Effects of Household Chemicals

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We use many chemicals in the home. In this experiment we will compare the effects of some of them as cleaning agents.  

You will need:

1. A few basic household chemicals

• Baking Soda (Also called Soda Bicarb). The chemical it contains is Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3 for the Chemistry enthusiasts!). Note that it is not quite the same as Baking Powder, although used for the same purpose. Baking Powder has an additional ingredient which can result in a different effect. Nevertheless, you can try with either, or both products.
• Household bleach, which contains Sodium Hypochlorite (NaClO )  
• Vinegar, which contains Acetic Acid (CH3COOH)
• Some Coca-Cola. Yes, this has some interesting chemicals, too!

2. Some items on which to try out these chemicals

• Some bits of iron with rust on them - old nails, or wire that has rusted a little. 
• A few old coins. Brass coins ($1 or $2) that are old and discoloured, are best.
• Small clear plastic cups, provided in the kit.

3. Basic safety equipment:

• A pair of tongs 
• Rubber gloves and eye protection, provided in the kit.

The cleaning agents we use around the home fall into a few categories of chemicals:

• Acids
• Alkalis
• Solvents
• Soaps and detergents.

Many Acids and Alkalis are corrosive and they can cause serious burns in concentrated form, but they are harmless if well diluted. So vinegar (Acetic Acid) and lemon juice (Citric Acid), for example contain a little acid mixed with a lot of water and other things - they are well diluted! But they have something in common - a sour taste, which is a feature of acids.

In this experiment we used Vinegar as a mild acidic cleaner. And this is safe to use around children and pets.

The Baking Soda and Bleach were both alkalis. 

Solvents are used to dissolve grease and oil. They are often used in spot cleaners and rug cleaners. The ingredients in solvents include acetones, concentrated alcohols, and mineral spirits. They are often flammable and combustible, so they must be managed carefully. We did not use any solvents in this experiment.

Soaps and detergents are used to take away fat and grease. They are found in dish washing liquids and laundry soap. Again, we did not use any soaps here. They would not have been effective against rust.

But what about Coca Cola? What is the chemical in that? And didn't it clean surprisingly well?

Well, all soft drinks contain some form of acid. The common ones are citric acid(‎C6H8O7), carbonic acid (H2CO3) and phosphoric (H3PO4) acid. 

It turns out that Coca Cola contains all three of these acids!

That's why it cleans so well!