1 KG Formula, Manufacturing Process, Quality Control & Costing
Product Overview
Liquid Laundry Detergent is a water-based surfactant formulation designed to remove dirt, oily soil, and everyday stains from fabrics.
This economical formulation uses LABSA and SLES 28% as the primary surfactant system, supported by Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate, and Sodium Hydroxide.
The formulation also contains optical brightener, fragrance, preservative, colour, and salt for finishing and viscosity adjustment.
In the tested batch, the finished product showed a pH of approximately 9, making it a moderately alkaline laundry detergent.
1 KG FORMULA
| Raw Material | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Water – Phase A | 400 g |
| Caustic Soda | 4 g |
| Sodium Bicarbonate | 6 g |
| Sodium Carbonate / Soda Ash | 10 g |
| Optical Brightener | 0.3 g |
| Water – Phase B | 400 g |
| LABSA | 60 g |
| SLES 28% | 150 g |
| Fragrance | 6 g |
| Salt | 3 g |
| Preservative | 0.5–1 g |
| Colour | q.s. |
| Final Water | q.s. to 1,000 g |
Note: The 400 g + 400 g water is the process water specified for the formulation. The final water should be adjusted by weighing the complete batch to exactly 1,000 g, rather than relying only on a calculated water volume.
PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS
Product Type
Liquid Laundry Detergent
Appearance
Uniform coloured liquid, depending on the selected colour
Fragrance
Detergent-compatible perfume
Measured pH
Approximately 9
Main Surfactants
LABSA + SLES 28%
Application
Laundry and fabric cleaning
FUNCTION OF EACH RAW MATERIAL
Caustic Soda – Sodium Hydroxide
Caustic soda is primarily used to neutralize LABSA and establish the required alkaline condition.
Functions
- LABSA neutralization
- pH control
- Supports detergency
- Helps with oily-soil removal
Because caustic soda is highly corrosive, it must be handled carefully.
Sodium Carbonate – Soda Ash
Sodium carbonate is an alkaline builder.
Functions
- Supports cleaning
- Helps manage hard-water effects
- Provides alkalinity
- Supports removal of oily and particulate soil
Sodium Bicarbonate – Baking Soda
Sodium bicarbonate provides mild alkalinity and buffering support.
Functions
- Supports cleaning
- Helps with odour control
- Provides mild alkalinity
- Complements the builder system
LABSA – Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonic Acid
LABSA is the principal detergency surfactant in this formulation.
Functions
- Strong cleaning
- Grease and oily-soil removal
- Wetting
- Emulsification
- Foam generation
LABSA is acidic and therefore requires controlled neutralization.
SLES 28%
SLES 28% is an anionic surfactant used together with LABSA.
Functions
- Cleaning
- Wetting
- Foam generation
- Supports overall detergency
The combination of LABSA and SLES produces the main surfactant system of the detergent.
Optical Brightener
Optical brightener is used to improve the visual brightness of suitable fabrics through optical effects.
The selected grade should be suitable for laundry detergents and used according to supplier recommendations.
Fragrance
Fragrance provides the desired perfume profile.
A detergent-compatible fragrance should be selected for good stability in the alkaline surfactant system.
Salt – Sodium Chloride
Salt is primarily used to adjust viscosity.
Salt should be added gradually because excessive electrolyte can sometimes reduce viscosity rather than increase it.
Preservative
A suitable preservative helps protect the water-based detergent from microbial deterioration.
The preservative should be selected according to the product’s pH, formulation chemistry, regulatory requirements, and supplier dosage recommendation.
Colour
A suitable detergent-compatible colour can be added to obtain the desired appearance.
Only a small quantity is normally required.
MANUFACTURING PROCESS
Step 1 – Prepare the Alkaline Solution
Take 400 g water in a suitable clean vessel.
Slowly add:
- Caustic Soda — 4 g
- Sodium Bicarbonate — 6 g
- Sodium Carbonate — 10 g
- Optical Brightener — 0.3 g
Mix properly until the ingredients are dissolved or uniformly dispersed.
Caustic soda dissolution generates heat.
Allow this solution to cool completely before using it in the main batch.
Safety
Always add caustic soda slowly into water.
Never pour water directly onto solid caustic soda.
Wear gloves and eye protection.
Step 2 – Prepare the Surfactant Phase
Take 400 g water in the main mixing vessel.
Slowly add:
LABSA — 60 g
while mixing continuously.
Maintain gentle and uniform agitation.
Step 3 – Add SLES 28%
Slowly add:
SLES 28% — 150 g
to the LABSA mixture.
Continue gentle mixing until the surfactants become uniform.
Avoid high-speed mixing because excessive agitation can produce unnecessary foam and entrapped air.
Step 4 – Add the Cooled Alkaline Solution
Once the previously prepared alkaline solution has cooled, add it slowly to the LABSA + SLES mixture.
Maintain continuous gentle mixing.
The caustic solution will neutralize the acidic LABSA.
Important Commercial Control
The quantity of caustic soda should not be considered universally fixed.
LABSA can vary in acid value and active matter from supplier to supplier.
Therefore, final pH must be checked using a calibrated pH meter.
Step 5 – Check pH
After sufficient mixing, measure the pH.
In the tested batch, the final pH was approximately:
pH 9
This indicates a moderately alkaline finished detergent.
For commercial production, establish a product-specific pH specification after testing cleaning performance, fabric compatibility, stability, and customer requirements.
Step 6 – Add Fragrance
Add:
Fragrance — 6 g
slowly into the batch.
Mix gently until uniformly distributed.
Avoid excessive aeration.
Step 7 – Add Salt
Dissolve:
Salt — 3 g
in a small quantity of water.
Add the salt solution gradually while mixing.
Observe the viscosity after each addition.
Important
Do not assume that adding more salt will always make the detergent thicker.
Every surfactant system has its own salt-response curve.
Step 8 – Add Preservative
Add the selected preservative at the manufacturer’s recommended dosage.
Mix gently until completely incorporated.
Step 9 – Final Colour Adjustment
If colour has not already been incorporated, prepare a diluted colour solution and add it slowly.
Use only enough colour to obtain the desired shade.
Step 10 – Final Water Adjustment
Add the remaining water gradually.
Finally, weigh the complete batch and adjust with water until the total finished product weight reaches:
1,000 g
Mix gently until completely homogeneous.
STEP 11 – SETTLING
Allow the finished detergent to stand for several hours, preferably overnight.
This allows:
- Entrapped air to escape
- Foam to settle
- Viscosity to stabilize
- Appearance to become clearer
- Final quality checks to be performed more accurately
QUALITY CONTROL
1. pH
The tested batch produced:
pH ≈ 9
Always measure with a properly calibrated pH meter.
2. Appearance
The finished product should be:
- Uniform
- Homogeneous
- Free from visible separation
- Free from unwanted sediment
3. Viscosity
Check viscosity after the product has settled.
Do not judge final viscosity immediately after vigorous mixing.
4. Foam
LABSA and SLES provide significant foaming.
Evaluate foam according to the intended application.
For hand-washing applications, higher foam may be acceptable.
For automatic washing machines, foam level and rinsability should be specifically evaluated.
5. Stability
Store retained samples and monitor:
- pH
- Colour
- Fragrance
- Viscosity
- Separation
- Sedimentation
- Odour
Stability testing should be performed before commercial launch.
HOW THIS DETERGENT WORKS
The main cleaning action comes from LABSA and SLES.
Surfactant molecules help loosen oily and particulate soil from fabric.
The hydrophobic portion interacts with oily soil while the hydrophilic portion interacts with water. During washing and agitation, the loosened soil becomes dispersed in the wash water and can then be removed during rinsing.
The alkaline builder system supports this cleaning process by providing an appropriate alkaline environment and helping manage hard-water effects.
ADVANTAGES OF THIS FORMULATION
Economical
The formulation uses commonly available raw materials.
Good Cleaning
LABSA provides strong detergency.
Good Foam
SLES 28% contributes significant foam and wetting.
Simple Manufacturing
The formulation does not require complicated processing equipment.
Easy Raw-Material Availability
The main ingredients are commonly available through chemical suppliers.
Customizable
Fragrance, colour, viscosity, and certain performance additives can be adjusted according to the target market.
LIMITATIONS
This is primarily an economical laundry detergent formulation.
For a premium laundry product, additional performance technologies may be considered, such as:
- Chelating agent
- Nonionic surfactant
- Anti-redeposition polymer
- Enzyme system
- Specialized optical brightener
- Hydrotrope
- Fabric-care additives
Any additional ingredient should be compatibility-tested before commercial production.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Caustic soda and LABSA require careful handling.
Use:
- Chemical-resistant gloves
- Safety goggles
- Protective clothing
- Adequate ventilation
Never handle concentrated caustic soda with bare hands.
Never add water directly onto solid caustic soda.
Keep raw materials and finished detergent away from children.
Use properly labelled containers for all raw materials.
FINAL PRODUCT CHECKLIST
Before filling the product into bottles, verify:
☑ Final weight = 1 kg
☑ pH checked
☑ Appearance uniform
☑ No separation
☑ Desired viscosity achieved
☑ Fragrance properly incorporated
☑ Colour uniform
☑ No visible sediment
☑ Stability sample retained
CONCLUSION
This 1 KG Liquid Laundry Detergent formulation is based on a simple and economical combination of LABSA, SLES 28%, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, and sodium hydroxide.
The actual manufacturing sequence—alkaline solution preparation → LABSA → SLES → cooled alkaline solution → fragrance → salt → preservative → final water adjustment—provides a practical production method.
The tested batch achieved approximately pH 9, but commercial production should always use pH measurement and batch-wise quality control rather than relying solely on fixed raw-material quantities.
For consistent commercial quality, raw-material specifications, pH, viscosity, stability, cleaning performance, and intended washing-machine/hand-wash compatibility should all be established before the product is released to the market.
