Ask A Scientist© Chemistry Archive

name        jazmin
status      student
age         12

Question -  What temperature of water will remove a stain easier?
Does the temperature matter?
Why does the temperature make a difference?
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Jazmin,

Read the directions on the detergent package. Ordinarily, warm water works
better than cold. However, some stains can take a "set" in hot water that
will make them harder to remove.

Temperature makes a difference because at higher temperatures, molecules
vibrate more vigorously. Thus they are not so tightly bound to each other
or the the stained material. That makes them easier to surround by water
and detergent molecules. In a sense, water and detergent tend to separate
the stain from the material and suspend it so that it is less able to
reattach. Look in a reference book for the term "micelle." It will help you
better understand how soaps and detergents work.

As mentioned above, please do read the directions on the cleaning agent
package.

Regards,

ProfHoff
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