EXAMPLES OF SURFACE TENSION IN THE HOUSEHOLD
Surfactants, or substances that significantly decrease the surface tension of a liquid, are used on a daily basis in most households. For example, detergents lower the surface tension of water so it more easily penetrates soiled clothing. Heating water also decreases the surface tension of water, but if detergent decreases the surface tension significantly, heating the water may be unnecessary. If you have a good detergent, energy can be saved by washing laundry in cool water.
Disinfectants used to kill germs also decrease the surface tension of water. This allows the disinfectant to spread out across bacterial walls, killing them. An example of a disinfectant is S.T.37, which has a surface tension of 37 dynes/cm. This surface tension of the disinfectant is low compared with the 72 dynes/cm of water.
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