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Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best?

Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best?

which laundry detergent works best science fair 2011

Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best? Introduction:

My name is The Divine Miss M. My mom likes to do laundry. I watch her do laundry and she told me about stains. We talk about how to get stains out and she said, “Some detergents work better than others.”
I asked my mom, “Which detergent works best?”
She said we should do a Laundry Lab and find out.
My mom loves Tide.
I like the smell of Gain.
My mom has a box of soap that she uses only when we are out of her favorite laundry detergent named Ultra Laundry Detergent.
My mom told me about different stains, bleachable (coffee), oil (lip gloss) and carbohydrate (ketchup).

Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best? Big Question:

“Which Laundry Detergent works best: Tide, Gain or Ultra Laundry Detergent?”

Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best? Hypothesis:

I think the Ultra Laundry Detergent will work the best.

Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best? Methods and Materials:

Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best? Supplies Needed:

  • Tide Detergent
  • Gain Detergent
  • Ultra Laundry Detergent
  • Ketchup to create a carbohydrate stain
  • Lip Gloss to create an oil stain
  • Coffee to create a bleachable stain
  • 10 White Cotton Handkerchiefs
  • ½ cup measuring cup to measure coffee
  • 1/8 cup measuring cup to measure ketchup
  • Wetslicks #535 Lip Gloss
  • Washing Machine
  • Dryer
  • People to view the results

Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best? Process:

Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best?
 Label Handkerchiefs for each of the stain groups
Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best?
 
Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best?
 
·         Stain A-1
·         Stain A-2
·         Stain A-3
 
A=Coffee  (bleachable stain)
 
Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best?
 
·         Stain B-1
·         Stain B-2
·         Stain B3
 
B=Ketchup Stain (carbohydrate stain)
 
Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best?
 

Stain C-1
Stain C-2
Stain C-3
C=Lip Gloss Stain (oil stain)
 
Label Laundry Detergents:
 
Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best?
 
Gain=1
Tide=2
Ultra Laundry Detergent=3
 
Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best?
Take 3 glasses
 
Shake out the handkerchief and place one handkerchief in each glass
Pour ½ cup hot brewed coffee into each glass.
 
Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best?
Poke handkerchief all the way into the glass, using a spoon
 
Let handkerchief soak in coffee for five minutes
Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best?
Remove handkerchiefs from coffee and wring out
Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best?
 
Spread out three handkerchiefs (Labeled B)
 
Measure 1/8 cup ketchup and pour on Handkerchief B-1
Measure 1/8 cup ketchup and pour on handkerchief B-2
Measure 1/8 cup ketchup and pour on handkerchief B-3
 
Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best?
 
Spread ketchup over handkerchiefs
Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best?
 
Let Ketchup sit for 5-minutes
Take handkerchiefs C-1, C-2 and C-3
 
Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best?
  
Using Wetslicks #535 Lip Gloss, apply to lips
Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best?
 Rub Lips together and kiss handkerchief C-1 and repeat ten times.
Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best?
 
Using Wetslicks #535, lip gloss apply to lips
Rub lips together and kiss handkerchief C-2; repeat 10 times
Using Wetslicks #535, lip gloss apply to lips
Rub lips together and kiss handkerchief C-3; repeat 10 times
Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best?
 Gather handkerchiefs A-1, B-1,  and C-1
Place all #1 Handkerchiefs into Washing Machine
 
Measure 1/3 cup of Detergent #1 and pour into the washing machine
Close lid to the washing machine and use “Soak” cycle; After 5-minutes of soaking, wash on HEAVY DUTY CYCLE, using cold waterTransfer handkerchiefs to the dryer
Dry for 30-minutes
Remove handkerchiefs from the dryer
Gather handkerchiefs A-2, B-2, and C-2
Measure 1/3 Cup Detergent of #2
Add handkerchiefs A-2, B-2, C-2 to the washing machine
Pour Detergent #2 into the washing machine
Close lid to the washing machine and use “Soak” cycle
After 5-minutes, wash on HEAVY DUTY cycle
Transfer Handkerchiefs to the dryer
Dry from 30-minutes
Remove handkerchiefs from the dryer.
Gather handkerchiefs A-3, B-3, and C-3
Measure 1/3 Cup Detergent of #3
Add handkerchiefs A-3, B-3, C-3 to the washing machine
Pour Detergent #3 into the washing machine
Close lid to the washing machine and use “Soak” cycle
After 5-minutes, wash on HEAVY DUTY cycle
Transfer Handkerchiefs to the dryer
Dry from 30-minutes
Remove handkerchiefs from the dryer.
Make a grid using the handkerchiefs:
Stains across
Detergents down
Ask at least three people which handkerchief from each of the stain groups (carbohydrate, oil, bleachable) they think is the cleanest.Record their answers with a tick mark on the graph
Compare all answers by counting how many tick marks are for the A-1, B-1, C-1
Compare all answers by counting how many tick marks are for the A-2, B-2, C-2
Compare all answers by counting how many tick marks are for the A-3, B-3, C-3
Tally all tick marks for “A”
Tally all tick marks for “B”
Tally all tick marks for “C”
The one that has the most tick marks is the laundry detergent that works the best.

Which Laundry Detergent Works Best Results:

 

Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best?
 
 

Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best? Conclusion:

My hypothesis was correct. Ultra Laundry Detergent was determined to be better at working than Tide or Gain.

I would like to know if the results would be the same if I used liquid laundry detergent.

Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best? Acknowledgments:

Thank you, Mom, for helping me and typing my Science project and for helping me with my board.

Thank you, Teacher and my class, for helping me reach a conclusion by voting on which handkerchief was the cleanest.

Thank you to my brother, Li’l Man, for helping me make the ketchup stains.

Laundry Lab: Which Laundry Detergent Works Best? References:

I don’t have any.

 

 

About Julee: Julee Morrison is an experienced author with 35 years of expertise in parenting and recipes. She is the author of four cookbooks: The Instant Pot College Cookbook, The How-To Cookbook for Teens, The Complete Cookbook for Teens, and The Complete College Cookbook. Julee is passionate about baking, crystals, reading, and family. Her writing has appeared in The LA Times (Bon Jovi Obsession Goes Global), Disney's Family Fun Magazine (August 2010, July 2009, September 2008), and My Family Gave Up Television (page 92, Disney Family Fun August 2010). Her great ideas have been featured in Disney's Family Fun (Page 80, September 2008) and the Write for Charity book From the Heart (May 2010). Julee's work has also been published in Weight Watchers Magazine, All You Magazine (Jan. 2011, February 2011, June 2013), Scholastic Parent and Child Magazine (Oct. 2011), Red River Family Magazine (Jan. 2011), BonAppetit.com, and more. Notably, her article "My Toddler Stood on Elvis' Grave and Scaled Over Boulders to Get to a Dinosaur" made AP News, and "The Sly Way I Cured My Child's Lying Habit" was featured on PopSugar. When she's not writing, Julee enjoys spending time with her family and exploring new baking recipes.
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