And regular soap is also a salt of a fatty acid, just with more additives. Perhaps the ‘salt’ part is where the alkalinity comes in, but I’m not good at chemistry.
The oil/lipid that is included in the soap itself is a fatty acid. But the actual cleaning action comes from the alkaline reaction with oils (including the oils you’re trying to clean off).
All of this is also separate from the general point that dishwashing detergents tend not to be soaps at all.
I would expect them to have a shitload of alkalines in them, not acid… Acids dont do much to fat, and bar soap is alkaline…
I started thinking that surely you’re right, remembering that alkaline bile helps digest lipids. But, hard soap does in fact contain over 70% fatty acids while ultimately somehow being alkaline.
And regular soap is also a salt of a fatty acid, just with more additives. Perhaps the ‘salt’ part is where the alkalinity comes in, but I’m not good at chemistry.
Oil plus alkali = soap.
The oil/lipid that is included in the soap itself is a fatty acid. But the actual cleaning action comes from the alkaline reaction with oils (including the oils you’re trying to clean off).
All of this is also separate from the general point that dishwashing detergents tend not to be soaps at all.