Why are phosphates used in cleaning products and detergents?
Phosphates act as a key ingredient in many cleaning products and detergents. They serve multiple functions, providing properties that increased the effectiveness of a variety of products. Phosphates help remove any hardness ions present in the water (such as calcium, magnesium, or iron), which allows other components in the cleaning process to work more effectively. And, phosphates help remove dirt particles from the surface being cleaned, through the suspension of fine particles for efficient removal in the rinse. Because of phosphate’s buffering capabilities, soil and other cleaning components are prevented from shifting the pH of a cleaning solution, which can diminish its optimum cleaning efficiency range. Phosphates offer a trio of benefits: the application of phosphates prepares the water or cleaning environment then traps and holds the dirt or oils so that it can be rinsed away.
