Developing New Cleaning Product Ingredients

Republished from the Cleaning Is Caring blog.

Researching new cleaning product ingredients is essential to meet evolving consumer needs for safer, more effective, and sustainable solutions. By continuously exploring and evaluating novel ingredients, such as enzymes that work at low temperatures that can be used for cold water washing, the industry aims to create products that address these needs, providing consumers with reliable and sustainable options for maintaining clean and healthy homes.?

These novel ingredients then undergo a journey before ending up in the product you reach for when cleaning. This journey ensures that the final product is safe and effective when used as directed. For STEM Day, we’re looking at how an ingredient goes from being discovered to being included in a cleaning product.??

Discovery and Evaluation??

The first step in the journey of an ingredient is discovery. Scientists and researchers continuously explore new compounds and natural extracts that possess or aid cleaning properties. This discovery phase may involve extensive laboratory research, literature reviews, and consultation with experts in chemistry and environmental sciences.? It may involve a new compound or using a known ingredient in a new way.?

Once a potential ingredient is identified, it undergoes an evaluation process. This process can assess the ingredient’s effectiveness, safety for human use, environmental impact, and compatibility with other ingredients.??

Formulation and Testing??

In the formulation stage, scientists test different combinations of the ingredient with other components to create a balanced and effective cleaning formula. This phase involves rigorous testing to determine the optimal concentration and ensure the ingredient works harmoniously within the product’s overall composition and appears in safe amounts. And, of course, there will be performance tests to confirm the resulting formula’s cleaning power.??

Toxicological and Environmental Assessments??

Ensuring the safety of people and the planet is paramount. Therefore, ingredients undergo screenings and risk assessments that consider factors including hazard and exposure. This involves one or more tools like testing for potential health risks, such as skin or respiratory irritation, or using predictive models. Scientists also may evaluate the ingredient’s biodegradability in waste treatment systems and potential impact on aquatic life and ecosystems, if it’s a product that goes down the drain.??

Regulatory Approval??

Before any cleaning product using a new ingredient can hit the market, it must comply with regulatory requirements. New ingredients themselves within the product must be approved by relevant health and safety authorities, often the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ?

If an ingredient is being submitted for the Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL) as part of the EPA Safer Choice Program, this is also when detailed reports would need to be submitted on the ingredient’s safety, efficacy, and environmental impact.??

Production and Quality Control??

Once an ingredient has passed all testing and regulatory hurdles, it moves to the production stage. Manufacturers can make, source and incorporate the ingredient into their production lines. During this phase, stringent quality control measures are in place to ensure consistency and purity.??

Quality control involves batch testing, where samples from each production run are analyzed to verify that they meet the specified standards and the ingredients perform as expected.??

Packaging and Distribution??

The cleaning product is then put into packaging that has been designed to protect the product and help maintain its stability. The label on that packaging provides clear usage instructions to consumers and safety information like if the product should be used with gloves or in a ventilated space. The packaging choice also considers sustainability, striving to use recyclable or biodegradable materials whenever possible.??

Finally, the finished product is distributed to retailers and made available to consumers. After that, feedback is monitored to ensure the newly formulated product is meeting consumer needs. The journey of an ingredient from discovery to inclusion in a cleaning product is a complex and rigorous process. Each step is designed to ensure the final product is effective and can be used safely. The next time you use a household cleaner, you can be confident that extensive research and testing has gone into it, providing you with a reliable and responsible cleaning solution.??