the active ingredients found in different cleaning materials we use at
home.
1. Alcohol ethoxylates - These compounds are synthesized via the reaction of a fatty alcohol and ethylene oxide,
resulting in a molecule that consists of two main components, (1) the oleophilic, carbon-rich, fatty alcohol and
(2) the hydrophilic, polyoxymethylene chain. Alcohol ethoxylate surfactants enhance the mixing and
solubilization of oil and water by having these contrasting sections within the same compound. With this
unique structure, a single molecule can inhabit the interface of two immiscible phases (i.e. oil and water),
effectively bringing them closer together and lowering the interfacial energy associated between them.
Because these compounds are surfactants, they can be used whenever oily substances encounter water or a
surface. It can be used as detergents, wetting agents, emulsifiers, degreasers and emollients in many lines of
commercially available products and industrial practices.

2. Sodium alkyl sulfate are members of alkyl sulfates. They are water-soluble and can form soap bubbles. The
chemical formula is CnH2n+1OSO2ONa. It can be used in detergents, dish washing liquids, shower gels,
shampoos, hair conditioners and fabric softeners. It can also be used as fire extinguishing agent, because it is
not flammable. In the cosmetic industry it is used as an emulsifier to mix oily and water-soluble compounds
for toothpaste or moisturizing products. It can produce irritating vapors when heated, consisting of carbon
dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and others. As all detergents it can irritate skin and eyes. If
swallowed, it will cause nausea or vomiting.

3. Amine oxide also known as amine-N-oxide and N-oxide, is a chemical compound that contains the functional
group R3N+–O−, an N–O bond with three additional hydrogen and/or hydrocarbon side chains attached to
Long-chain alkyl amine oxides are used as nonionic surfactants and foam stabilizers. Amine oxides are highly

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 polar molecules and have a polarity close to that of quaternary ammonium salts. Small amine oxides are very
hydrophilic and have an excellent water solubility and a very poor solubility in most organic solvents.
4. Ammonia is a colorless, soluble alkali gas that occurs naturally in the environment. It is a chemical containing
one nitrogen and three hydrogen atoms bonded together. It was traditionally used in many household cleaners,
though today it's still found in glass cleaner, all-purpose cleaners, and smelling salts. When used in cleaning
compounds, it’s called “household ammonia.” Ammonia fumes are powerful irritant, potentially harming your
skin, eyes, nose, lungs and throat. When found in oven cleaners and window cleaning formulations, it is an
irritant to the mucous membranes. When working with ammonia, wearing heavy-duty gloves, goggles, and a
face mask are smart precautions to protect your health.

5. Sodium hypochlorite also known as bleach is another alkali disinfectant. Bleach works by oxidizing or
breaking down the molecular bonds of stains and germs. Another useful but dangerous cleaner it also has
strong corrosive properties that may do serious damage to the human body. Ammonia and bleach are a
particularly dangerous combination, creating potentially deadly gases when mixed. Never store these two
chemicals in the same place. Bleach in the bottle is generally a five percent solution. Toxic chlorine gas can be
formed if bleach is mixed with acids, such as bowl cleaners.

6. Ethanol is a natural byproduct of plant fermentation and can be produced through the hydration of ethylene. It
mixes easily with water and many organic compounds, and makes an effective solvent for use in paints,
lacquers and varnish, as well as personal care and household cleaning products. Ethanol is highly flammable
and should not be used near open flames. Ethanol inhalation can cause coughing or headaches.

7. Phenol, any of a family of organic compounds characterized by a hydroxyl (―OH) group attached to a carbon
atom that is part of an aromatic ring. The term phenol is also the specific name for its simplest member,
monohydroxybenzene (C6H5OH), also known as benzenol or carbolic acid. Phenols are similar to alcohols but
form stronger hydrogen bonds. They are more soluble in water than are alcohols and have higher boiling
points. Phenols occur either as colorless liquids or white solids at room temperature and may be highly toxic
and caustic. Phenols are widely used in household products and as intermediates for industrial synthesis. For
example, phenol itself is used (in low concentrations) as a disinfectant in household cleaners and in
mouthwash. Phenol may have been the first surgical antiseptic. In 1865 the British surgeon Joseph Lister used
phenol as an antiseptic to sterilize his operating field.

8. Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (or quats) are a family of low-level disinfectants (according to
Spaulding) with most quats being derived from benzalkonium. Quats are reacted to provide a variety of chain
lengths and molecular structures so that the mix of quats used in the disinfectant provide a wider range of
efficacy than a single chain. Quats are generally used to disinfect countertops, toilets and other high touch
environmental surfaces and floors. Quaternary ammonium compounds are cationic disinfectants. This means
the quats chain carries a positive (plus) charge on one end of the molecule; many soils and soaps/detergents
carry an anionic or negative (minus) charge. Quats can also bind with, or be absorbed by, materials and fibers
including cotton (e.g., cleaning rags and mops). Quats generally take 3-10 minutes to disinfect and should be
used with cleaning tools that are tested to be compatible.

9. Sodium percarbonate is a powder that releases hydrogen peroxide, and very concentrated. It is a granulated
powder which can be nice for scrubbing stains and stuck-on-gunk off dishes. Scouring powder is made from
hydrogen peroxide. It can be made into a paste, too, and used on tile grout and tough stains.
Learning Competency
Week 8, Quarter 3
MELC No. 12 (S11/12PS -IIIi - j -31), From product labels, identify the active ingredient(s) of cleaning products
used at home
MELC No. 13 (S11/12PS -IIIi - j -32), Give the use of the other ingredients in cleaning agents

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TASK 1: WHAT’S THAT WORD?!
Directions. Arrange the following jumbled letters to form the words related to cleaning agents/ingredients/products.
1. SNDHA 6. TABEIACR 11. DICA
2. EAGSRE 7. ECNAL 12. GRDAEN
3. ITDR 8. UEHSO 13. EGSATRNM
4. SVURI 9. LHTEHA 14. OFROL
5. M U P F E RE 10. LAOHLCO 15. TETREUX

TASK 2: PRODUCT EXPLORATION!

Directions. With your cleaning products available at hand, read the product information on the packaging. Fill out
what is ask on the table below using the product information. Observe the products with caution, particularly in
smelling and touching as they may have harmful effects upon contact. Write your answer on a separate sheet.
Product Product Active/Major Guidelines in using Precautions in using
Description Ingredient the Product the Product
Bleach
(DO NOT TOUCH
WITH BARE HANDS)
Detergent Soap

Dishwashing Liquid

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

(DO NOT TOUCH
WITH BARE HANDS)
***After filling up the table, write on a separate box the common active ingredients present in all cleaning products.

Reflection:
Compose, write or create a short commercial of your own Cleaning Material/Product

Rubrics:
Criteria Excellent (4pts) Merit (3pts) Achieved (2pts) Needs Improvement Score
(1pt)
Content Information are clearly Information are Information is clear Information is
presented and ordered clearly order of unclear and written
in such a way that it presented and information does in random order
brings a full picture of ordered not clearly show
the material
Creativity It is visually inviting Visually inviting Visually pleasing Readable
and easy to read and easy to read and readable
Spelling and All spelling and Some spelling Some spelling and Notable spelling
Grammar grammar are correct and grammar grammar error and grammar error
error
Punctuality Submitted on time Submitted on Submitted on time Submitted after the
time deadline
TOTAL

Reference:
Physical-Science_11_Q1_12_Active-Ingredients-of-Cleaning-Products-Used-at-Home-_08082020.pdf
Physical-Science_11_Q1_13_Use-of-the-Other-Ingredients-in-Cleaning-Agents-08082020.pdf

Prepared by:
DAINAVI B. PALITAYAN

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 Teacher II
Bagabag National High School

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