Exploring consumer behaviour in automatic dishwashing: a quantitative investigation of appliance usage in six European countries

Automatic dishwashing has been optimised in manifold ways during the last decades: new dishwashing devices (e.g. optimised for best class in energy labelling) and innovative dishwashing detergents (e.g. with advanced enzyme technologies). However, the usage of the automatic dishwasher in consumers’ home may not be adequate to gain all the benefits from these developments. Little is known about the actual consumer behaviour with automatic dishwashing. This was tried to solve by performing a survey on the consumer behaviour on automatic dishwashing in Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Hungary and Turkey covering large parts of Europe. The results show that the ‘eco’-programme is getting more importance in programme selection. However, feedback on the soil level of the dish items put into this programme and the observed duration of the programme show that the potential of the ‘eco’-programme is not fully utilised by consumers. Besides this, the survey delivers relevant details on differences which may help to understand the needs and wishes of consumers in those countries.

Effect of Talc Particle Size in Detergents for Fruits and Vegetables on the Ability to Remove Pesticide Residues

Detergents containing abrasive talc particles for washing fruits and vegetables were designed and investigated. Detergent prototypes were developed with the following composition: 40% talc particles, 1.5% surfactants, 5% ethyl alcohol, 1% sodium citrate, 1% sodium carbonate, 1.5% glycerin, and 0.5% preservative. Xanthan gum (0.5% concentration) was used as a viscosity modifier to stabilize the dispersion of talc particles. Three types of detergent prototypes were prepared, differing in the size of the talc particles. The following fractions were used: 50-125, 250-500, and 710-1000 μm. The particle size effect on the effectiveness of the removal of surface pesticide residues was investigated. A specially developed methodology was used. Three types of pesticides (boscalid, acetamiprid, and pyraclostrobin) were applied to a cherry tomato, tangerine, and cucumber, and then a model washing process was performed using the developed detergents. The changes in the pesticide content on the surface of fruit and vegetables were assessed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Detergents with talc particles of sizes 50-125 and 250-500 μm were more efficient in the removal of pesticide residues from the surface of fruit and vegetables compared to detergents with 710-1000 μm talc particles.

Correlations between the Type of Aggregates in the Bulk Phase and the Functionality and Safety of All-Purpose Cleaners

The article shows that the type and concentration of inorganic salt can be translated into the structure of the bulk phase and the performance properties of ecological all-purpose cleaners (APC). A base APC formulation was developed. Thereafter, two types of salt (sodium chloride and magnesium chloride) were added at various concentrations to obtain different structures in the bulk phase. The salt addition resulted in the formation of spherical micelles and-upon addition of more electrolyte-of aggregates having a lamellar structure. The formulations had constant viscosities (ab. 500 mPa·s), comparable to those of commercial products. Essential physical-chemical and performance properties of the four formulations varying in salt types and concentrations were evaluated. It was found that the addition of magnesium salt resulted in more favorable characteristics due to the surface activity of the formulations, which translated into adequately high wettability of the investigated hydrophobic surfaces, and their ability to emulsify fat. A decreasing relationship was observed in foaming properties: higher salt concentrations lead to worse foaming properties and foam stability of the solutions. For the magnesium chloride composition, the effect was significantly more pronounced, as compared to the sodium chloride-based formulations. As far as safety of use is concerned, the formulations in which magnesium salt was used caused a much lesser irritation compared with the other investigated formulations. The zein value was observed to decrease with increasing concentrations of the given type of salt in the composition.

Laundry Habits in Bangkok: Use Patterns of Products and Services

This study aimed to define the use of product–service system (PSS) associated with laundry businesses, such as coin-operated self-service laundromats (CL) and laundry services (LS), in order to get a better understanding of the environmental implications of PSS in laundry habits in Bangkok, Thailand. The motivation to use PSS could vary according to the specific consumer needs often defined by cultures, and therefore the environmental impacts from the PSS use would result differently from country to country. Questionnaires and in-depth interviews were conducted with Bangkok residents to determine the laundry habits related to the use of PSS. As a result, the use of private washing machines (PW) was found to be the main option, and CL and LS were used as an additional option in the laundry habits. The most widely observed use pattern in Bangkok was the use of CL as an alternative to PW instead of buying a new machine for a new life in dormitories or other residences away from home. At that time, hand washing (HW) was also used for saving money and for the cleanliness. Regarding the environmental potential, the relationship between the PSS users and laundry habits was specifically analyzed. The group who uses PSS frequently tended to do laundry less often than those who only use PW. Meanwhile, the need for even more services is also expected to increase among the PSS users. The need to improve the quality of laundry is expected to increase with the improvement of quality of living in Bangkok in the near future. However, at the same time, these observations imply that a change of consumer behaviors related to the use of PSS determines the resulting energy consumption and environmental burdens. To further clarify sustainable consumption and production systems, a quantitative analysis of the environmental impact of the laundry habits remains as a future task.

Evaluation of Ethoxylated Rapeseed Oil Fatty Acids Methyl Esters as Nonionic Co-Surfactants in Hand Dishwashing Liquids

The effect of ethoxylated rapeseed oil fatty acid methyl esters (ROFAME) on the viscosity, functional properties and skin compatibility of hand dishwashing liquids was analyzed. It was found that, over the test range, both the degree of ethoxylation and concentration in the formulation were essential for the properties of the evaluated products. Among others, this was due to the fact that ROFAME had the favorable effect of modifying the viscosity of these formulations to an acceptable range. The relationship between the concentration and degree of polyaddition of ROFAME on the detergent and foaming properties of the complete formulation was presented, showing their increase in comparison to the reference dishwashing liquid without ROFAME. With respect to the parameters relating to the skin irritant, the degree of skin dryness after dishwashing with the auxiliary surfactants was lower.