Do you Need Lather to Clean?
The answer is NO, you do not NEED lather to clean, nor does the presence of lather directly translate to cleaning ability. But then why do so many commercial products lather? Simple, psychology.
What is Lather?
What makes soaps and detergents lather? Well, soaps and detergents are what we call surfactants. They ACT by reducing the SURFACE tension of water. (surf-act-ants, neat right?) This reduces the power of water molecules to stick to one another
With lowered surface tension – or simply put, the ability of water molecules to stick to one another, air pockets form, bubbles, and when there are a lot of these bubbles you get a foamy lather.
Every surfactant is different, some form large bubbles and a voluminous lather, some form tiny bubbles and a creamy lather that looks a lot more like sea foam.
So why doesn’t Coco Custo Laundry Detergent Lather much?
Well, that’s because Coco Custo is a high efficiency detergent. Maybe I’ve skipped ahead. Let’s rewind.
What’s a high efficiency detergent?
Washing Machines today require high efficiency detergent, because of the way they work. Front load machines have a tumbler, while top load machines have an agitator. If you don’t use a high efficiency detergent in your machine, you’ll end up with too many suds, which can make a mess, and could damage your machine. Or, it could leave detergent residue on your clothes because these machines don’t use enough water to wash all the excess away.
In short, high efficiency detergents are made to disperse better within the water and rinse away faster.
Now you may ask, that’s all well and good for my washing machine, what about hand washing?
Don’t worry, our detergent works just as well for hand washing. Check out this video!
Now back to why Coco Custo Non-Toxic Laundry Detergent doesn’t lather? Simple. It’s by design.
We use a blend of cold-pressed organically farmed oils from Coimbatore in South India. Our blend of oils, (including the magical coconut) is built not only to clean but also condition fabrics without artificial softeners like silicons. Over time artificial softeners can build up in your fabrics making towels less absorbent and affecting the colour of your clothes.
While soaps made from only coconut oil tend to lather a lot, our blend produces very small bubbles that are quick to disperse. Our other ingredients: Sodium Carbonate and Sodium Bicarbonate, which help soften the water and help the soap clean further reduce the amount of lather produced.
Here’s another secret. Most detergents made for handwashing will use what we in the industry call “Lather Boosters”. Harmful surfactants like SLS etc will artificially boost lather, to try and trick a consumer into believing their product cleans well.