Turmeric Trouble: A Stain Removal Assay of Commercial and ...
righttopJanani RamachandranNATS 4390.0021/29/201440000100000Janani RamachandranNATS 4390.0021/29/2014-876301548640000left2538350Turmeric Trouble: A Stain Removal Assay of Commercial and “Home Remedy” Detergents900007300Turmeric Trouble: A Stain Removal Assay of Commercial and “Home Remedy” Detergentsrightcenter00ABSTRACT:The purpose of this experiment was to determine which detergent (commercial or “home remedy”) would be best at helping remove the tough stains caused by turmeric on clothing. A miniature model of a washing machine’s mechanism of rotary motion was utilized to carry out the stain tests in this investigation, using a beaker with diluted detergent as the chamber and a magnetic stir bar as the rotational force. The following brands of detergent were utilized: Tide, Gain, and All for commercial, and Vinegar, Baking Soda, and Lemon Juice for “home remedy”. To numerically analyze qualitative data, a color gradient (Source: Pedbank.dk Online Gradient Maker) was used.INTRODUCTION:Who doesn’t love some vibrant color in their lives? However, would we say the same if it were there permanently? Turmeric is one of those spices that has this effect on many individuals. Derived from the plant, Curcuma longa, (Péret et. Al, 2005). turmeric is used in many fields of study such as medicine, food chemistry, culinary arts and cuisine, and the textile industry—just to name a few. Although this multifaceted dye is appreciated all over the world, it is known for the infamous stains it can leave behind in the kitchen, on our clothes, and the carpets of our homes (Tomren, 2007). Finding the ideal stain remover for turmeric has been a hunt for centuries now (Murphy, 2001). Some of the work done to find optimal clearing of the coloration has even been compared to a mustard stain, as both are very closely related in a taxonomical standpoint (Murphy, 2001). Most people have worked out an oxidizing agent for the removing the stain that involves bleach (a possible skin irritant for some individuals) as well as several chemical concoctions which are not readily available in an economic fashion to the public (Tomren, 2007). My interest was sparked due to several of the familiar yellow stains that follow me from the stove to the hamper and my unscientific pursuits of trying to clean the color on my clothes with multiple surface cleaners out of a desperation to save my wardrobe! In this experiment, I test the durable promise of tough laundry detergents that are commercial available on a challenging blot of turmeric against the good old “home remedies” given by our elders. Turmeric, from a chemical standpoint is a Curcuminoid: an enantiomer with two phenol groups with a methoxy side chain, 2 carbonyl carbons, and an unsaturated (double and single bond) 21 carbon backbone (Appendix A) (Brennan, 2008). It hydrolyzes easily in basic medium and does not become a completely homogeneous mixture when in water (Funk et. Al, 2006). In this experiment, my commercial brand laundry detergents include Tide, Gain, and All. As for the home remedies, I will be using vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice. My prediction regarding this experiment is the commercial detergents will wash better than the home remedies in terms of stain removing power, due to the fact that the pH of vinegar and/or lemon juice is acidic, meaning that it will be less effective on turmeric’s dye. The independent variables will be the type of stain remover and the dependent variable is the reduction in turmeric stain visibility (which will be derived qualitatively) using a color gradient. As for the control of this experiment, I will use plain, deionized water. All detergents will be diluted to equal concentrations to ensure a somewhat balanced ability to remove turmeric stains on a volumetric level.MATERIALS AND METHODS:The setup of this experiment was to make a model of a washing machine mechanism within a scientific premise to test these detergents to mimic the normal routine of doing laundry. In order for the stain to be prominent and not have any other chemical interferences, a white shirt was cut into small squares (15cm x 15cm) and stained with exactly 15mL of turmeric paste. . The washing chamber was modeled using a 600mL beaker that was two-thirds or 400mL filled with liquid (diluted detergent; i.e. detergent and water) and the stained piece of cloth. To mimic the agitator: the long, tube-like rod that rotates the clothes and diluted detergent within the washing machine, a magnetic stir bar was utilized within the beaker. To actively mix the solution, a stir plate was kept at the high stir setting of nine on which the beaker with the testing detergent and stir bar was mounted. As mentioned earlier, all solutions were diluted to equal volumetric concentrations using deionized water as the diluting factor. Each trial involves the diluted detergent being stirred without the stained cloth for 2 minutes and then continuous mixing for 22 minutes after adding in the cloth. Two minutes was enough to mix since I had tested earlier how long it took for the detergent to dilute with the water and how long it took a piece of cloth to be completely soaked in the beaker while stirring and these were my average times. The detergents each underwent three trials of observation and an average of the color gradient recordings was made. The materials and methods of preparation for the experiment are as follows.Preparing the staining agentThe turmeric must be made into a thick paste that can imprint on the piece of cloth that needs to be stained. In a medium size bowl, using a 1:4 ratio of turmeric to water, measure out 12g of turmeric using an electronic balance. The electronic balance must be zeroed with a container to hold the turmeric properly when added. The turmeric should then be transferred into the bowl and stirred dryly to get rid of any lumps of powder that can cause clumping. Since it is hard for turmeric to become a homogenous mixture in water, this is the best way to make any possible mixing efficient. Now when measuring out the water, use a container or weigh boat and again “tare” (zero) the empty container and pour in the deionized water until the balance reads 4 times the number of grams as the turmeric you measured out (in this case, 48g). Pour the measured water into the turmeric in divided amounts (little by little) and mix the two with a spoon as a paste begins to form. The mixture may contain some precipitate specks of powder at the end that are floating up top of the paste. Staining ClothBefore staining the cloth, make sure that cloth material is enough to run through 21 trials of detergent testing. I sat and cut out blotting squares of 15cm x 15cm from a XXL white T-shirt, using a ruler and a sharpie to mark up the shirt. Take a 50mL graduated cylinder and measure out 15mL of the turmeric paste and gently pour it onto the cloth. Turmeric is inclined to spread so as a precaution, keep a piece of Styrofoam or a car wash sponge right under the cloth. To spread the liquid evenly onto the cloth, use a butter knife or your index finger (I found that the former is more reliable for an accurate stain). Let the cloth pieces air dry for 30 minutes, then wash off the solidified turmeric stain with water until all the precipitate particles have come off. This should leave just a yellow watermark- like stain on the cloth. Let these pieces of cloth air dry for another 30-45 minutes. Just a tip: make sure that all turmeric blots are done at the same time; that is, all 21 squares are stained together to ensure as equal of a staining treatment as possible.The Icky, the Sticky, the MATH: Concentrations and Concoctions Each of the detergents must be volumetrically equal to satisfy the doubt of even distribution of chemical components in each of the tests. The C1V1 = C2V2 concentration equation determines the volume of detergent that will be tested. Observing the water level of the washing machine by pausing it mid-way during a typical, college night laundry session, I saw that the level of liquid filled up in the chamber and visually estimated it to be two thirds full. Given a 600mL beaker, the total volume of the test mix (detergent + water) is 400mL. Remember to transfer liquids appropriately, using a precise measuring tool. For instance, take a 500mL graduated cylinder and fill the concentrate detergent to your desired volume based on the percent of concentration and then BTV (bring to volume) by filling the remaining volume up with water. The lowest marking on a 500mL beaker was 50mL, so this became my volume of detergent concentrate. All my liquid detergents were made thus as 50mL concentrate plus 350 mL deionized water for a grand total of 400mL diluted detergent (Appendix B). As seen before in my washing machine observation, 400mL was chosen to be the total volume since it was 2/3 of the beaker’s volumetric capacity of 600mL. This holds true for all detergents but baking soda which comes in a powdered form. For this concentration dilution, one must use weight by volume conversion based on the percent concentration derived from the liquid concentrations (calculations in Appendix B). Now transfer the mix into the ‘chamber’ which is your 600mL beaker and place the beaker on top of stir plate. You are now ready to start your washing machine!The Laundry Load: Stirring, Soaking, and Stain RemovalTo make sure that the detergent dilution is mixed well, a magnetic stirring bar is added and the stir plate is turned up to a high setting of 9. Let the mixture beat around by itself for 2-3 minutes and then, WITHOUT stopping the stirring mixture, pick up one of your blotted pieces of cloth and submerge it into the beaker with your hand. Increase the stirring efficiency to the maximum on the stir plate because the industrial spin on an agitator is modeled as a mere fraction in this setup. Keep this running for 22 minutes. A timer serves useful when keeping track of this to manage the amount of time spent on these detergent runs since each of the detergents will be undergoing three trials. For every trial, a new blotted cloth is used to keep the testing of the detergent equal (that is, if the same cloth were used, it may get worn out due to shrinking of the material under elongated wet conditions). After each trial period, stop the stir plate, and remove the wet cloth. Rinse under water to wash off any excess soap or chemical and wring the cloth (twist and let excess water drip). Use a clothes line to air dry the cloth samples (preferably a makeshift one inside). If not available, the shower curtain rod in your bathroom will suffice. For making a clothes line, use a long (up to 2 meters) of nylon thread and double knot the ends to points of attachment (hooks or thumb tacks) in the walls of the room in which you are experimenting. Drying usually takes another hour so it’s best to go on and carefully dispose the detergents AFTER isolating the magnetic stir bar from the beaker and unplugging the stir plate. For disposal, go ahead and dump them in the sink while running water in the background. Let water wash them down the drain. Clean up all the materials with water and dish soap and let the vessels air dry.Safety and Housekeeping Rules:Turmeric is a staining compound (Funk et. Al, 2006), so wear appropriate clothing (things that are old or worn out). If using a butter knife when spreading the turmeric onto the piece of cloth, spread away from the body and keep the ridges facing away from self and others.Analyzing the OutcomeTake the dried pieces of cloth and place them up against the color gradient that has been provided. Now, qualitatively assign a number between 1 and 10. Color gradients are relatively easy to make on paint or can be provided on websites and search engines. This was especially true with Turmeric since it is a very common textile dye for a faded, vintage appearance [5]. Color gradients help out a lot in this experiment to provide a potential statistical calculation of a descriptive result. Record this data in a table or chart and statistically present them (when and if necessary) to derive a conclusion regarding the hypothesis initially made. For further assistance, visuals of the experimental setup along with a list of materials are provided in Appendix B.DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSISThe data collected and processed showed the following results. As mentioned both in the introduction and procedure, the color gradient served as the source of statistical and qualitative analysis for this experiment. Refer to the figure 1 below for further clarification (Source: Perbank.dk online gradient maker).-520434331012Figure 1. Color Gradient used for dependent variable qualitative analysis.Table 1- Gradient Analysis: A Color Based Measurement of the Stains (Appendix C)Type of detergentStained cloth (Before)After Trial 1After Trial 2After Trial 3Average of 3 trials (After)Tide3910109.67Gain36877.00All36565.67Vinegar33443.67Baking Soda34544.33Lemon Juice35555.00Deionized Water (Control)34454.3314826545627000 Chart 1: Gradient Analysis of Remaining Turmeric after Triplicate “Wash”Table 2: Stains and Statistics: Standard Deviation and VarianceType of DetergentAverageStandard DeviationVariationTide9.67+ 0.5770.333Gain7.00+ 1.0001.000All5.67+ 0.5770.333Vinegar3.67+ 0.5770.333Baking Soda4.33+ 0.5770.333Lemon Juice5.00+ 0.0000.000Deionized Water (Control)4.33+ 0.5770.333From the analyzed data (Table 1 and Chart 1), the following things can be concluded regarding this experiment. The primary tool for qualitative analysis was the usage of a color gradient, which has darker colors (towards 1) and lighter, faded color (towards 10). In this range of color, the largest impact of stain removal was seen with Tide, a commercial detergent and the smallest color removal was done by vinegar (Table 2 and Chart 1). This confirms the initial hypothesis that commercial detergents do work better at combating tough stains more than “home remedy” treatments that are used on the stain. Numerically, this is observed when one looks at the average number for the gradients of the commercial detergents versus the “homely” ones (Chart 2). All the commercial detergents are above 5 for a gradient value and all the non-industrial detergents are less than or equal to 5. The standard deviation reflects something that is significant: most of them (with the exception of Gain and Lemon Juice) yielded the same figure. This means that the trials have been done consistently to obtain close to accurate or reproducible results. Similar is the case with the variance, which is just the square of the standard deviation. From these results, it can be scientifically concluded that there is a certain alkalinity or increased pH in the commercial detergents that allows them to clean the stain better. In addition, this is seconded by the lemon juice gradient being higher than that of vinegar. Since lemon juice is less acidic than vinegar, it has a better shot at cleaning the turmeric.CONCLUSION:The purpose of this experiment was to determine which type of detergent, commercial for a “home remedy”, would be best suited to fighting the stains of the spice, turmeric. The formulated hypothesis was that the commercial detergents would have a better chance of clearing the stain. Tide ended up winning this challenge from start to finish, lessening the stain by a 6-7 mark difference (Appendix C) on the gradient. Although a very insightful experiment, a few shortcomings include the blotting technique for staining the cloth, a supply shortage in terms of stirring plates, and the consistency of the turmeric paste. The blotting can be done using an index card as a stamp template to press into the turmeric and then imprint onto the cloth. As far as supplies go, keep three stirring plates so that the triplicate process will go by in a time efficient manner. Finally the consistency of the paste can be balanced if the paste is transferred to a centrifuge tube and the supernatant alone is used for staining. A few recommendations to work with for future endeavors in this study would be to incorporate factors such as temperature of the detergent or bleach-induced detergent. The possibilities are endless and although the battle is not completely won, I would say we are definitely a step closer to cracking the Curcuminoid case!References:Brennan, James. "Turmeric." The National. The National UAE News, 15 Oct. 2008. Web. 24 Jan. 2014. <;. Funk, J. L., J. N. Oyarzo, J. B. Frye, G. Chen, R. C. Lantz, S. D. Jolad, A. M. Solyom, and B. N. Timmerman. "Result Filters." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Mar. 2006. Web. 07 Feb. 2014. <;. Murphy, Peter M., and Misty D. Dittman. Process for Cleaning Turmeric Stains. E.I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company Wilmington, DE, assignee. Patent US 600,300,299 BI. 9 Oct. 2001. Print. Péret-Almeida, L., A.P.F Cherubino, R.J Alves, L. Dufossé, and M.B.A Glória. "Separation and Determination of the Physico-chemical Characteristics of Curcumin, Demethoxycurcumin and Bisdemethoxycurcumin." Food Research International 38.8-9 (2005): 1039-044. Separation and Determination of the Physico-chemical Characteristics of Curcumin, Demethoxycurcumin and Bisdemethoxycurcumin. Elsevier, 1 July 2005. Web. 23 Jan. 2014. <;. Tomren, M. A., M. Masson, T. Loftsson, and Hjorth T?nnesen. "Studies on Curcumin and Curcuminoids: XXXI. Symmetric and Asymmetric Curcuminoids: Stability, Activity and Complexation with Cyclodextrin." International Journal of Pharmaceutics 338.1-2 (2007): 27-34. Studies on Curcumin and Curcuminoids: XXXI. Symmetric and Asymmetric Curcuminoids: Stability, Activity and Complexation with Cyclodextrin. Elsevier, 19 Jan. 2007. Web. 23 Jan. 2014. <;. Appendix Aright623413Topic Terminology and the Structure of Turmeric:Figure S1: The chemical structure of curcumin, the color giving agent for turmeric [3]. This structure belongs to a family or group of molecules known as Curcuminoids [2].Phenol group: a six ring (benzene) structure with a hydroxyl side group (OH) Carbonyl carbon: a carbon that is double bonded to an oxygen and to two other carbon chains that are non-specific (also known as R group)Methoxy group: an oxygen bonded to a methane group in place of the fourth hydrogen (usually CH4). Unsaturated: a chain molecule made of both single and double bonds of carbon atoms.Homogenous mixture: when two or more substances blend equally to form a mixture of equal solubility.Appendix BCalculations for Materials and MethodsTotal volume calculation: I estimated that the washing machine’s chamber looked about two-thirds full of diluted detergent, so my model with the beaker should also have the same condition. Using a 600mL beaker, this is what I calculated:600mL * (2/3) = 1200/3 = 400 mLConcentration calculations for diluting the detergentsLowest bar on the 500 mL graduated cylinder was 50mL; therefore I needed 50mL out of 400mL of detergent + water mixture to be concentrated detergent. For Tide, Gain, All, Vinegar, and Lemon Juice the concentration was set based on a volume by volume (v/v) percentage ratio.400mL – 50mL = 350mL of water to be added50/ 400 mL = 0.125 or 12.5 % v/v concentrationNOTE: This type of calculation had to be done solely for the purpose of eradicating any ingredient or mixture errors that would’ve resulted when switching detergents since not all brands follow the same detergent synthesis recipe. This way, it is an equal dilution of all detergents, so that only stain removing power is analyzed rather than the chemical composition.Baking Soda: The Solid’s concentrationSince Baking Soda was the only solute that was a solid that needed to be mixed, I used the 12.5% v/v concentration percentage to calculate how many grams of baking soda should be mixed with the water to create this detergent. This type of concentration is known as weight by volume percentage ratio (w/v) and is in the units of grams/mL.12/5% v/v = 12.5% w/v12.5% w/v = 12.5g/100mL12.5g/100mL = x g/ 400mLx= grams of baking soda needed = 50gProcedure: Experimental Setup and Selected Steps for Further Clarification0-4956 Figure S2a (left-top_: Experimental setup for the model “washing machine”. Stir plate600 mL BeakerStained clothMagnetic stir barright24311500Figure S2b (right-top): For the Section: Staining Cloth. How, the cloth pieces essentially looked after staining them. All were stained with precision with the same surface area covered per blotting.List of Materials Needed:Magnetic Stir Bar7- 600 mL BeakersA ruler (with metric markings)Electronic BalanceGraduated Cylinders (2): one 500mL and one 50mL3 brands of commercial laundry detergent (200mL each)3 “home remedy detergents”: Vinegar, Baking Soda, and Lemon Juice (200mL each)Stir plate or a hot plate with magnetic stirring provisionsTimer21 pieces of cloth (15cm x 15cm) if necessary use scissors and a sharpie to mark up a large shirt and cut out squares that way.Turmeric (50g)Distilled water (for control- 600 mL)Butter knife or index card for spreadingAppendix CData Collection Analysis:For the gathering of data in terms of a quantitative idea of measuring stain reduction, I went online and found out how to make a gradient off of a paint software. As seen earlier in the data section, the gradient ranges from 1-10, one being a very dark turmeric stain while 10 is a faint yellow (meaning that the detergent has done a very nice job of cleaning).left10795-27313229527500Figure S3a (above). Color Gradient used for dependent variable qualitative analysis (Perbank.dk Online Gradient maker).Figure S3b (left): Before Picture. This is the turmeric blotted piece of cloth before it underwent “washing” or an attempt at stain removal.Figure S3c (below): Data Table of the results observed. A graph was made with the raw information gathered below (See Data Collection/Presentation section; page 5).Table 1- Gradient Analysis: A Color Based Measurement of the StainsType of detergentStained cloth (Before)After Trial 1After Trial 2After Trial 3Average of 3 trials (After)Tide3910109.67Gain36877.00All36565.67Vinegar33443.67Baking Soda34544.33Lemon Juice35555.00Deionized Water (Control)34454.33Data Calculations: Mean, Standard Deviation, and Variance.Table 2- Stains and Statistics: Standard Deviation and VarianceType of DetergentAverageStandard DeviationVariationTide9.67+ 0.5770.333Gain7.00+ 1.0001.000All5.67+ 0.5770.333Vinegar3.67+ 0.5770.333Baking Soda4.33+ 0.5770.333Lemon Juice5.00+ 0.0000.000Deionized Water (Control)4.33+ 0.5770.333Formulas used for obtaining mean, standard deviation, and variance are given below:Mean = (trial 1 rating + trial 2 rating + trial 3 rating)/ total # of trials: 3center479870Standard Deviation: Sum of the differences of each of the trial ratings for a particular detergent from that detergent’s mean; divide that number by the number of trials minus 1Variance: The standard deviation of that detergent brand squared. (Sigma squared)14826545627000 Chart 1: Gradient Analysis of Remaining Turmeric after Triplicate “Wash” ................
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