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Lemon Juice/Science Fair Help

I was wondering what is in lemon juice, laundry detergent, dish soap, and bleach that makes it clean. Please answer as soon as possible, I am trying to get the information for a Science Fair Project.

Emily H.
- Indiana
2001

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2001

Emily,

Welcome to the wonderful world of Industrial Chemistry and the science of soil removal. To adequately answer your questions would take at least a 1000 pages and could use it for my Doctoral Thesis. The following is a list of web sites that should set you in the right direction:

www.riponcomputer.com/riponcomputer/dawnchemical/chemistry/chemistryofcleaning.htm

www.chem.ualberta.ca

www.dtsc.ca.gov/sppt/pptd

chemistry.co.nz/propwat.htm

This should be more than enough sources to get you started.

Neil E. Hatfield
- Franklin Park, Illinois, USA

Acid in Lemon, Base in soap (like NaOH, Sodium Phosphate, KOH) Chloride used for bacteria killing. Good luck.

Kaushik
- Charlotte, North Carolina
2001

Lemon juice is rich in citric acid , Vitamin C and basic salts. All combined gives anti-nausea benefits and retards the growth of non-acid resistant bacteria. Similarly soap salts adversely affect the bacteria. Bacteria need 0.8-0.9 Water Activity to work. In the presence of salts, bacterial growth, and metabolism are adversely affected.

QAMRUL KHAN
- Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
2002