What is the difference between soap and detergent?
Both clean well, but see the question above. All cleansing ingredients can be classified as detergents and soap is one of them. The best explanation is by analogy: cars and airplanes are both means of transportation, but each functions differently. Soap and vegetable-based cleansers are both detergents, but have different chemical compositions and health properties.
I am not a chemist, but this is my understanding of the difference between the two. Although soap and detergent are both used to clean clothing and nappies, they are not the same thing. Both are surfactants (surface active agents which are chemicals needed to reduce the surface tension of the water to ensure thorough cleaning), however soaps are produced from materials mostly found in nature, while detergents are made from mostly synthetic ingredients. Generally speaking, soaps are better for our health and the environment than detergents, however, the minerals in water react with soap to create an insoluble residue on fabrics (like on a shower screen), that reduces absorbency in nappies (and can also discolour the fabric). Unless you have very soft water, detergent will be a better choice for thorough cleaning of nappies (even if you do have soft water, soap residue will build up over time). There are bio-degradable detergents that are more environmentally friendly than others look fo
