If various chemicals are used to remove a canola oil stain from a white shirts 

Then Beach will remove majority of the stain from the shirt 

Because bleach is an oxidation agent which has a chemical reaction with certain types of stains and dyes.

 

Types of stains 

 

There are many things that can be used to remove stains and different stain removers will be used on different stains.  For example oxidisable stains can be removed with bleach and grease and oil stains can be removed with surfactants like laundry detergent and dish soap. Most of the things that are used to remove things like builders and proteases can be found in common laundry detergent to remove a number of different types of stains.

 

Have you ever wondered why some clothing absorbs better than others?  Well that is actually due to the weave of the clothing.  If the thinner strands of yarn absorb more water than the thicker ones because there is less resistance. The absorbance of clothing also depends on the weave structure and density of the fibers  because there is less space for the fiber to swell up.  Although some fabrics do stain better than others there are four categories of stains: enzymatic stains, oxidisable stains, greasy stains and particulate stains, even though there are four categories of stains one stain could fall into multiple categories.  Enzymatic stains, are stains like grass and blood which can be removed by proteases which break down protein stains. Protease breaks down the molecules within the stain and makes it smaller and easier to remove.  Proteases fall into a category called enzymes and are usually found in laundry detergent and break up blood, grass, and sweat stains.  

Protease removes stains by breaking the peptide bonds which are the building blocks of protein and can be found in your own body as insulin.   By breaking these bonds that hold the stain within the fabric together it makes it easier to remove the stain.    .  Oxidisable stains are usually colorful like fruit juice and tea. These stains can be removed by adding a bleach stain removing solution which usually contains hydrogen peroxide and when it gets below 40 degrees celsius is amplified by TEAD. TEAD is sodium percarbonate which is an enhanced bleach that makes a powerful  disinfectant.  Grease and oil stains can be removed by  using surfactants like. Surfactants remove oil and grease by forming a structure called micelles.  Micelles are found in surfactants like dish soap and laundry detergent and  has a hydrophobic  core  Which means it does not mix with water.  Since oil stains are also hydrophobic,it means that the micelle creates the perfect environment to help dateach the stain from the fabric.  stains like mud, soil and dirt can be removed by builders which helps soften water during a wash cycle by eliminating metals like magnesium and calcium ions out of the water. The builders break up the metallic bond of the magnesium within the water that is responsible for the pH level of the water, which means how acidic the water is.  By breaking those bonds  the soil and mud can be removed easily from the fabric and because of the emulsifying quality of the builder which means liquids don’t mix.  An example of this would be oil and water since oil is hydrophobic and will suspend in the water instead of combining with it.  This quality prevents the stains from re-embedding  themselves into the fabric since the bonds have been already destroyed.  An example of a builder would be borax. Although some fabrics are harder to remove stains from for example synthetic or man made clothing it is harder to remove oil stains compared to fabric made from natural resources.  But there might be a reason that clothes stain so easily you might ask. The answer is no, it all depends on the fabric, for example  cotton and wool absorb water better, compared to polyester which repels water but absorbs oil.  In conclusion there are many types of stains that fall into many categories and there are many things that can be used to remove them.

 

Chemicals and how they remove stains           

 

Chemicals, you’ve probably heard of them, maybe even used them to clean your bathroom  or disinfect countertops.  So what are chemicals, well chemicals are built from molecules  and can be man-made like chlorine or found in nature like water. When a chemical changes it is called chemical change and is the product of a chemical reaction like oxidation,  is the chemical reaction that breaks down a stain's structure making it easier to  be removed.  An example of a chemical change would be iron oxide.  Iron has a chemical reaction with the oxygen in the air turning it into iron oxide or most commonly known as rust.  A chemical change is different from a physical change, physical changes are reversible like water freezing to ice.  If the ice is out in the sun it will turn back into water.  Unlike a chemical change which can not change back and is permanently in that form like iron oxide.  Chemicals can be used for multiple uses including disinfecting surfaces, removing stains and cleaning. Some chemicals can be harmful to humans if mixed together and can cause scarring to your lung tissue, examples of this would be bleach and ammonia, rubbing alcohol and bleach are just a few of the chemicals that should never be mixed.  Bleach is one chemical that should never be mixed with anything but water.  Chemicals can also be used to remove stains.

 

Bleach is a very powerful chemical in stain removal and there are two types of bleach.  Chlorine bleach and oxygen bleach or non chlorine bleach.  Bleach most commonly is used in laundry as a whitening agent.  Bleach was created in 1913 by the clorox company, the clorox company was the first to sell bleach to consumers as a disinfectant. 

So what is the difference between chlorine and non chlorine bleach?  The difference is that  non chlorine bleach is made up of multiple ingredients where chlorine bleach contains bleach sodium hypochlorite and chlorine which is a green looking gas that can cause severe damage to your lungs  and sodium hypochlorite is a chemical used to sterilize surface in laboratories and other areas.  Bleach falls under the category of chemicals called oxidation which have a chemical reaction with certain stains and even dye.  Many public places use bleach to clean and sanitize items, for example restaurants use chlorine bleach to prevent e-coli  and salmonella,hotels use bleach to clean linens.  So how does bleach remove stains you may ask,well bleach breaks down the stain and makes it easier to  be removed by detergent although bleach should never be used on fabric made from wool or silk, since it can severely damage the 

 

Like bleach, borax can have many uses including whitening your teeth, pesticides, water softener and can even remove stains from clothes, so what is Borax?.  Borax also known as sodium borate is the salt of boric acid and can be mined from the ground.  Unlike other chemicals Borax is not toxic and someone would have to inhale large amounts of it before health issues occurred.  Borax is the main ingredient in many products including toothpaste, laundry detergent boosters and more.  When borax is added to water it converts some of the water molecule into hydrogen peroxide which is a mild bleach agent causing it to remove stains.  Borax is not toxic. but can  irritate the body which is called borax exposure and some signs of borax exposure are skin rash, vomiting, eye irritation and mouth infection.  Due to this  borax boxes will have warning labels that say do not put in eyes.

 

Vinegar or in French 'vinaigre' has multiple uses inside a household including  sanitizing surfaces, and fermenting foods such as pickled items like cucumbers or pickles and even carrots.  What is vinegar?  Vinegar is the product of fermenting sugar into ethanol.  Ethanol is an alcohol and after going through fermentation turns into acetic acid which can be made into various ingredients like vinegar and wine.  Wine was the very first ingredient to produce vinegar and now there are multiple types of vinegar.  There are various amounts of different types of vinegar that can be made from fermenting different ingredients.  Examples of these would be rice vinegar, rice vinegar is made from rice wine so how can vinegar remove stains you might ask.  How does vinegar remove vinegar, well vinegar breaks down stains on the lower side of the Ph scale like wine, fruit juice and tea.  Even though vinegar is helpful to remove stains it should not be used every time you wash your clothes because it can permanently damage your washing machine,but using it every now and then won’t be harmful.

 

Acetone most commonly known as nail polish remover can be very dangerous if not handled carefully.  Acetone is a solvent which is a material that is able to dissolve other items.  Although  acetone can be used  to remove nail polish remover can also be used to remove paints and varnishes.  Most of the time though, acetone is used in small amounts to remove nail polish. Even though acetone can remove nail polish stains on clothing it is not recommended since it can ruin a garment and can leave an oily residue.  Acetone also pulls dyes from shirts and dissolves clothing damaging it.  Acetone is also highly flammable which is why it can never be put in a dryer.  Acetone can have health risks including  irritation and poisoning which can occur if small amounts of acetone are ingested.  Signs of this may include severe headache, low blood pressure and loss consciousness and irritation can occur if you inhale fumes, but signs can also include headache, irritated eyes and a sore throat.

 

Rubbing alcohol commonly used to disinfect cuts and scrapes can also be used for other things like soothing an ear infection and even ease nausea after surgery. Rubbing alcohol is a diluted version of isopropyl alcohol  and having a higher concentration is not better.  It is proven that rubbing alcohol has stronger disinfectant with a lower concentration rate the stronger the disinfectant rate.  Rubbing alcohol should not be combined with Bleach since it releases a dangerous gas that can damage your lungs.  Can Rubbing alcohol be used as a stain remover, yes but it can't be used on fabrics made of acetate, triacetate, modacrylic, and acrylic fibers since they can be damaged and faded color.  So how does rubbing alcohol work?  Well, rubbing alcohol is a degreasing agent which removes organic stains like oil, fat and protein, best results come from alkaline.  Alkaline, what is alkaline? Alkaline is a cleaning agent that is based from potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide which are built to break down grease and fat stains.  Alkalines are most commonly found on the higher end of the Ph scale making it easier to remove caked up stains an example of this would be oven cleaners.  Oven cleaners are actually considered alkaline because they are made to remove carbonised  stains or mess that have accumulated over time.

 

 Dish soap is made up of many different components including Water, sodium lauryl sulfate, lauramine oxide, alcohol denat, phenoxyethanol, tetrasodium glutamate diacetate, sodium chloride, fragrance, deceth-8, chloroxylenol, c9-11, alketh-8, ppg-26, yellow 5, red 33 each of these ingredient contribute to the stain removing components of dish soap.

So how does dish soap remove stains? Well dish soap is a surfactant. Surfactants or surface agents reduce surface tension when added to a liquid like water.  In stain removal surfactants allow water to mix with other substances like oil making it easier to be removed.  Surfactants also allow water to penetrate the oil particles on the fabric becoming easier to be washed out and since dish soap is commonly found in the average household it is usually the most common stain removal agent. 

  Types of oil and its properties 

 

Oil, one of the most commonly used ingredients in cooking, is a hard stain to remove from clothing.  Since oil is hydrophobic which means it doesn't mix well with water it makes it immune to just simple water but that isn't the only reason oil is so hard to remove, it is also due to the fact that oil absorbs into fabric very quickly. There are many types of oil including coconut oil,canola oil and olive oil. These are just a few examples of the fast variety of oils out there. 

 

Canola oil made from the canola plant which is a crossbreed of the rapeseed can be used for many things but comes with a couple of down sides.  Canola oil has seven steps that go from the canola plant to the canola oil.  Like most oils, canola oil is a revinded which means it goes  through a process that gives it a less strong odor, lighter color and removes pollutants. Canola oil can be refined in many ways including steam distillation, exposure to phosphoric acid, and filtration through acid-activated clays.  Canola oil can be turned into a number of different things including margin. Although Canola oil can cause serious health issues that can impact your heart health and memory.

 

                               Cotton 

Cotton made from the cotton plant is one of the most popular types of face.  Like silk and wool, cotton is one of many types of natural fabric.  Cotton plants are separated from the seeds of the plant before it can be turned into fabric.  Cotton fabric is very absorbent and holds 25 percent of its weight in water. Cotton fabric is highly breathable although the breathability of the fabric depends on how it was constructed.  Domesticated cotton fibers are one of the longest fibers in the world of any plant in the world.  All these features make cotton a very reliable fabric.   

 

Manipulated: 

Different chemicals :  vinegar, bleach, rubbing alcohol , borax, dish soap 

 

Responding:

How much of the oil stain has been removed after washing  

 

Controlled

• Wash cycle 
• dry time
• White shirt 
•  Amont canola oil (15ml)
• Sit time \ massage time

The amount of chemical used ( 15ml)C 

Controlled Variables Explanation 

Variables	Why	How
Wash cycle	Because it keeps the washing  procese equal for all test to limit source of error	By using the same wash cycle
Dry time	To make sure each test  is dried for a suitable amount of time  to limit source of error	Use same drying cycle
White shirts	To ensure that different types of fabric to do not alter staining  ability	Buy same brand of shirts
Amount of Canola	To keep a consistent amount for all tests so that the amount used for staining is equal for all tests	Measure and pour same amount of oil for all tests
Sit\Massage time	To make sure  the chemical  has  enough time to absorb and spread  into the shirt	Give each test the same amount of sit\ massage time ( 10 minutes and 30 seconds)
Amount of chemicals used	To make sure the amount of chemicals used is equal for each tests so all the tests have the same limited  amounts of error	Measure out 15 ml for each test

 

1. Label sleeve of shirts with sharpie make sure to write what test and chemical 
2. Measure out 15 ml of oil and pour into 2 oz cup  with oil labeled on it 
3. Pour oil on shirt let sit for 24 hours 
4. After 24 hours take black sharpie and outline the oil stain the measure length and width with a ruler  (take pictures) 
5. Measure out 15 ml of dish soap and pour into 2 oz cup labeled dish soap 
6. Pour dish soap onto the stain massage with toothbrush for 30 seconds
7. After 30 seconds start timer and let shirt sit for ten minutes
8. Repeat steps 1- 7 for test 2 and 3
9. Add 40 ml of gain ultra oxi laundry detergent to the main wash compartment in your washing machine 
10. Wash all three shirts together select temperature warm spin high soil normal time 59 minutes then start  
11. After washing machine is done put all 3 shirts in the dryer select temperature hight time 20 minutes  then start 
12. After dryer finishes re mark stain size with blue sharpie re measurement and width 
13. Write down results 
14. Repeat steps 1-12 for borax vinegar bleach and rubbing alcohol

Chemicals	Test 1	Test 2	Test 3
Borax	Circle like brush strokes   Some of crystals fading	Some of finer crystal have dissolved into shirt  Able to see  brush strokes from tooth brush  Borax appears to have a damp appearance still powdery thought  Borax is very powdery and feels like salt when rubbed between fingers	Can see brush strokes from tooth brush   looks like some crystals have been absorbed
Vinegar	Vinegar has very strong smell    Vinegar continuous to expand  Vinegar did not cause sharpie line to bleed   Vinegar has absorbed into shirt and has mixed with oil creating an oily vinegar smelling substance	Vinegar  expanded fro original pour and massage area  Air bubbles between layer of shirt  In some areas high concentration of vinegar	Vinegar has expanded inside market areas   Che cal does not leave marked area if does only a lit bit Air bubbles  Strong smell Vinegar has absorbed into shirt and has mixed with oil creating an oily vinegar smelling substance

 

Chemicals	Test 1	Test 2	Test 3
Rubbing alcohol	Rubbing alcohol gives off very pungent  smell  Rubbing alcohol is visible  Appears in areas were rubbing alcohol did not touch have lint on tips of fibers   Can see air bubbles	More air bubbles than in test one  Can see were rubbing alcohol was poured   Looks like in some areas there is high concentration  In some areas appears dry but shirt feels damp	Rubbing alcohol expanded the most  compared to previous  Look like rubbing alcohol caused sharpie bleeding  Can see were rubbing alcohol was poured  Color of garbage bag went on shirt
Bleach	Brown color were bleach was poured  Very slow spreading across rest of shirt  The brown color keeps expanding across shirt   Air bubbles between the two layers of shirt   Bleach is expanding past sharpie	Bleach is seeping out from under sharpie line  Brown color were bleach was poured  Very slow spreading across rest of the shirt  Brown color keeps expanding across shirt No bleach expansion at bottom of stain  Air bubbles	Bleach brown color expanded  Some areas have already dried  Air bubbles Bleach appears brown due to chemical reaction with oil  Bleach expanded past sharpie line no sharpie bleeding has occurred   In areas were bleach has dried appears to look transparent

 

Chemical	Test 1	Test  2	Test 3
Dish soap	When being massaged into shirt created bubbles  Dyed Short time after being massaged into shirt  Dish soap did not spread evenly  Was visible were dish soap did not touch Dish soap moved very slowly	When massaged shirt created bubbles  Dried short time after being massaged into shirt  Was visible where did not reach and had to to be massaged into those areas  Dish soap moved very slowly	Dried short time after being massaged into shirt Dish soap moved very slowly  Visible were dish soap did not touch  was visible were dish soap did not touch  Bubbles were created when massaged into shirt

In my experiment my manipulated variable was the different types of chemicals used to remove the oil stain.  These chemicals include borax, bleach vinegar, rubbing alcohol and dish soap.  The responding variable in this experiment was how much of the canola oil stain was removed by each chemical. I measured this by measuring the width and length of the stain before and after.  After washing I noticed that the oil stain had actually expanded and that the chemicals had not removed the stain at all.  I also noticed that washing the shirt and letting it dry was still a little oily.  The same thing happened after letting the shirts sit for 24 hrs, they  were still oily if rubbed between fingers.  Something else I noticed was, while the shirts were sitting for ten minutes the oil did not expand past the permanent marker line. I think that rubbing alcohol, bleach, vinegar and borax did not remove the oil stain because they were not made to remove oil stains.  The most effective way to remove an oil stain is by using a surfactant or surface agent to help break up the surface tension between the oil and water like dish soap or laundry detergent.  The only surfactant I used  was dish soap which could explain why chemicals like bleach didn’t work since a chemical like bleach is designed to remove oxidisable stains like fruit juice, wine and even tea.  Another reason I think  these chemicals did not work is because of the small quantity used to remove the stains.  I also believe that is why dish soap did not work since it is a surfactant or surface agent.  This is why I believe that my experiment was not successful. These results show that these chemicals are not sufficient to remove oil stains and if they do work  the quantity of chemical used would have to be increased. In this experiment I learned that the chemicals tested do not work to remove oil stains.  I saw many patterns with each type of chemical for example, for all the bleach tests I noticed that they turned a brownish color after sitting for a while and for the vinegar all tests produced a oily vinegar substance which are just a few examples of the patterns I noticed.  

 

 

These results did not support my hypothesis that bleach would remove the oil stain since it is an oxidation agent.  In fact none of the chemicals tested worked to remove the oil stain including dish soap, which is a surfactant. The surfactant is supposed  to help break up the oil molecules' surface tension, making it easier to be removed with water.  However bleach did in fact have an interesting reaction with the oil causing it to turn brown.Bleach is not meant to remove oil and grease stains but oxidisable stains like tea, juice and wine.  Bleach breaks down the stain and makes it so that water can just wash it away.  Background research also shows that dish soap and laundry detergent are surface agents or surfactants   and are supposed to break up the surface tension between the oil and the water since oil is hydrophobic, allowing water to penetrate the oil and remove it.            

 

The results of this experiment can be really helpful to general people but especially for people in the culinary industry. Being made aware that chemicals like bleach are not sufficient to remove oil and grease stains.  People being able to know what can remove stains and what can not will help prevent clothes from being thrown out or not used.  Another way this information can be useful in the real world is through automotive mechanics as mechanics work with a lot of grease and their clothes can be ruined  However, these results can help them identify which stain remover will be most effective to remove oil and grease stains.  Some of the stain removers I tasted like bleach, borax and dish soap many people use. For example although bleach in this case did not remove oil stain it is scientifically proven that bleach is meant to remove wine stains making it highly cost effective since you don’t have to throw away a nice looking shirt.  The same thing goes for borax as it was not proven effective in removing oil stains but can remove mud stains and can be a laundry booster making it also cost effective because you would use less detergent when use the borax with it.  Dish Soap in this case although research shows was suppose to remove the oil stain but was not effective which I believe was due to how much was used for the stain size, this stain remover is highly cost effective as it can be used to wash dishes and has been prove to remove grease and foods stain very efficiently. The total cost to complete  this experiment was 126.79$.     

 

When I originally tested my experiment I noticed that for all the chemicals I had tested so far that all the stains had been removed and felt unsure with the results. I realized I’d hadn't given the oil stain the proper amount of time to set so it could fully absorb into the shirt.  After realizing this I repeated my experiment and let the oil sit for 24 hrs and saw a change in my results.  Another source of error that would have affected my experiment was the sit time for each shirt was not started at the same time causing the first one to sit longer than the third. For vinegar there was a one minute delay before the shirt went into the washing machine.

Household Chemicals that also Remove Stains

 

https://dirtylabs.com/blogs/the-dirt/how-your-stain-removal-tricks-really-work#:~:text=dilute%20 vinegar%20 or%20 lemon%20juice,wash%20out%E2%80%94 their%20 malodors%20 included

 

https://www.rushordertees.com/blog/clothing-stain-remova

 

How do you remove oil stains from clothes | Hoover.

 

An Expert's Guide on How to Remove Oil Stains From Clothes

 

How to Get Oil Out of Clothes - Cleanse

 

Hydrophobic | Definition, Effect & Examples - Lesson | Study.com.

What Is Borax and How Is It Used?

 

https://www.healthline.com/health/is-borax-safe#safety

Acetone | Dry Cleaning and Laundry Institute International

How to Get Nail Polish Out of Clothes | Tide

How to Get Oil Out of Clothes | Persil.

What is acetone? Uses, risks, and more Acetone | Structure, Uses & Formula - Lesson | Study.com

.What is Cotton

What to Know About Rubbing Alcohol

What Is Vinegar?

How Bleach Works | HowStuffWorks

Compound Interest: The Chemistry of Stain Removal.\

Is Canola Oil Good for You, or Bad?

Georgia department of health PDF w not to mix

What Is A Chemical ? | NRC.gov

 The Perfect Partnership: TAED (Tetraacetylethylenediamine) and Sodium Percarbonate

What Chemicals Make a Sharpie Permanent? | ehow

Yarn Lab: Reflections on Absorbency | Handwoven.

https://smartlabel.pg.com/en-ca/00030772086513.html

How To Get Ink Out of a Dryer

Using Bleach in Laundry | The American Cleaning Institute (ACI).

How to Use Borax in Your Laundry for a Fresh Load

What Is Rice Vinegar? | Cooking School | Food Network

How to Use Vinegar in Laundry (and When It's Best to Avoid It).

Abrasives, Acids, Detergent & Degreasers, the 4 Types of Cleaning Agents - RFM Group.

Alkaline Cleaner

How to Remove Almost Any Stain Using Alcohol « Housekeeping

 

To my dad and mom, thank you for supporting me throughout this journey, I appreciate your patience getting me this far. To my little sister, thank you for your artistic help, it is greatly appreciated and for being highly patient with me.