Investigation Project Discovery

 Investigation Project: Complex

Title: Stain Removal Project

               

Testable Question: Which is the best cleaning agent for removing stains?

What I changed (Independent variable): cleaning agents

What stayed the same (Controlled Variables): kind of fabric, type of stain, washing procedure

What I measured: (Dependent variables): the visibility of the stain after washing

Research:

I started my research by talking to mummy who is a teacher. She said that besides using commercial products, household items such as vinegar and baking soda also make good cleaning products. She also warned me never to mix vinegar with products containing ammonia as this could produce harmful vapors!

 Hypothesis:

Vinegar and baking soda mixed together are best for removing stains from cotton fabric.

Why I think so:

I think this because the carbonic acid that results from mixing the two substances together probably breaks down stains.

Materials

       

Mustard

Blueberry syrup

Ketchup

Prune juice

Water

Vinegar

Baking soda

Commercial pre-stain treatment

Commercial laundry detergent

Q-tips

Watch/timer

Plastic cups for washing fabric swatches

100% cotton fabric swatches (approximately 3 inch squares)

Permanent marker for labeling

Procedure:

1. Cut at least 28 pieces of 100% cotton fabric into approximately 3 inch squares.

2. Use a permanent marker to label each of the fabric pieces using all of the combinations of stain and detergent mixture. (stains= ketchup, mustard, blueberry syrup, prune juice; detergent mixtures=water, vinegar, vinegar and baking soda, commercial pre-treatment, commercial laundry detergent, vinegar and baking soda paste +laundry detergent, commercial pre-treatment + laundry detergent.

3. Place a stain on each sample according to the labels.

       

        W=water (50mL)

         V=vinegar (50mL)

   V+bs=vinegar +baking soda solution (30mL vinegar/20mL baking soda)

    pst+w=commercial pre-stain treatment +water

    (20mL commercial pre-stain treatment +30mLwater)

     ld=laundry detergent +water (20mL laundry detergent+30mL water)

      vbp+ld=vinegar, baking soda paste + laundry detergent

      (10mLvinegar+40mL baking soda)+(20mL laundry detergent +30mL water)

      cpst+ld= commercial pre-stain treatment + laundry detergent

      (20mL commercial pre-stain treatment +30mLwater) + (20mL laundry detergent+30mL water)

1.    Place each sample in the detergent mixture and scrub for 2 minutes.

2.    Remove excess liquid and compare the samples when they are dry. 

Data Table:

Stain Removal Effectiveness Scale:

5= highly effective (stain gone) 4=slightly visible 3= faded 2=no change 1=worse Stain Removal Data
Mustard		Blueberry	Ketchup		Prune Juice
Water	1	3		2	4
Vinegar	3	3		2	4
Commercial laundry detergent	4	5		3	5
Vinegar and Baking soda solution	1	2		2	3
Commercial Pre-stain treatment with water	4	5		3	5
Pre-stain vinegar and baking soda paste and commercial laundry detergent	5	5		4	5
Commercial Pre-stain treatment with Commercial Laundry Detergent	4	5		5	5

Qualitative Observations:

In most every example, the stain got at least a little bit lighter. However, some stains actually got worse when put in the different solutions. For example, the mustard stain actually got darker gold when put in vinegar and baking soda solution. The blueberry syrup stain turned green and brown when put in the vinegar and baking soda solution.

on Stain Removal Effectiveness Scale*
Water	2.5
Vinegar	3.0
Commercial laundry detergent	4.25
Vinegar and Baking soda solution	2.0
Commercial Pre-stain treatment with water	4.25
Pre-stain vinegar and baking soda paste and commercial laundry detergent	4.75
Commercial Pre-stain treatment with Commercial Laundry Detergent	4.75

Results/Conclusions:

The results show that the best way to remove stains is to use either a combination of vinegar and baking soda paste + commercial laundry detergent or to use a combination of commercial pre-stain treatment + laundry detergent. Both of these treatments scored a mean average of 4.75 on the effectiveness scale (5 being the most effective).

My hypothesis was only partly accurate. I thought that just washing the stain in a vinegar and baking soda solution would be enough to remove the stain. What I found was that using more baking soda to make vinegar and baking soda paste then combining it with laundry detergent was the best way to remove most stains. This even worked better than using the laundry detergent alone or the commercial pre-stain treatment alone.

Since the commercial pre-stain treatment combined with laundry detergent did not appear to remove stains any more effectively than the homemade vinegar and baking soda paste + laundry detergent, I would recommend people purchase baking soda and vinegar since it is the cheaper and more eco friendly product.