What are Detergents?

There are many cleaning products present on the market and the majority are what we refer to as detergents. A detergent is a substance or a mixture containing soaps and/or surfactants (any organic substance/mixture) intended for washing and cleaning processes.

Detergents may be in many forms, for example, traditional powders, unit dose tablets, concentrated liquids, liquid capsules, pastes or cakes, and come in a range of variants to meet consumers’ needs on cleaning, skincare, fabric care and fragrances. They may be for household, institutional or industrial purposes.

Examples of everyday detergent products are laundry and fabric softeners, all-purpose cleaners and mixtures intended for soaking (pre-washing) rinsing or bleaching. Detergents may also be biocidal, e.g. disinfectants, bleaches. Please see biocidal detergent products section for more details.

Ancillary Cleaning Products

Many manufacturers also produce and market ancillary laundry products such as Fabric Conditioners, Specialist stain removers, pre-treaters, and Ironing aids which are also covered by the Detergent Regulations.