Like a pot seen above which sauce spilled over, if left in the sink for many days it will be very difficult to clean with just soap and water. Using detergents would remove the soil and dirt; soil mentioned here is not earth soil but organic materials that can be encountered in food establishment. Micro-organism may be removed mechanically however it would not be removed.
Whats the reason behind the effectiveness of using detergents then?
There are active ingredients that help the cleaning process such as surfactant which lowers the the surface tension and actually wetting the surface thoroughly. The soil, in this case would be the sauce, is loosened from the surface of the pot. The loosened 'sauce' is dispersed in the wash water and rinsed away.
If there are so many kinds of detergents, which detergents for which soil?
Alkaline detergents
Most cleaners contains an alkali as a principal ingredient. It combines with fats and oil to form soap and able to dissolve protein which can be removed by water. The higher the alkalinity, the higher the effectiveness of cleaning but even more corrosive. Heavy-duty detergents removes wax, aged or dried soil and baked-on grease whereas for general-purpose detergents can only remove fresh soil from surfaces and most equipment and utensils. Examples of some detergents would be sodium hydroxide, which is the strongest and cheapest but can't be used on metal equipment, and sodium metasilicate.
Acid detergents
Such detergents have acid as the major component and is a specialized cleaner. It is used to dissolve mineral deposits from equipment surfaces and especially effective in removing mineral deposits formed when using alkaline cleaners. There are two main groups: inorganic and organic.
The inorganic acids are excellent for removing as well as controlling mineral deposits, rust and alkaline. Such detergents are very dangerous as it is extremely corrosive and irritating to skin. The much common ones would be hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid. Whereas for the organic acids, it is milder and lesscorrosive to metals and skin. Few examples would be citric and tartaric acid.
Degreasers
The major component for such cleaners is surfactants. The purpose of using this cleaner would be to remove grease as it is able to penetrate and break down fats and oils to be then removed by water. It is especially corrosive to the skin and toxic when breathed in. You would like to wear gloves and masks when using this. One experience I had really warned me to be careful when using degreasers. Although I did not have it touched my skin but I accidently breathed it some of the vapour when cleaning even with a mask on. It felt like there was something stuck in my throat.
Abrasive detergents
This particular detergents are scouring compounds that are either powder or paste that contains abrasives such as sand. It is used on equipment surfaces that require scrubbing or polishing but may cause scratches on metal surfaces. You do need to completely wash away as it contaminates food.
Neutral detergents
Used for only dishwashing and household use, it contains surfactants that have a pH around 7.
Detergent sanitizers
It contains both detergent and a sanitizer which also means it cleans and sanitize at the same time. How cool is that! Two in one which saves time and labour but its only applicable to lightly soiled areas. There are 3 major types that are available; alkaline detergent with hypochlorite, alkaline detergent with quaternary ammonium compound and acid detergent with idophor.
Actually knowing your stuff save you both money and time. So choose wisely which detergent would be best for your cleaning.
Remember, different soil calls for a different detergent!
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