Natural Laundry Detergent Formulation with Potassium Cocoate
Question
I want to make a natural laundry detergent that cleans well and is not expensive. I would like to know the recommended percentage of Potassium Cocoate in the following cases:
If using [url=https://www.myskinrecipes.com/shop/%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%B9%E0%B9%88%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%A7/7726-potassium-cocoate.html:3rr7pbdx]Potassium Cocoate[/url:3rr7pbdx] as the only surfactant, what percentage should be used?
If using [url=https://www.myskinrecipes.com/shop/%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B9%E0%B9%88%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%A7/7726-potassium-cocoate.html:3rr7pbdx]Potassium Cocoate[/url:3rr7pbdx] together with [url=http://www.myskinrecipes.com/shop/%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%94%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B6%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%9C%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%A7/1390-sodium-c14-16-olefin-sulfonate.html:3rr7pbdx]Clarify-Wash™[/url:3rr7pbdx] Powder ([url=http://www.myskinrecipes.com/shop/%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%94%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B6%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%9C%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%A7/1390-sodium-c14-16-olefin-sulfonate.html:3rr7pbdx]Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate[/url:3rr7pbdx]), what ratio should be used? Or if your team recommends using a different ingredient, please let me know.
Answer
Natural Laundry Detergent Formulation with Potassium Cocoate
Potassium Cocoate is a natural surfactant derived from coconut oil, known for its good foaming and high cleaning efficiency. It is a suitable base for a natural laundry detergent.
Here are recommendations based on your questions:
Using Potassium Cocoate as the sole surfactant:
Potassium Cocoate (30% active) can be used at a rate of 0.1% to 100% in a formula. For a liquid laundry detergent where it is the primary or sole cleaning agent, a usage rate of 30-60% of the Potassium Cocoate (30%) product is a practical starting point to achieve good cleaning performance. This provides 9-18% active surfactant in your final product.Using Potassium Cocoate with Clarify-Wash™ Powder (Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate):
Clarify-Wash™ (Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate) is a highly effective synthetic surfactant. Combining it with Potassium Cocoate can boost cleaning power, especially for tough stains. However, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate is less aligned with a purely "natural" focus compared to Potassium Cocoate. It also has a high pH (8-9) and may require pH adjustment in the final formula to be gentler on fabrics and skin.Specific recommended ratios for combining Potassium Cocoate and Clarify-Wash™ in a laundry detergent are not available in the product descriptions. If you choose to combine them, you would typically use Potassium Cocoate as the main surfactant and add Clarify-Wash™ at a lower percentage (e.g., a ratio of 2:1 or 3:1 Potassium Cocoate to Clarify-Wash™) to enhance performance. However, for a detergent emphasizing natural ingredients and low cost, using Potassium Cocoate as the primary surfactant, possibly combined with other natural builders or cleaning aids, might be a better approach.
