CLEANERS

The Soap and Detergent Association defines a detergent as "Technically, any cleansing agent.  In popular usage, cleaning agents with a composition other than soap that clan by much the same mechanisms as does soap."  In other words synthetic cleaners that are chemically made from a variety of raw materials derived from petroleum, fatty acids and other sources.  These materials are generally referred to as surfactants, which means surface active agents.  Surfactants are organic chemicals that, when added to a liquid, change the properties of that liquid at the surface.

Surfactants are classified by whether or not they ionize in solution and by the nature of their electrical charges.  Categories of charges are called.....

Anionic (-) Negative charge

Nonionic (0) No charge

Cationic (+) Positive charge

The anionic and nonionic surfactant types have good cleaning properties and are important ingredients in general purpose floor cleaners. Since most soil is positively charged, most good detergents are nonionic or a combination nonionic/anionic for rapid soil removal.