Physical

Science
Quarter 1 – Module 8:
Understanding the
Chemistry of Household
Cleaning Products

Department of Education • Republic of the Philippines

Science – Grade 11/12
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 1 – Module 8: Understanding the Chemistry of Household Cleaning Products
First Edition, 2020

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Published by the Department of Education

Secretary: Leonor Magtolis Briones
Undersecretary: Diosdado M. San Antonio

Development Team of the Module

Author: Carla P. Garcia
Editors: Joey H. Villanueva, Arlene C. Malaybalay
Reviewers: Tommy R. Rico, Emiterio D. Macarubbo, Maricris N. Surigao
Illustrator: Helen Grace L. Cabalag
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Tommy R. Rico, Division in-charge of LRMS
and Division ADM Coordinator

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Department of Education • Republic of the Philippines

 Senior High School

Physical
Science
Quarter 1 – Module 8:
Understanding the Chemistry
of Household Cleaning
Products

This instructional material was collaboratively developed and reviewed

by educators from public and private schools, colleges, and or/universities.
We encourage teachers and other education stakeholders to email their
feedback, comments, and recommendations to the Department of Education
at action@[Link].

We value your feedback and recommendations.

Department of Education • Republic of the Philippines

Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to this Module on Understanding the Chemistry of Household

Cleaning Products! This module particularly deals with the properties and mode
of action of common cleaning products which are commonly found in households
like cleaning agents, disinfectants, and soaps.

The Module has several parts that will require the learners to answer to
determine their understanding of the concepts presented. Kindly assist them in
the activities and remind them that these should be done in separate sheets of
paper including the pre-test, self-check exercises, and post-test.

For the learner:

Welcome to this Module on Understanding the Chemistry of Household

Cleaning Products. This module particularly deals with the properties and the
mode of action of common consumer products that are found in your home like
cleaning agents, disinfectants, and soaps.

This will help you have a wider view of the composition of common
chemical household cleaning substances - a very essential knowledge that can
help you maximize the use of the chemicals you utilize in cleaning your home. At
the end of the module, you will gain better understanding of the chemical
composition of household cleaning products that will help you appreciate its
proper consumption at the same time, take the necessary precautionary steps in
order to prevent harm, injury and fatality in your home during their use.

The module has activities and tests that you are required to answer. These
should be done to help you deepen your understanding of the concepts. These
should be answered in separate sheets of paper including the pre-test, self-check
exercises, and post-test.

1
 What I Need to
Know

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to
help you master your understanding the chemistry of household cleaning
products. The scope of this module permits it to be used in many different
learning situations. The language used recognizes the diverse vocabulary
level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard
sequence of the course. But the order in which you read them can be
changed to correspond with the textbook you are now using.

There are two lessons in this module that deal with the following:
Lesson 1 - Properties and Mode of Action of Common Household Cleaning
Products Lesson 2 - Precautionary Measures in the Use of the Chemical
Household Cleaning
Products

OBJECTIVES:

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. give the properties and mode of action of common household
cleaning products;

2. explain the precautionary measures indicated in various cleaning

products using the learners’ knowledge on chemical elements;
and

3. enumerate the importance of your knowledge on the chemistry

of common household cleaning materials.

2
 What I Know

Write T if the sentence is correct and F if the sentence is wrong. Write

the chosen letter on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Chemicals can be both useful and potentially harmful

depending on the use of the product and on the dose of the
product used.
2. Bases taste sour.
3. The chemical properties of different substances make them
suitable for cleaning hard surfaces, floors, upholstery,
clothing, and other items.
4. A substance that is acidic does not mix with water.
5. Chlorine generally is the most common bleach used in
household cleaning products.
6. Baking soda is the common name for Sodium
Bicarbonate (NaHCO3).
7. Bases are beneficial in removing hard-water deposits,
discoloration from aluminum, brass, bronze, and copper and iron
rust stains.
8. Hydrochloric Acids conduct electricity.
9. Lemons can pose a threat in households’ health when not
properly consumed.
10. The most common chemical found in silver jewelries
cleaning liquids is boric acid.
11. Borax can be used as bread ingredient.
12. Dihydrogen Monoxide is an explosive liquid.
13. Ethanol is a primary ingredient in making alcoholic beverages.
14. Wear protective gears in handling household chemicals to
prevent body harm.
15. Hydrochloric acid is used in cleaning swimming pools.

3
 Lesso
n Properties and Mode of Action of
Common Household Cleaning

1 Products

What’s In

There are some students who find Chemistry as a difficult subject

rather than as a useful branch of knowledge. Little they know that it will
help them understand consumer products and common cleaning
substances that they usually consume in their households. They are not
fully aware of the components of some disinfectants, toilet cleaners,
laundry and bath soaps, and even the compositions of bakery ingredients
like baking soda, salts, and lemons. These components may be useful or
harmful to them.

Many incidences of chemical deaths dealing with household

products have been registered all over the world. One popular incident
happened in a milk tea outlet on May 11, 2015 in Manila where three (3)
fatalities were noted. After a chemical laboratory test, the Philippine
National Police (PNP) identified the milk tea tested positive for Oxalic Acid,
a poisonous, colorless substance.

This fatal incident could have been prevented if the people involved
in the production of the milk tea are aware of the chemical properties of
the liquids in their shop, and the corresponding precautionary measures in
handling the chemicals. If they have understanding on the properties of
the chemicals found in a household, they could have taken the
appropriate action in order to prevent accidents, harm and death.

4
 Notes to the
Teacher
In the following exercise, the learner will need a
partner to work on the THINK-PAIR-SHARE activity. This
will help them recall the lessons they have taken the
previous chapter about chemical compounds/substances,
and their properties. The learners will identify these
substances with their common names. After that, they will
distinguish acids from bases.

Allow them to discuss the chemicals as they

experience/encounter them in their homes.

ACTIVITY 1
THINK-PAIR-
SHARE
ACIDIC,
CHEMICAL COMMON NAME BASIC OR
NEUTRAL?
1. Dihydrogen Monoxide

2. Acetic Acid
3. Sodium Hypochlorite
4. Sodium Bicarbonate
5. Hydrochloric Acid
6. Sodium Hydroxide
7. Potassium Hydroxide
8. Ethanol
9. Sodium Lauryl Sulphate
10. Isopropanol

5
 What’s
New
 What is Chemistry?

 How can Chemistry ease one’s life?

 Why is understanding of the chemical household

cleaning solutions essential in the use of the cleaning
products?

CHEMISTRY is the science that deals with the

properties, composition, and structure of substances (defined as elements
and compounds), the transformations they undergo, and the energy that
is released or absorbed during these processes (Usselman, 2019). It is
also concerned with the utilization of natural substances. Through the use
of modern technology, artificial substances can also be created that
expanded its scope and relevance.

Chemistry has different processes. Dating back from the beginning

of civilization, these processes have been undertaken by man. Examples
of these processes are cooking, fermentation, glass making, and
metallurgy.

This 20th century, Chemistry has made man’s daily living more
advanced in health by curing diseases through molecular analysis and
interpretations. Using the different processes of chemistry, man has
changed and has improved his daily routines from complex to simple
ones. Take for instance, washing of soiled clothes. Before, man has to use
brush, wooden planks, and herbs to soften the dirt. Today, the use of
appropriate laundry detergent and bleach help reduce the process of
washing the clothes.

Another example of how Chemistry helps man live a more

sustainable and healthy lifestyle, is in the maintenance of the cleanliness
of the household. Imagine a house full of dirt, dust, stains and the dirt has
invited the flies, mites, and cockroaches all over your rooms and kitchen.
Cleaning the dirt with simple water and cloth alone will take a longer

6
period of time and will require so much energy to completely do the job.
The knowledge on chemical compounds and substances, their properties
and their uses has

7
greatly helped to ease man’s job on cleaning and in keeping the
environment a safer place to live in.

In the review exercise, you were asked to identify the common

names of the given substances, and to determine as to whether they are
acidic or alkaline. Your knowledge of these concepts will help you better
understand the properties and characteristics of the chemicals used in
cleaning, their restrictions and their harmful effects to humans if
mishandled or misused.

The definitions of usable concepts for you to better understand the

properties of the chemicals in cleaning materials are given in the following
pages.

What is It
Defining relevant
concepts
An acid is classified as a compound with distinctive properties. An
acidic substance is sour-tasting; reacts with litmus paper, bases and
metals; conducts electricity; and has a pH of less than 7. An acid can be
classified as strong or weak based on its reactivity, conductivity, and pH.

pH Scale – is used as a measure of how acidic or basic a substance

is. This scale ranges from 0 to 14; a pH of 7 means the substance is
neutral. An acidic substance measures lower on the pH scale. A substance
with a pH value less than 7, is acidic.
Litmus paper strips are used as a general indicator to determine
acidity. When dipped in or rubbed on an acidic substance, blue litmus
paper turns red.
An Alkali or chemical base is a caustic substance. It is a
substance that accepts hydrogen ions. It dissociates in water and is a
good conductor of electricity. An alkali turns litmus paper blue.
Acids and bases are generally chemically active and can react in
many other substances. Because of this characteristic, they are commonly
found in household applications, especially as cleaners and as ingredients

8
in cooking.

Activity 2

9
 Understanding the properties of the chemical ingredients
active in the following cleaning materials:

Directions: The table below shows the answers to the Think-Pair-

Share exercise you have done. Candidly check your answers against the
entries in the table.

ACIDIC, BASIC
CHEMICAL COMMON NAME OR NEUTRAL?
1. Dihydrogen Monoxide Water Neutral

2. Acetic Acid Vinegar essence Acidic

3. Sodium Hypochlorite Bleach Basic
4. Sodium Bicarbonate Baking soda Basic
5. Hydrochloric Acid Muriatic acid Acidic
6. Sodium Hydroxide Lye or caustic soda Basic
7. Potassium Hydroxide Caustic potash Basic
8. Ethanol Ethyl alcohol Depends on
the condition
9. Sodium Lauryl Sulphate SLS Acidic
10. Isopropanol Isopropyl alcohol Depends on
the condition

1. Sodium hypochlorite appears as colorless or slightly yellow watery

liquid with an odor of household bleach. It mixes with water. (USCG,
1999). It is used as a bleaching agent, laundry bleaching agent,
disinfectant for glass, ceramics, and tiles.

2. Sodium bicarbonate appears as odorless white crystalline powder

or lumps with slightly alkaline (bitter) taste. It is used to make many
chemicals, as an ingredient in baking powder, effervescent salts and
beverages, in fire extinguishers, cleaning compounds, and in human
and veterinary pharmaceuticals. Workers that use sodium bicarbonate
may breathe in mists or have direct skin contact. Sodium bicarbonate
is a Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) chemical at levels found in
consumer products, and has a low risk of toxicity in humans. It is a
slight skin and eye irritant.

3. Sodium hydroxide room temperature is a white crystalline odorless

solid that absorbs moisture from the air. It is a manufactured
substance. When dissolved in water or neutralized with acid it
liberates substantial heat, which may be sufficient to ignite
combustible materials. Sodium hydroxide is very corrosive. It is
generally used as a solid or a 50% solution. Other common names
include caustic soda and lye. It is used to manufacture soaps, rayon,
paper, explosives, dyestuffs, and petroleum products. It is also used in
processing cotton fabric, laundering and bleaching, metal cleaning
and processing, oxide coating, electroplating, and electrolytic
10
extracting. It is commonly present in commercial drain

11
 and oven cleaners. When inhaled, cough, sore throat, burning sensation
and shortness of breath may be experienced.

4. Boric acid is a white crystalline solid with a density of 1.435 g/mL,

melting point of 170.9 °C and boiling point of 300 °C. It is a weak
inorganic acid with antiseptic properties, and is also called boracic
acid or orthoboric acid. It is non-toxic with antibacterial properties,
and it is mainly used as an antiseptic agent, acne treatment,
preservative, insecticide, pH buffer, swimming pool chemical, flame
retardant, and a precursor to many useful chemicals.

5. Hydrochloric acid is colorless - light yellow in appearance, has a

pungent and irritating odor, has a pH level 0, with boiling point of
108.58°C @ 760 mm Hg (for 20.22% HCl in water) and melting point
at -62.25°C (20.69% HCl in water), soluble in cold and hot water and
diethyl ether, and it conducts electricity. Although it is highly
corrosive, it is used to remove stains from metals. It can clean iron,
copper, brass and other metals; however, one should dilute it by
adding 9 parts of water to 1 part of the acid. One should not use it
directly on metals as it is extremely powerful cleaning agent.

6. Formaldehyde is a liquid which is clear or water-white. The odor is

irritating and pungent. It is soluble in water and up to 55 percent
soluble in ether, acetone, benzene, and alcohol. Its melting point is -
92.0 °C and its boiling point is 19.5° C. An aqueous solution of
formaldehyde can be useful as a disinfectant as it kills most bacteria
and fungi (including their spores).

7. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate appears as white to pale yellow paste or

liquid with a mild odor, sinks and mixes with water, (USCG, 1999)
naturally derived from coconut and/or palm kernel oil. It usually
consists of a mixture of sodium alkyl sulfates, mainly the lauryl. SLS
lowers surface tension of aqueous solutions and is used as fat
emulsifier, wetting agent, and detergent in cosmetics,
pharmaceuticals and toothpastes. It is also used in creams and pastes
to properly disperse the ingredients and as research tool in protein
biochemistry. SLS also has some microbicide activity. It is used in
electrophoretic separation of proteins and lipids; wetting agent,
detergent, especially in the textile industry.

8. Ethanol is a clear, colorless liquid rapidly absorbed from the

gastrointestinal tract and distributed throughout the body. It has
bactericidal activity and is used often as a topical disinfectant. It is
widely used as a solvent and preservative in pharmaceutical
preparations as well as serving as the primary ingredient in alcoholic
beverages.

12
 Activity 3
Identifying Common Household Cleaners

13
Directions: Take a tour at your house. List down at least five (5)
examples of cleaning consumer products that are usually used in your
household and write them down in the table below. Read the labels of the
cleaning products and identify the active ingredient of each. Apply the
cleaning substance on a dirty surface. Examine its effect on the surface,
then identify the use of the active ingredient you identified in the
substance.

[Link] [Link]

Assessment 2
Cleaning Substance Active Ingredient Use of Active Ingredient
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Answer the questions that follow using a separate sheet of paper.

Discuss your answers with your teacher-facilitator.
1. What is the active ingredient used in each cleaning solution?
2. Use the following cleaning solution in cleaning the
following surfaces and determine if it is sufficient to come
up with an acceptable clean.
a. Bath soap in washing greasy pots
b. Borax in cleaning a goblet
c. Bleach in washing colored cloth
d. Hand soap in cleaning toilet bowls
3. Is there a particular chemical substance that is most appropriate
to use in cleaning the following? Identify the chemical. Why?
a. oven e. car
b. sink f. white linen
c. garage g. kitchen utensils
d. bathroom tiles/toilet bowl h. window panes

14
 Lesso
n Precautionary Measures in the Use
of Chemical Household Cleaning

2 Products

What’s More

The following is an article taken from the Philippine Daily Inquirer

citing cleaning agents as one of the top causes of poisoning among
children below 18 years old.

“Next to pharmaceuticals, PGH listed household cleaning agents as

among the frequent causes of poisoning cases admitted to the hospital,”
Castillo said. The toxicologist told seminar participants that based on
2009 data from the National Poison Management and Control Center, 55
percent, or more than half, of poisoning patients were children.
Cited as the common causes of pediatric poisoning were silver
jewelry cleaner, isopropyl and ethyl alcohol, pesticides, kerosene,
bleaching agent sodium hypochlorite, button batteries, chlorine granules,
muriatic acid and methamphetamines.

What could be done in order to reduce the incidence of

poisoning among children that is caused by chemical cleaning
agents?

To be able to answer the question, take a look at the table below

that shows the common names of cleaning materials used in households,
their active chemicals, product application and harmful effects if not
properly handled. Study and analyze them carefully then answer
Assessment 3.

Table of Common Household Cleaning Materials

Common Active chemicals Product
Househol Applicatio Harmful Effects
d n
Nam
e
1. Bleach Sodium hypochlorite Used in washing Ingestion can cause
laundry, injury to esophagus,
removing stains stomach irritation, and
prolonged
15
 nausea and vomiting.
2. Boric acid Boric acid Used in products for Toxic if ingested or
insecticide. inhaled.
3. Borax Sodium Used as a Long exposure can cause
multipurpose respiratory irritation
tetraborate cleaner and
decahydrate bleach

16
4. Caustic Sodium hydroxide Used in products for Contact causes severe
soda cleaning, burns with redness,
unblocking sinks, swelling, pain and
drains and even blurred vision and
toilets. Highly blindness.
corrosive alkali Ingestion can burn lips,
tongue, throat and
stomach.
5. Formalin 40% solution Used as Can cause skin irritation;
of disinfectant or anti- Toxic when inhaled
formaldehyde bacterial
agent
6. Detergent Sodium Lauryl Used in laundry Can cause eye, skin, or
Sulfate & Sodium detergents, mouth irritation; injury and
Laureth dishwashing liquids; death when ingested;
Sulfate/Sodium Poisonous when swallowed
lauryl ether sulfate
7. Lye Sodium Used as Can burn skin and eyes;
hydroxide or oven cleaner cause severe tissue
potassium damage; and may be fatal
hydroxide if
swallowed
8. Algicides Calcium and Used as If swallowed, the chemicals
sodium swimming pool can burn the throat
hypochlorite disinfectant and cause death.
9. Air Contain Used to freshen Can cause cancer and
fresheners formaldehyde, cars, brain damage; irritate
petroleum bathrooms, etc. eyes, skin, and throat.
distillates, p-
dichlorobenzene
and
aerosol propellants.

ASSESSMENT 3
Direction: Answer the following questions in a separate sheet of paper.
Then discuss your answers with your teacher-facilitator.
1. Based on the data given on the table, which cleaning material/s is/are
a. safe to use? b. hazardous?

2. What active ingredients do air fresheners contain that may

be hazardous to one’s health?

3. Will you still use the above cleaning agents in your homes?
4. What precautionary measures can be done in order to prevent harm
to one’s body and avoid death in using the chemical cleaning
agents? List down at least five.

Example: 1. In using air fresheners, read the labels carefully and

determine whether there are no active ingredients like
formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, p-dichlorobenzene and
aerosol propellants.

17
 What I Have
Learned

1. The understanding of the chemical properties of common household

cleaning agents/materials is essential before they are used.

2. Cleaning agents can be classified as acids or alkalis/bases, or

neutral depending on the condition.

3. pH scale is used to measure how acidic or basic a chemical

substance is. On a scale of 14, 7 is neutral and a with a pH value of
less than 7, the material is acidic.

4. The following common household chemicals are acidic – acetic acid,

hydrochloric acid, sodium lauryl sulfate, etc. and have pungent
smell.

5. Water is a neutral solution.

6. Chemicals are used in manufacturing cleaning consumer products

to lighten the process of cleaning varied surfaces.

7. Active chemical ingredients found in cleaning agents may

have harmful effects to man.
8. The chemical household cleaning materials should be properly
stored and kept away from children to avoid harm and poisoning.

What I Can Do

Directions: One of the exits of a Senior High School student is to

find a job. If you were in the following situation, what will be your
decision? Justify. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.
Situation: You were hired as a Maintenance Officer in a prestigious
hotel
in the city, and one of your duties is to keep the linens in the hotel rooms
without any smudge nor stain. However, you are allergic to bleaches. The
hotel is the nearest work area to your home and it is just a stone’s throw
away. You do not have budget for transportation to transfer to another
hotel, the nearest one takes a 2-hour travel from your home. You needed
the job badly to sustain the medicines of your mother who is sick and bed-
18
ridden.

What will be your course of action? Explain briefly.

19
 Assessmen
t

Directions: Write T if the sentence is correct and F if the sentence is

wrong. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Chemicals can be both useful and potentially harmful depending on
the use of the product and on the dose of the product used.
2. Bases taste sour.
3. The chemical properties of different substances make them suitable
for cleaning hard surfaces, floors, upholstery, clothing, and other
items.
4. A substance that is acidic does not mix with water.
5. Chlorine generally is the most common bleach used in household
cleaning products.
6. Baking soda is the common name for Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3).
7. Bases are beneficial in removing hard-water deposits, discoloration
from aluminum, brass, bronze, and copper and iron rust stains.
8. Hydrochloric Acids conduct electricity.
9. Lemons can pose a threat in households’ health when not
properly consumed.
10. The most common chemical found in silver jewelries cleaning liquids
is boric acid.
11. Borax can be used as bread ingredient.
12. Dihydrogen Monoxide is an explosive liquid.
13. Ethanol is a primary ingredient in making alcoholic beverages.
14. Wear protective gears in handling household chemicals to prevent
body harm.
15. Hydrochloric acid is used in cleaning swimming pools.

Additional
Activities
Look around your community and search for organic materials which
could be used to replace the function of the chemicals found in the
cleaning consumer products you use in your household.

1. Bleach –
2. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate –
3. Hydrochloric acid –
4. Formaldehyde –
5. Boric Acid -

20
21