What is a weak acid detergent? Recommended products for different uses and tips on how to choose the right one.

What do you think of when you think of weak acid detergents? You probably see the label “weak acid” on hand soaps and dish detergents all the time. So, there’s an image that “weak acid” = less irritating to the skin, isn’t there?

In this article, we will present tips on how to choose this weak acid detergent and recommend products for different uses.

What is a weak acid detergent?

Looking at the back of detergent product packaging, you will often see the words “weak acid”. However, many people may not know what weak acidity is or what characteristics it has.

Even if you choose a detergent because it seems to be less irritating to your skin, knowing the characteristics of each detergent will make it easier for you to choose the right product for your needs. First, let’s explain the “liquid characteristics” of detergents, including weak acidity.

Detergents with a pH value of 3-6 are called “weakly acidic detergents”.
Detergents have liquid properties, which can be broadly classified into three liquid properties: acidic, neutral, and alkaline. These are classified according to a pH value (hydrogen ion concentration) of 0 to 14, with smaller values being more acidic and larger values being more alkaline.

Detergents with pH values between 3.0 and 6.0, neutral and acidic, are weakly acidic.

Difference from alkaline detergent

Alkaline detergents neutralize the stains of acidic detergents, which have the opposite liquid properties, making them easier to remove. This is why alkaline detergents are often used to treat oil stains. They also break down proteins and therefore have a strong cleaning power for protein stains, such as blood, spills, scorch marks, hand stains, and sebum.

Conversely, weakly acidic detergents are very resistant to alkaline stains. Alkaline stains include water stains, soap scum, and ammonia odors from toilets.

Differences from acidic detergents

As mentioned earlier, acidic detergents are effective against alkaline stains. They are also highly resistant to stubborn stains, such as adhesive soap scum and urinary stones. However, the lower the pH, the stronger the cleaning power, but also the greater the irritation to the eyes and skin.

They can also damage materials such as marble, textiles, and metals. In this respect, weakly acidic detergents have more cleaning power than neutral detergents but are less irritating to the skin and materials than acidic detergents.

Uses of weak acid detergents

Weak acid detergents are used in “dishwashing detergents”, “laundry detergents” and “bathing detergents” because they can clean but are less irritating to the skin The following are the characteristics of weak acid detergents in each case.

Washing dishes

Human skin usually remains mildly acidic, so weakly acidic detergents are less likely to irritate and cause skin irritation.

Neutral detergents are usually used in dishwashers, but those with high cleaning power usually contain a high percentage of surfactants. Surfactants make it easier for water and fat to mix, so if the ratio is high, necessary sebum is also removed from the skin surface, which can lead to skin irritation.

Laundry detergents

Neutral and weakly alkaline detergents are often found in laundry detergents, but weakly acidic detergents are also used in detergents for fashion clothing (DELICATE SOAP/Detergent for fashion clothing).

Compared to weak alkaline detergents, the cleaning power is slightly lower, but they are less likely to damage delicate materials such as silk and wool and can be used for a wider range of garments. If you do not want to damage the material of your clothes, we recommend trying a weakly acidic detergent first.

Detergents for bathing.

Weak acid detergents are resistant to alkaline stains such as water stains and soap scum. Weak acid detergents are useful for cleaning bathrooms that are prone to such stains.

Weak acidic detergents are also recommended for those who do not want to use acidic detergents because they have the potential to damage skin and bathroom materials. Although they have a lower cleaning power than acidic detergents, they are less irritating to the skin and materials and can clean up light stains such as water stains and soap scum.

Advantages of weakly acidic detergents

We have introduced the situations in which weakly acidic detergents are useful by comparing them with detergents with other liquid properties, such as neutral detergents and alkaline detergents. Weakly acidic detergents are widely used, but what are the specific advantages of using weakly acidic detergents?

Here we will introduce three advantages of using weakly acidic detergents.

Less irritation and gentle to the skin

Human skin maintains a mild acidity, so mildly acidic detergents with the same properties do not remove too much of the sebum necessary for the skin and do not dry out the skin.

People with dry or sensitive skin may often suffer from rough or chapped hands when washing dishes. Especially in winter, it is easier to get rough hands because they are more prone to dryness, so it is safer to use mildly acidic detergents.

Can be used in many places

As you can see from the advantage of being gentle to the skin, mildly acidic detergents are characterized by their low level of irritation. Since they are gentle not only to the skin but also to materials and substrates, they can be used in a variety of situations.

As we have introduced so far, you often see mildly acidic products not only as dishwashing detergent, laundry detergent, and bath detergent, but also in products used directly on the skin, such as hand soap, body soap, and shampoo. From cleaning and laundry to products used directly on the skin, mildly acidic detergents are widely used.

Safe to use

Weak-acid detergents have a pH level close to neutral, so they are less irritating and can be used in a relatively wide range of situations. They can be used safely even when you have sensitive skin and do not want to cause skin irritation, or when you do not want to damage delicate materials.

The higher or lower the pH, the more alkaline or acidic the product is, and the higher its cleaning power becomes, but the more irritating it becomes. The higher or lower the pH, the more alkaline or acidic the detergent is, and the higher its cleaning power, the more irritating it is.

Disadvantages of weak acid detergents

Although weak acid detergents can be widely used in a variety of settings because of their advantages of being less irritating and gentler to skin and materials, they certainly have disadvantages. There are many detergent products available and people are often confused about which detergent to use, but by understanding the pros and cons, you can choose the right detergent for your scenario.

Here are two disadvantages of weak acid detergents

May have poor cleaning ability

The weak acid detergents we introduced have acidic characteristics but are less harsh and gentle on skin and materials. However, the higher or lower the pH, the stronger the cleaning power, so a weak acid detergent with a pH close to neutral will have lower cleaning power than an acidic or alkaline detergent.

It is possible to remove light stains such as water stains and soap scum without damaging the material, but it is difficult to remove stubborn stains such as soap scum and urine stones that have stuck to the material over the years. Even if you use a weak acid detergent that doesn’t irritate the material, it can be damaged if you scrub too hard.

If the stain is stubborn, choose another detergent.

For stubborn stains, such as soap scum or urine stones that have stuck to the surface for years and are difficult to clean with mild detergents, use an acidic detergent. For acidic stains, such as grease, spills, scorch marks, hand stains, and sebum, use an alkaline detergent.

It is important to change the type of detergent according to the stain in this way. By choosing the detergent that best suits the stain and the scenario, you can gain more benefits by using the detergent’s respective liquid properties. Try changing the type of detergent and don’t force scrubbing stubborn stains.

What types of weak acid detergents are available?

We’ve covered the characteristics of weak acid detergents and the situations in which they can be used, but you may be wondering what products are actually available. Various products are available for different scenarios, such as dishwashing detergents, laundry detergents, and bath detergents.

Among them, we will now introduce laundry detergents that take advantage of weak acid detergents, i.e., they are gentle on materials.

DELICATE SOAP / Detergent for fashionable clothes

This detergent is recommended for washing dress pants at home. It can be used on wool, cashmere, and silk, which are often delicate and important clothing materials. The mild acidic effect makes them moist and soft.

The anti-wrinkle effect also reduces shrinkage, so clothes can be fluffed up without the use of fabric softener. The anti-bacterial and anti-odor effect also prevents unpleasant odors, so it is recommended for people who often dry their clothes indoors.

Daily hair conditioner/softener

Contains weakly acidic collagen, giving it a fluffy effect that you will want to feel on bare skin. It can be used not only on clothes but on everything from underwear to towels and blankets.

A proven fabric softener that has been sold in the cleaning industry for over 10 years as a texture improver for high-end garments. Its antibacterial and odor-eliminating properties prevent unpleasant odors and make it suitable for indoor drying.

Summary

In this article, we have presented the advantages and disadvantages of weak acid detergents, as well as their characteristics and our recommended products for each application. Due to their nature, weak acid detergents have less cleaning power than acidic or alkaline detergents, but are gentle on skin and materials and can be used for a wide range of activities.

There are many different types of detergents available and it is easy to get confused about which detergent to use. If you know the characteristics of the liquid properties and can choose the detergent that best suits your needs, you will be able to improve your cleaning and washing results. Take a look at these tips.