Do We Need Bubbles To Clean?

Do you need bubbles to clean? Do bubbles = clean? What are they anyway?

What are bubbles?

Bubbles are soap film wrapped around air. They are fun to play with.  My kids loved to run around the backyard and pop them.

 

Do you need bubbles to clean?

If you know how soap cleans, you know bubbles have nothing to do with clean.

The soap molecules form a sphere called a micelle when mixed with water and dirt.

The water-loving part of the soap molecule attaches to the water, and the oil-loving part attaches to the dirt.

The dirt gets is in the middle of the micelle, and gets rinsed away.

Important point. A micelle is Not a bubble, even though it’s round.

 

Do more bubbles mean more clean?

No, more bubbles do NOT mean more clean.

My friend Michelle (Mama Suds herself) says “People equate bubbles and lather and foamy suds with cleanliness. Not true. A harsh detergent is behind all that lather and super suds.”  She wrote a great blog post on the subject.

 

Then where did we get the idea that bubbles = clean?

Bubbles are big businesses marketing strategy. They’ve convinced most of us that you need to see bubbles to tell if the product is working. Think about this. If you need bubbles to get clean why aren’t there any bubbles in dishwasher detergent? Your dishes still get clean in the dishwasher, right? Just as clean as if you washed them in the sink with that dish washing detergent with lots of bubbles.

 

Do you still think that bubbles = clean?

Yours in Gratitude,

Angela