All about enzymes

By mudlark • November 17th, 2008

I’ve seen a whole lot of ‘enzyme’ cleaners lately – laundry detergents, kitchen cleaners, bathroom cleaners, hardwood cleaners. It seems like they’re all invading my path all of a sudden. They sure sound nice – kind of sciencey, but a little zany and green too. Enzyme. I just like to say it. But is it the real deal or just hype?

Enzymes made up of amino acids (proteins) and they’re totally biodegradable, non-toxic, and harmless to the environment and marine life. They’re a type of chemical that speeds up natural processes. They act as catalysts for chemical processes, sometimes speeding it up millions of times faster than the reaction would happen on its own. Each enzyme is designed for a specific reaction, so for cleaning multiple enzymes are typically combined for a purpose, like a kitchen cleaner would use enzymes targeted to what you find in a kitchen. Got it? In general, they speed up the break down of soap, oils, detergents, and organic matter. In fact, they break them down into earth-friendly components like oxygen and carbon. Once the organic matter is gone there’s nowhere for bacteria to grow. So, that’s how they do the dirty work.

The same way they attack oils and organic matter, enzymes can also break down odors, contaminants in water, and all sorts of other things. What else? They’re pH neutral, meaning they’re safe for natural stone (granite, marble, travertine, etc.) as well as hardwood floors & furniture and other sensitive surfaces. We tried out the kitchen cleaner here by NaturallyClean and loved it. Our only caution is to watch the other ingredients in a cleaner, as usual. A truly green product will make the list of ingredients available to you, so look for plant-based surfactants and solvents without artificial scents and what-not.

Comments(1) Bleach alternatives, Cleaning products, Reviews

Comments

By Nintendo wii sword on November 19th, 2008 at 4:16 am

You know a lot about enzyme which act a as a factor and proceeds the rate of chemical reaction very fast. I think 20 amino acides are involved in amking of protein and enzyme is needed in eacjh and evry action and reaction.