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Differences in Formulations Between Household Laundry Detergents, Hotel Laundry Detergents, and Hospital Laundry Detergents

The formulation differences between household, hotel, and hospital laundry detergents stem fundamentally from the inherent variations in cleaning requirements, safety standards, and fabric properties of their respective usage scenarios. Specifically:

Household detergents prioritize “gentle fabric care + daily cleaning”;
Hotel detergents focus on “high-efficiency stain removal + durability for bulk use”;
Hospital detergents emphasize “disinfection/sterilization + residue-free safety”.

The specific formulation differences can be broken down into three aspects: core functional ingredients, additive systems, and safety compliance.

I. Core Functional Ingredients: Completely Different Cleaning Priorities

The selection of core active ingredients (surfactants, functional additives) for the three types of detergents directly aligns with their core needs, forming the “soul” of formulation differences.

Ingredient Type	Household Laundry Detergent	Hotel Laundry Detergent	Hospital Laundry Detergent
Surfactants (Core Cleaning Agents)	Dominated by “mild compound types”: Mainly compounded with anionic surfactants (LAS/sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate) and non-ionic surfactants (AEO/fatty alcohol ethoxylates) at a ratio of approximately 1:1. – LAS ensures basic stain removal (for sweat, dust), while AEO improves low-temperature solubility and gentleness, preventing hand irritation and fabric damage (especially for mixed fabrics like cotton, wool, and chemical fibers used in households).	Dominated by “high-efficiency oil-removing types”: Higher proportion of anionic surfactants (25%-35%, vs. 15%-20% for household detergents), with additional strong-stain surfactants such as secondary alkyl sulfonate (SAS) and sodium laureth sulfate (AES). – Targeting common stains in hotels (oil stains from food/beverages, cosmetic stains like lipstick/foundation, sweat stains on bed sheets/duvet covers), these strong surfactants quickly break down oil and protein-based dirt, suitable for high-temperature (60-80℃) washing in commercial washing machines.	Dominated by “disinfectant-compatible types”: Surfactants must be compatible with disinfectant components (no chemical reactions causing inactivity). Mostly use alkyl polyglycoside (APG, natural and mild) and betaine-type amphoteric surfactants, avoiding amino-based surfactants that react with chlorine or peroxide disinfectants. – Cleaning power is secondary; the core is “not interfering with disinfection”. For example, when used with chlorine-containing disinfectants, surfactants must remain stable without decomposing chlorine, while ensuring basic removal of medical stains (blood, iodophor, drug stains).
Functional Additives (Key Differentiators)	“Fabric care + user experience” additives: 1. Enzymes: Only low-concentration protease and lipase (for sweat and food residues) are added; cellulase is avoided (it prevents pilling on cotton but may damage thin household fabrics). 2. Color protectants: Polyethylene glycol (PEG) and citric acid are added to prevent fabric fading (especially for dark or printed fabrics). 3. Fragrances/optical brighteners: Mostly contain mild fragrances (to enhance user experience); some include optical brighteners (to brighten white clothes, meeting household visual needs).	“Durability + efficiency” additives: 1. High-concentration enzymes: Compound protease, lipase, and cellulase (1.5%-2%, vs. 0.5% for household detergents). Cellulase reduces pilling and wrinkles on cotton-linen fabrics (common in hotel bed sheets and towels), extending their service life. 2. Bleaching agents: Low-concentration hydrogen peroxide (1%-3%) is added for mild bleaching of yellowed fabrics (hotel towels and white bed sheets easily yellow) without fabric damage (avoiding corrosion from strong bleaches like sodium hypochlorite). 3. Fragrance-free/low-foam: No fragrances (to prevent allergies in different guests); low-foam formula (suitable for high-speed dehydration in commercial washing machines, reducing re-washing caused by foam residue).	“Disinfection + safety” additives: 1. Mandatory disinfectant components: Must include ingredients complying with Regulations on the Hygienic Safety Evaluation of Disinfectant Products, commonly two types: – Chlorine-containing disinfectants (sodium dichloroisocyanurate, 5%-8% concentration): Kill bacteria and viruses (e.g., E. coli, hepatitis B virus), suitable for high-temperature-resistant fabrics. – Quaternary ammonium salt disinfectants (dodecyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride): Kill fungi (e.g., Candida), suitable for low-temperature washing of medical textiles (e.g., surgical gowns). 2. Non-irritating additives: No fragrances, optical brighteners, or phosphorus (to avoid residual irritation to medical staff/patients’ skin); EDTA-2Na is added (to chelate metal ions in water and prevent disinfectant inactivity). 3. Residue-preventing additives: Polycarboxylates are added (to improve solubility, ensuring no detergent residue after rinsing and avoiding secondary contamination of medical textiles).

II. Additive Systems: “Auxiliary Frameworks” Adapted to Different Washing Scenarios

Additives (e.g., chelating agents, buffers, fillers) do not directly remove stains but determine the detergent’s solubility, hard water resistance, and pH stability. They must adapt to differences in washing equipment and water quality for household, hotel, and hospital use.

1. Household Laundry Detergents: Adapted to Low Hardness + Neutral Conditions

Tap water for household use has low hardness (especially in urban water supply), so additives focus on “gentle fabric care”:

Chelating agents: Use 4A zeolite (phosphorus-free, replacing traditional sodium tripolyphosphate to avoid environmental pollution) and a small amount of EDTA (to prevent calcium/magnesium ions from affecting cleaning power).
pH buffers: Control pH at 7-9 (weakly alkaline) to ensure cleaning power while avoiding damage to hands and delicate fabrics like wool or silk.
Fillers: Use sodium sulfate (Glauber’s salt) to adjust concentration, ensuring easy dissolution (suitable for room-temperature washing in household top-loading/front-loading washing machines).

2. Hotel Laundry Detergents: Adapted to High Hardness + High Temperature

Hotels mostly use commercial washing machines (10-50kg capacity), and water in some regions has high hardness (e.g., northern China). Additives must be “hard water-resistant + high-temperature-resistant”:

Chelating agents: Compound sodium citrate and sodium tripolyphosphate (strong hard water resistance, preventing scale buildup on washing machine liners and fabrics).
pH buffers: Control pH at 9-11 (weakly alkaline to alkaline). Alkaline conditions enhance the oil-removing ability of surfactants at high temperatures (60-80℃), quickly breaking down stubborn stains.
Fillers: Use anhydrous sodium sulfate (thenardite) for good fluidity, suitable for large-dose feeding in hotels (preventing caking).

3. Hospital Laundry Detergents: Adapted to Strong Disinfection + Residue-Free Requirements

Hospital washing must comply with Technical Specification for Washing and Disinfection of Medical Textiles in Hospitals (WS/T 508-2016). Additives must be “disinfectant-compatible + residue-free”:

Chelating agents: Use amino trimethylene phosphonic acid (ATMP), which does not react with chlorine-containing disinfectants and can chelate iron/manganese ions (preventing fabric yellowing caused by ferrous ions in medical wastewater).
pH buffers: Control pH at 10-12 (alkaline). Alkaline conditions improve the stability of chlorine-containing disinfectants (chlorine easily volatilizes and becomes inactive in acidic conditions) while enhancing the decomposition of blood and pus stains (proteins denature and dissolve in alkaline environments).
Fillers: Use low-impurity sodium sulfate to avoid harmful substances formed by reactions between impurities and disinfectants, and ensure no residue after rinsing (residues may irritate patients’ skin or affect medical operations).

III. Safety Compliance: Vastly Different Standard Levels

Safety standards for the three types of detergents are set entirely based on the risk levels of their “users”. Hospital detergents have far stricter compliance requirements than household and hotel detergents.

Compliance Dimension	Household Laundry Detergent	Hotel Laundry Detergent	Hospital Laundry Detergent
Core Standards	Complies with Laundry Detergents for Textiles (GB/T 13171-2021): Only requires “no acute skin irritation” (pH ≤ 10.5); no disinfection requirements; allows fragrances and optical brighteners that meet national standards.	Complies with Laundry Detergents for Textiles + commercial washing equipment adaptation standards: Requires “low-foam, high-temperature resistance (no inactivity at 80℃)”; slightly stricter skin irritation requirements than household detergents (pH ≤ 11); prohibits allergenic fragrances but has no mandatory disinfection requirements.	Must comply with Regulations on the Hygienic Safety Evaluation of Disinfectant Products + Technical Specification for Washing and Disinfection of Medical Textiles in Hospitals: 1. Must pass microbial testing for “killing E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, hepatitis B virus, etc.” to meet disinfection efficacy standards. 2. Prohibits fragrances, optical brighteners, and phosphorus (to avoid residual irritation or environmental pollution). 3. Must obtain a “Hygienic License for Disinfectant Production Enterprises”; each batch of products must be tested for disinfectant content and safety.
Residue Requirements	No mandatory residue limits; only requires “no obvious odor after normal rinsing”.	Requires “no residue after 2 rinses” (to avoid skin allergies in guests).	Requires “no residue after 3 rinses”; residual components must comply with Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Medical Devices (to avoid infection when in contact with patients’ wounds).
Applicable Fabrics	Ordinary household fabrics (cotton, linen, chemical fibers, wool, silk, etc.), focusing on “color protection and shape retention”.	Hotel public textiles (100% cotton bed sheets, towels, work clothes—mostly wash-durable fabrics), focusing on “durability and easy ironing”.	Medical textiles (surgical gowns, patient gowns, bed sheets, medical work clothes), requiring “high-temperature resistance (121℃ sterilization), resistance to disinfectant corrosion”, and fabrics themselves must meet medical-grade standards (e.g., antibacterial fabrics).

Summary: Core Logic of Formulation Differences Between the Three Types

Dimension	Household Laundry Detergent	Hotel Laundry Detergent	Hospital Laundry Detergent
Core Requirement	Daily cleaning + gentle fabric care + user experience	Bulk high-efficiency stain removal + fabric durability	Disinfection/sterilization + residue-free safety + compliance
Key Ingredient Markers	Low-concentration enzymes + color protectants + fragrances	High-concentration enzymes + hydrogen peroxide + low-foam surfactants	Chlorine/quaternary ammonium salt disinfectants + non-irritating surfactants
pH Range	7-9 (weakly alkaline)	9-11 (weakly alkaline to alkaline)	10-12 (alkaline)
Prohibited/Restricted Ingredients	No mandatory prohibitions (except excessive optical brighteners)	Allergenic fragrances prohibited	Fragrances, optical brighteners, and phosphorus prohibited

In short:

Household laundry detergents are “personalized care products”;
Hotel laundry detergents are “industrial cleaning products”;
Hospital laundry detergents are “medical-grade disinfection products”.

Choosing Hebei Guangsheng Technology Co.,ltd‘s laundry detergent means choosing a new, efficient laundry method. We have different formulas laundry detergent for choose. Not only household detergent powder, but also the hotel and hospital detergent powder. We are committed to providing consumers with high-quality laundry products, solving laundry problems with innovative technology, and enhancing the quality of life with excellent service. Welcome to make a purchase and start an easy laundry journey!