Re: Does 'sodium laureth sulfate' soften water?

From: SNUMBER6 (snumber6_at_aol.com)
Date: 07/28/04 

Date: 28 Jul 2004 12:47:26 GMT

>From: Svend Cr nomail@mail.com

>Does sodium laureth sulfate have any properties which act as a
>water softener?

In a manner of speaking ...

>In other words, if I used soap in hard water then would the
>addition of sodium laureth sulfate reduce the amount of scum
>produced when the soap reacts with the hardness in the water?

No ... you would produce the scum ...

>(I believe water hardness is due to sulphates & bicarbonates of
>calcium & magnesium.)

Got it reversed there ...

Hard Water is water containing high amounts of Calcium and Magnesium ... The
reason hard water is not good for cleaning is that these cations substitute for
the Sodium in the soap ... and render it insoluble and not effective ...
Producing the "scum" you refer to ... (Calcium and Magnesium Laureth Sulfate)
A water softener removes the Calcium and Magnesium from the water and
substitutes Sodium for it ...Now when the soap is added it works ... The Sodium
Laureth Sulfate sort of does the same thing as a water softener chemically -
removes Calcium and Magnesium and substitutes Sodium ... although not at all
practical or functional ...

Be seeing you
In the Village
Number 6

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