Chemistry in your cupboard

Machine dishwashing is a complex process which has to rely on chemistry rather than manual effort to clean dishes. Dishwasher cleaning products contain a huge range of chemicals including surfactants or detergents, alkalis, bleaches, biosubstances and builders. Each of these has a distinct role in the cleaning of dishes but the difficulty is getting all these working together when they have different optimum conditions. Finish™ is a brand with a range of products available in different formulations but all based on the same broad principles.

Links to the curriculum

This section contains information relevant to the following areas of your chemistry curriculum:

• Rates of reactions
• Group 7 elements
• Group 1 and 2 elements
• Biochemistry (proteins, fats and carbohydrates)
• Acids and bases