My Research on TIDE's MSDS and Laundry Detergent Ingredients

Ethanol (Ethyl Alcohol)	1-5%	pH7.33(if pure)	Fermented sugar to alcohol(Vodka) and dissolves most essential oils b/c of its nonpolar end. Sharply reduces surface tension of water.
Ethanolamine  (2Aminoethanol) Called ETA or MEA	1-5%	Weak base Allows soluability in cold water (ionic)	Toxic, “feedstock” in making detergent and emulsifiers also called a carbon dioxide scrubber b/c it allows acidic gasses to be broken down in an aqua solution/pH regulator
Anionic Surfactants “alcohol ethoxysulfate” & alcohol sulfates with benzenesulfonicacid  (Sulfuric acid=acid rain and corrosive)	10-30%	Sodium Salts--SUDS (formed from ethoxylating alcohol & phenols The sulphate in Sodium Laureth SULPHATE	This is where Tide gets its cancer reputation. Benzene is highly DNA mutagenic. The human body has a difficult time breaking it down and it leaves the body in its original form or as a phenol. Benzene—think crude oil.
Nonionic Surfactant Alcohol ethoxylate	1-5%	Alcohol bound with an oxide and it controls foaming also not found to be unsafe for humans and environment with scientific experiments	This is thrown in there for the hard water folks that have minerals of calcium & magnesium that prevent the anionic surfactants from working in the laundry. Nonionics have NO electrical charge so there is no bond with calcium or magnesium.

 

I learned that surfactants (“surface active agents”) are just polarized molecules that have “barbs” for the scraping and digging at the molecules of stains and dirt. One end is polarized and the other is not (unless it is nonionic which has no charge and should be used by hard water laundresses). There is a head and a tail to these surfactants and one loves water and the other doesn’t. The behavior is similar to shaking up vinegar and oil. They initially mix but then separate. Surfactants scratch the surfaces and shake up the dirt into the wash and then it separates from the clothing and gets held in suspension and washed away. The “held in suspension” is because all the like ends of the molecules uniformly surround the dirt and create a “wall” or like a cell that hold sthe dirt in as it gets sucked down the drain. Similar to this photo credit google images:       

                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                           

    

One end of the surfactant molecule loves water

The other end hates it so this is why the behavior of

The anionic surfactant acts this uniformly.  The dirt becomes trapped
by the barbs and the heads surround it allegedly. 

Homemade DIY laundry soap recipes have lacked this

Ingredient surfactant which is produced by combining alcohol and phenols.

Benzene appears worse for health than toluene which could be its substitute.   ?$?