Comparing household chemicals

assorted containers of household cleaning products

In “Comparing household chemicals” students discover the effects of using different types of household chemicals and determine if they are really all so different. This formative assessment targets the question “What are the effects of using and producing different matter types?” This is important because students should understand the types of products they are using. If they are buying something that says it is a cleaner for the bathroom, why does it sometimes have the same compounds in it as a cleaner for the kitchen. If students can recognize this, then they can be better consumers and not have to buy two different products knowing that the chemicals are the same.

In the formative assessment task, students were asked to consider what household cleaners they would use if they were tasked with cleaning the bathroom and kitchen using the Household cleaners Google sheet. The students could select the same or different cleaners for each job. The students were asked to explain what chemical properties their selected cleaner had that made it ideal for cleaning the bathroom and/or kitchen. This formative assessment was used with 10th and 11th grade students in a remote learning setting. These students were in the second part of honor’s chemistry. My students come from different cultures, ethnicities, skin color, and socioeconomic levels. For some of the students English is their second language. It was used in a diverse urban high school of about 1800 students. There are students of all socio-economic levels. We have first time English Learner’s from Guatemala, Honduras, the Dominican Republic along with Brazil and Egypt. The school have a variety of special education programs ranging from sub-separate classrooms to inclusion classes. We offer a variety of levels of classes including AP and dual enrollment through the local community college. We are a comprehensive high school and offer a growing number of CTE programs. We also have a large art, music and foreign language department.

Teaching reflections

When implementing this formative assessment students were able to investigate household substances. I think that this helps to engage students (especially during remote learning) and also gives them concentrated substances to compare and think about. I was able to learn that students were able to realize that even though most of them used different household chemicals for different objects (toilet versus the tub or the kitchen table) they had similar chemical properties. They also realized that the different products they used had over lapping compounds in them. If I were to do this formative assessment again I might want to teach the students or have the students investigate exactly what bleach is made of. If they understood that the main ingredient was chlorine they would have realized that the compounds in the different cleaners overlapped even more than they realized. This formative assesment was assigned during remote learning. In a normal school year this could be assigned as homework. The day after it is due it would be a great idea to bring in a bunch of cleaners for testing in the lab. Students could have computers and they could research the different active ingredients in the cleaners as well as test things like pH and cleaning ability with different samples of dirt (like grape juice stains, sharpie, paint clean up, food stains, mirrors, etc.). I think it would be really important to have "natural cleaners" available for this testing and even just blue dawn dish soap. Allow the students to try out different scenarios that they make up themselves and see what conclusions they come up with. What is the difference in cleaning everything with blue dawn versus lysol wipes or diluted bleach? You could ask what would be the most versatile cleaner? Is there a better cleaner to use in the kitchen versus the bathroom? I think it would even be good for students to have recipes to make their own cleaner and see how it compares to the store brand.

Remote learning 

For this assessment I used a Google form with many sections. Some of the sections that the students had to answer were dependent on previous answers. This allowed me to ask tailored questions to their thinking without being in front of them. Since I was not in front of them I think that I could not completely tailor the questions. A benefit of google forms is the ability to ask many different question types, include pictures or videos and to make questions required in order to move on and submit the form.

 

Student 1

Student 2

Student 3

It is your turn to clean the bathroom and the kitchen. What cleaner is appropriate for each and why? What cleaner would you use for the bathroom?

I would use toilet bowl cleaner for the toilet and I would wipe the rest down with Lysol wipes.

To clean the bathroom, I use Lysol toilet bowl cleaner and SC Johnson scrubbing bubbles.

I would use bleach cleaner/Clorox foam spray for the bathroom because that is known to kill germs. If there is visible dirt/crumbs I would first use soap and water and maybe a rag to clean it. To disinfect I would use bleach. In my house I have to clean the bathrooms, so this is what I use.

Why would you use this cleaner for the bathroom?

I would use the toilet bowl cleaner because it is meant for the toilet and I would use wipes because they are easy to get all the germs off.

I use these products because the Lysol toilet bowl cleaner kills 99.9% of viruses and bacteria, and the scrubbing bubbles removes 100% soap scum.

I would use this cleaner because it is easy to use and I normally wear gloves when I clean so it doesn’t damage my skin. I also use this because it makes the bathroom smell good and look clean.

What chemical properties does this cleaner have that would make it ideal for cleaning the bathroom?

Bleach, good smelling stuff, and bubbles.

The Lysol toilet bowl cleaner has alkyl and more. The scrubbing bubbles has chelator.

It has bleach so it kills the germs.

What cleaner would you use for the kitchen?

Bleach spray

To clean the kitchen, I use Method antibac cleaner, and liquid Lysol.

For the kitchen, I normally use Clorox wipes or a disinfectant spray to kill germs and wipe away crumbs and dirt easily.

Why would you use this cleaner for the kitchen?

Because using bleach is the best way to wipe off granite tables and putting in the white sink will help with the color stay white and clean.

I use these products because the Method antibac kills 99.9% of germs, and the liquid Lysol kills 99.9% of viruses and bacteria.

I would use this because my mom always uses them to wipe down counter-tops and tables before we eat.

What chemical properties does this cleaner have that would make it ideal for cleaning the kitchen?

Bleach

The Method antibac has citric acid, and the liquid Lysol has alkyl and more.

Again, like the bathroom, it has bleach in it that will kill the germs.

Did you choose the same or different cleaner for the bathroom and the kitchen?

Different

Different

Same

Why did you choose the same cleaner for the bathroom and the kitchen?

NA

NA

I used basically the same cleaner from the bathroom and the kitchen because the products both contain bleach and both areas contain germs.

What chemical properties of the cleaner is useful for the bathroom and the kitchen?

NA

NA

The bleach allows the germs to be killed so it is safe.

Why did you choose different cleaner for the bathroom and the kitchen?

The table and the counter in the kitchen are different materials then the toilet and the counter in the bathroom so you need to use different cleaning materials.

I use different cleaners for the bathroom and the kitchen because there are specific cleaners for the bathroom and the kitchen.

I used the same one. I used different forms of bleach/Clorox products for efficiency.

How do the chemical properties differ in the cleaner used for the bathroom versus the detergent used for the kitchen?

The chemical properties are stronger for the bathroom because there are more germs while the chemical properties are more simple for the kitchen.

There are different chemical in the different cleaners. I find that there are more chemicals in bathroom cleaners.

Both products contain bleach to kill the harmful bacteria and germs.

Could you use multiple cleaners in the bathroom?

Yes

Yes

Yes

Why would you use multiple cleaners in the bathroom? What would be the purpose/use?

I would use a different cleaner for the toilet then the counter because the surfaces are different and specific cleaning supplies are meant for that.

You would use multiple cleaners in the bathroom because you have to clean the toilet, the tub, the sink, the floor, and more. There are different cleaners for all of these different things in the bathroom.

I would use different cleaners for different parts of the bathroom. For example, I would use a different product for the sink and the inside of the toilet, because you can easily clean the sink but you don’t want to touch the inside of the toilet.

Are the chemical properties different in the cleaners used for different purposes/uses in the bathroom?

No, mostly all the chemicals are the same, the properties are just composed in a different way.

For the most part, most of these cleaners have some of the same chemical properties.

Maybe a little because the products might be more harsh depending on the location you are supposed to use them.

Find a cleaner that you have for the bathroom and one you have for the kitchen. What is the name of the cleaner that you have for the bathroom?

Lysol toilet bowl cleaner and disinfecting wipes.

SC Johnson scrubbing bubbles

Clorox bathroom bleach faomer

What ingredients do you think are important?

Chlorides and hydrogen peroxide.

Chelator is the important ingredient.

Sodium hypochlorate

What is the name of the cleaner that you have for the kitchen?

Bleach and water spray.

Liquid Lysol

Clorox disinfecting wipes

What ingredients do you think are important?

Bleach

Alkyl is the important ingredient.

Ethyl benzyl ammonium chloride

Do the important ingredients overlap?

Yes

No

Yes

Why do you think the important ingredients overlap? What chemical properties do you think the important ingredients have? What are the uses for the important ingredient?

The important ingredients overlap because all cleaning supplies have mostly the same ingredients and chemical properties. The important ingredients kill the germs, and makes everything shiny. The important ingredients are used to kill the germs and clean the surface.

Important ingredients overlap because multiple chemical properties and ingredients are needed to make certain products. I think that the important ingredients have alkyl in them. The uses for alkyl is a propellants, pesticides, solvents, and more.

They use the same ingredients because they do the same purpose. Mostly the chlorine overlaps but the important ingredient is the agent that kills the bacteria so that it why it overlaps.

Why do you think the important ingredients do not overlap? What chemical properties do you think the important ingredients have? What are the uses for the important ingredient?

Some of the important ingredients don’t overlap because different surfaces need different cleaners. The important ingredients kill germs, shines the surface. And the important ingredients are used to kill the germs!

Sometimes important ingredients do not overlap because there are so many different chemical products made for bathrooms and kitchens, so many chemicals are used that not every single chemical property is used in every single product.

Some ingredients might not overlap because they are used for different parts of the house and in the kitchen you eat so you might not want to inhale the other chemicals.

 

Safety

General Safety

For Laboratory Work: Please refer to the ACS Guidelines for Chemical Laboratory Safety in Secondary Schools (2016).  

For Demonstrations: Please refer to the ACS Division of Chemical Education Safety Guidelines for Chemical Demonstrations.

Other Safety resources

RAMP: Recognize hazards; Assess the risks of hazards; Minimize the risks of hazards; Prepare for emergencies