# Another science question
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-science-question/39869
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 5, 2000, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-science-question/39869 "2000-11-05T23:58:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@teabag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teabag)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2000, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-science-question/39869/1 "2000-11-05T23:58:17Z")
I was washing up yesterday when it ocourred to me; biological washing powders have enzymes to get oil and stuff out right? And it seems to do a pretty dam good job of getting food out. (I’m a messy eater 😉 ) So, given that the I’m trying to get the same food off my clothes and my dishes, why are there no enzymes in washing up liquid? Is it just cost, or are there reasons why it won’t work?
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### Author:  [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2000, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-science-question/39869/2 "2000-11-06T00:02:50Z")
“Washing up” is a UK expression that I am not familiar with, being an American (who only spent 1 week in Newport-on-Tay, a few miles from Edinburgh.) What does it refer to?
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### Author:  [@teabag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teabag)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2000, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-science-question/39869/3 "2000-11-06T00:04:55Z")
Sorry…
My flatmate informs me that the american equivalent would be “doing the dishes”
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### Author:  [@Another\_County\_Heard\_From](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_County_Heard_From)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2000, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-science-question/39869/4 "2000-11-06T00:05:37Z")
There are (or at least used to be) laundry detergents with enzymes. However, they also have a lot of phosphates, and many places have restrictions on the amount of phosphates in laundry detergents because they cause IIRC algae blooms and fish kills. So these laundry detergents have fallen out of faor.
Oh, and thanks a lot for getting Fab’s “Oh Fab I’m glad they put enzyme-active lemon-freshened Borax in you” in my head.
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### Author:  [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2000, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-science-question/39869/5 "2000-11-06T00:45:06Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by teabag \*
> \*\*Sorry…
>
> My flatmate informs me that the american equivalent would be “doing the dishes”
> \*\*
Being an American male, I don’t know what THAT is, either.
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### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2000, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-science-question/39869/6 "2000-11-06T04:39:48Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Another County Heard From \*
> \*\*There are (or at least used to be) laundry detergents with enzymes. However, they also have a lot of phosphates, and many places have restrictions on the amount of phosphates in laundry detergents because they cause IIRC algae blooms and fish kills. So these laundry detergents have fallen out of faor.
>
> Oh, and thanks a lot for getting Fab’s “Oh Fab I’m glad they put enzyme-active lemon-freshened Borax in you” in my head. \*\*
Are you sure about the “enzyme active” part? I don’t remember that part of the jingle.
The “classic” Fab jingle is simply -
“Oh Fab! I’m glad! They put lemon-freshened Borax in you!”
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### Author:  [@IBBen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IBBen)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2000, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-science-question/39869/7 "2000-11-06T04:41:20Z")
Thank God for Borax! No clogged drains 🙂
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### Author:  [@Another\_County\_Heard\_From](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_County_Heard_From)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2000, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-science-question/39869/8 "2000-11-06T04:54:03Z")
They added the enzyme-active part later for **New and Improved!** Fab. I remember the shorter version, too, though.
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### Author:  [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2000, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-science-question/39869/9 "2000-11-06T05:44:18Z")
I seem to remember from Freshman Chem that there are enzymes in most common detergents (laundry and dish) called surfactants.
These may not technically be enzymes because I don’t know if they are organic or not, but they are catalysts for cleaning. I think there are others too, but surfactants are almost ubiquitous.
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### Author:  [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2000, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-science-question/39869/10 "2000-11-07T20:14:20Z")
Enzymes and surfectants are two different things:
Surfectants reduce the surface tension of water, allowing the water to get into places better than it would otherwise.
Enzymes break down proteins, so they are only effective on protein based stains. Most non-chlorine bleaches are basically enzyme solutions. Note that silk and wool are protein based fibers - you will want to use the enzymes with caution if cleaning these.
There are also detergents, which dissolve the grease but dissolve in water.
Chlorine bleaches strip oxygen atoms from all molecules, therefore breaking the molecules down.
As to the OP, enzymes aren’t used in dish detergent because the proteins don’t bind to dishware materials (ceramic, plastic and metal) as easily as they bind to cloth.
For more information: “It All Comes Out in the Wash” Smithsonian, Sept 1997
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### Author:  [@LazarusLong42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LazarusLong42)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2000, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-science-question/39869/11 "2000-11-07T20:26:40Z")
The washing powders we use in my lab do not include enzymes of any sort. Generally strong acid, strong base, detergents, phosphates, or a combination of the above, and some elbow grease to boot, will get anything off the glass and plastic items we use.
LL
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### Author:  [@Shiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shiva)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2000, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-science-question/39869/12 "2000-11-07T20:32:03Z")
> [@](#):
>
> _Originally posted by Zyada \*
> \*\* Most non-chlorine bleaches are basically enzyme solutions._\*
I thought non-chlorine bleaches were oxygen bleaches.
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### Author:  [@Nukeman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nukeman)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2000, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-science-question/39869/13 "2000-11-07T22:42:04Z")
er, because the enzymes might start eating your hand. okay maybe not but it would be bad for your hands to expose them to it all the time.