Product One - Tide Coldwater Detergent
Product Two - Wisk Coldwater Detergent
Product Three - Purdex Coldwater Detergent
Barbeque Stain In-progress
Three Coldwater Detergents and Experiment Equipment
Barbeque Stain In-progress
Barbeque Stain In-Progress
Eureka, Kansas USA Marshall Elementary School Investing in a green environment: The effectiveness of three cold water detergents on barbeque sauce stain In-progress A Science Paper Presented to The Eureka Science Fair Jayte Hamilton February 8, 2011
Hey fellow researchers - This is my 6th grade science project. I hope that you are, like me, interested in the costs and benefits of "going green." I hope you will read my study and share your comments. Together we can make a positive difference!
How many loads of laundry does the average family wash each week?
Please count the number of people in your family, and the number of loads of laundry you do each week. Please post a comment telling me what you learn.
My Inspiration
I am inspired to do this study by the children, youth and their families in my community and around the world. Many people in my community are struggling to make ends meet. Many are without jobs. Many who have jobs earn low hourly wages. Also, through acts of war and the results of nature disasters such as floods, tornadoes, and earthquakes, many people are without ways to satisfy their basic human needs. Without clean clothes, people do not feel human. With a clean environment, it will be increasing more difficult to survive. I want to use science to problem solve and find solutions to these problems. It is urgent!
Acknowledgements
I appreciate the help of Dr. Mirah J. Dow, my aunt, for helping me complete my 2011 Science Fair Project. Aunt Mirah used her spare time to help me to brainstorm ideas and to determine my research topic. She helped me to locate coldwater detergent in El Dorado because there was none available in Eureka. She helped to locate five published resource and to evaluate them for their usefulness in my study. She also help me to set up and conduct my experiment. She constantly reminded me of the importance of the scientific method and collecting accurate data. She showed me how to record my data and to analyze it. I am fortunate to have this opportunity to learn more about benefits and challenges in “going green.”
Abstract
The problem is that heating hot water for clothes washing is a very big financial investment to families. Heating water to wash clothes is also potentially dangerous to our environment through increased use of fossil fuels and the resulting increased carbon dioxide (CO2) in the environment. The public needs to know more about how to best invest in cost effective, energy saving ways to clean clothes. In this study, it is hypothesized that if the price of cold water laundry detergent is higher, then the cleaning will be better than with a lower priced cold water laundry detergent. Using a quantitative experimental design, this study investigated the effectiveness of three, different priced cold water detergents used to remove tough barbeque stains on 100% cotton t-shirts. Evidence in this study do not support the hypothesis. The higher priced cold water detergent cleaned did not clear significantly better than the other two lower priced detergents.
Statement of the Problem - Ask a scientific question Today some scientists believe that we can save our planet from global warming by “going green.” “Going green” is a term used to describe the process of conserving the environment. Environmental concerns are often represented by the color green. “Going green” can be accomplished through a number of energy saving practices such as turning off and unplugging electronics; using refillable water bottles; saving and reusing food containers; and by washing clothes in cold water. Because washing clothes is something all families must do to live healthy lives, I am interested in learning more about “going green” and keeping clothes clean and spotless.
Review of the Literature
Home use of water heaters and reduced cost of washing clothes in cold water is central to this study. Here are some statistics that make me curious to know more the effectiveness of coldwater detergent. What would we really gain by switching from high use of hot water to high use of cold water to wash clothes? · Water heaters consume about 20 percent of the energy an average home uses annually, with more than 33 percent used in showering and 25 percent in washing clothes (Kansas State University Engineering Extension, 2000). ·
By using cold water instead of warm water to wash clothes, the average household can save up to $63 annually, and avoid emitting 1,259 pounds of carbon dioxide annually, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions from fossil-fueled power plants and saves on energy bills. If everyone in the U. S. switched to cold water for washing clothes, the potential energy savings would be 70-90 billion kilowatt-hours per year, representing up to 3% of the nation’s energy consumption. When converted into carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalents, these savings amount to 26-34 million tons of CO2 per year, representing over 8% of the CO2 reduction target for the U.S. (U.S. EPA, Congressional and Senate Report, 2006).
These findings indicate that heating hot water for clothes washing is a very big financial investment to families, as well as potentially dangerous to our environment. This caused me to question the cost of cold water detergents and to design a study to answer my questions.
Definition of Terms
carbon dioxide – A chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms bounded to a single carbon atom.
cold water detergent – Designed with increased amount of surfactant chemistry that allows it to penetrate easily into fabric, and increased amount of polymer technology to suspend dirt particles to help prevent them from redepositing on fabric.
global warming - Increase in the average temperature of Earth’s near-surface.
going green - Term used to describe the process of conserving the environment.
surfactant molecules – Cold water detergent is made up of surfactant molecules. Surfactant molecules have both hydrophilic (water-loving) and hydrophobic (water hating) parts. The hydrophilic part breaks the surface tension of water. The hydrophobic part is attracted to oil and grease in soils, loosening and removing them from fabric.
Form a hypothesis
If the price of cold water laundry detergent is higher, then the cleaning will be better than with a lower priced cold water laundry detergent.
Research Question
Does higher priced cold water detergent clean clothes better than lower priced cold water detergents?
Make observations
I have observed that most people I know do not use cold water detergent. I have observed that every store in our area does not have cold water detergent. I have observed that my family of 5 washes about 2-3 loads of clothes each day, or approximately 21 loads each week. I have observed that my family purchases one bottle of warm water detergent every month. I have observed that the detergent comes packaged in various different sized bottles. This makes it necessary to calculate the cost per ounce rather than relying only on the unit price to determine which is the most or least expensive. I have observed that all detergent costs a lot of money. I have observed that some foods soil clothing more than others, making the stain more difficult to remove. For example, ketchup, mustard, and barbeque sauce are very difficult to remove by washing.
Gather information
I gathered information about the actual availability and cost of cold water detergent. I found that there are very few cold water detergent products available in our local area. For example, when exploring local stores, I found that in a detergent section with 64 rows of bottles, there were only 3 rows with 2 brands of cold water detergent. In another store, I found 44 rows of bottles and only 2 rows and 2 brands of cold water detergent. I also found that the cost of cold water detergent was the same as the same sized bottle of warm water detergent. The cost of detergent used in my study ranged from $.07/ounce to $.15/ounce.
Design an experiment and procedures (dependent and independent variables)
I designed a quantitative study to measure the effect of three cold water detergents on heavy food stains. I painted a circle-shaped (1 5/8” inches in radius), heavy spot of barbeque sauce on three white, 100% cotton t-shirts (dependent variable). The stains dried in the shirts for 12 hours. I put 2 tablespoons each of three different cold water detergents in a glass pitcher containing 1,500 ml of cold water (independent variable). One soiled shirt was submerged in one of each of the three pitchers. At intervals of 15 minutes, each shirt was evaluated using this rating scale. Points Criteria 0 – 4 points Very little change in stain 5 – 9 points slightly lightened in small area of stain 10 – 14 points lighted in half the area of stain 16 – 19 points stain has almost disappeared 20 – 24 points stain is barely visible 25 points stain has disappeared; gone
Collect data
Product A Highest Priced Coldwater Detergent (n=4 intervals)
Points ranged from 4 to 22 with a mean of 13.75
Product B Middle Priced Coldwater Detergent (n=4 intervals)
Points ranged from 6 to 14 with a mean of 10.75.
Product C Lowest Priced Coldwater Detergent (n=4 intervals )
Points ranged from 2 to 16 with a mean of 13.
Analyze data
Finding 1 – Product A (Tide, $.15/ounce) - Hypothesis is supported. At all four intervals, the scores for this product were higher than for the two lower priced products.
Finding 2 – Product B (Purex, $.09/ounce ) – Hypothesis is supported. At all four intervals, the scores for this product were lower than for the higher priced product.
Finding 3 -Product C (Wisk, $.07/ounce) – Hypothesis is supported. At all four intervals, the scores for this product were lower than for the two higher priced products.
Discussion
Inquire: What did I learn? - My results do provide answers to my testable hypothesis. I interpret my study to show that while the higher priced coldwater detergent removed the barbeque stain slightly better than the two lower priced coldwater detergents, the cleaning in this experiment was not good enough using any of the three products. My results could be due to soaking the stain rather than using a washing machine. I believe that it is worthwhile to note that at the end of my experiment, all three t-shirts were washed in a traditional washing machine using hot water detergent. Even then, the stains in all three t-shirts continued to be faintly visible.
Think Critically: Compare to Other Studies – My findings can be compared to recent product reviews. For example, some reviewers (Green Options™ ) found Tide coldwater wash to work as well as normal detergent, save energy, make clothes last longer, but to be hard to find and a bit pricey. I, too, found coldwater detergent difficult to find. There was none available in my local community. Reviews also point to the importance of washing in both traditional and high-efficiency machines. Some say that it is not necessary to use specifically-formulated detergent for a coldwater washer in order to get good results. Regular detergents in traditional washers can work just as well. My findings suggest that for one to know for certain what is best, experimentation will be necessary.
My study raises the question of the relevance of motion in cleaning clothes. Ellis Mass, Director of Brand Communications for the home appliance division, LG Electronics, a global electronics company headquartered in Yeouido, Seoul, South Korea, said, “Cold water washing has many benefits. It lengthens the life of garments, and lowers electric bills, but there is a tradeoff. Cold water typically does not give clothing as thorough a cleaning as hot or warm water.” To combat cold water worries, LG recently introduced a top-loading and front-loading washer with proprietary technology that allows cold water to penetrate clothing just as well as warmer water. The cold water may penetrate deeply, but does it clean? Yes, says Mass, thanks to the unique way the washing machines move the clothing around using multiple motions.”
Share knowledge: Next Steps in My Personal Growth
If “going green” can be accomplished by washing clothes in cold water, kids like me will need to have access to more information and products (detergent and washing machines) that are different than what is most often used by our parents. As it is now, it appears that all coldwater detergents regardless of the price may dissolve less effectively in cold water, resulting in possibly duller clothing. My next steps are to repeat this study using hot and coldwater detergents and traditional and high-efficiency washing machines. Also, I have created a blog where I can share my findings with text and pictures and invite other kids to communicate about what we must know to become responsible citizens in using our natural resources. My blog is a work in-progress.
References
Achievegreen, The U. S. Green Building Council, Washington, D.C. last accessed January 15, 2011 http://www.achievegreen.com/
Dorfman, J. (2009). The lazy environmentalist on a budget: Save money. Save time. Save the planet. New York: Steward, Tabori & Chang.
Gore, A. (2009). Our choice: How we can solve the climate crisis (Young Readers Edition).
Puffin. Green Options™ Ego friendly green products. Last accessed January 15, 2011 http://www.greenoptions.com/products/tide-coldwater-laundry/reviews
Kansas State University Engineering Extension (2000).
Cut winter costs. Last accessed January 15, 2011 http://www.engext.ksu.edu/henergy/wintercosts.pdf
Pepling, R. (2003). What’s that stuff? Soap bubbles. Chemical and Engineering News, 81(17).
The Trivia and Quiz Community. ™ Does cold water properly wash clothes? last accessed January 15, 2011 http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question114182.html
U.S. EPA, Congressional and Senate Report (27 June 2006). Tide Coldwater: Energy conservation through residential laundering innovation and commercialization. http://acs.confex.com/acs/green06/techprogram/P27314.HTM
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