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What's inside a Fairy Dishwashing tablet?


Every ingredient in a Fairy dishwashing tablet has a specific and important job to do, working together to deliver brilliant cleaning and shine performance. This simple guide explains the function of the most common ingredients found in our tablets. All ingredients and formulas undergo a strict safety protocol to ensure the levels we use in our products are safe when used as intended. Learn more about this process here.


Dissecting the anatomy of a Fairy dishwashing tablet


The water-soluble film


The film is crucial for both the tablet's performance and its sustainability. It is made from Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA/PVOH), a commonly used ingredient that is also used in the protective coating of tablets, medicine, eye drops, and beauty products.

    

Here's why it's so important:


  1. Performance: the PVA/PVOH film keeps individual ingredients separate and stable until the wash cycle begins, ensuring the powerful formula is released at the optimal moment to effectively tackle grease and soils.


  1. Sustainability: this form allows for a significantly more compact product, leading to:
  2. Reduced transport impact: lower weight and volume save on fuel and cut carbon emissions
  3. Minimized packaging: smaller, lighter containers require fewer packaging materials
  4. Efficient storage: optimizes space across the supply chain, on store shelves, and in your home.


  1. Optimal dosing: Because the tablet is pre-dosed, it eliminates guesswork, preventing both under-dosing (which can compromise cleaning performance) and over-dosing (which wastes product and resources).


Oxygen-based bleaching agents


  1. Ingredients: Sodium Carbonate Peroxide, TAED, bis(N,N',N''-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane)-trioxo-dimanganese (IV) di(hexafluorophosphate) monohydrate (manganese complex)


  1. Function:


  1. Sodium Carbonate Peroxide: Releases active oxygen species, H2O2, when dissolved in water, which oxidises and removes tough, coloured stains like tea, coffee, and fruit juices.


  1. TAED (Tetraacetylethylenediamine): A bleach activator that reacts with H2O2 released from the sodium percarbonate to form peracetic acid, a powerful bleaching agent that works effectively at lower wash temperatures, enhancing stain removal and giving hygiene benefits.


  1. Manganese Complex: Acts as a bleach catalyst, accelerating the bleaching action of percarbonate, especially at lower temperatures.


Non-ionic surfactants


  1. Ingredients: PEG/PPG/Propylheptyl Ether, Tridecyl Alcohol Ethoxylated


  1. Function: These compounds reduce the surface tension of water, allowing it to better penetrate and loosen food soils. They help emulsify fats and oils, making them easier to rinse away, and are typically low foaming, which is essential for dishwashers.


Phosphonates:


  1. Ingredients: Tetrasodium Etidronate


  1. Function: This is a chelating agent that binds to metal ions (such as calcium and magnesium) present in hard water. By sequestering these ions, it prevents them from forming insoluble deposits (limescale) on dishes and dishwasher parts, thus preventing spotting, filming, and maintaining cleaning performance.


Polycarboxylates:


  1. Ingredients: Acrylate-sulfonate copolymer


  1. Function: Acts as a dispersant and anti-redeposition agent to keep loosened food particles suspended in the wash water, preventing them from redepositing onto dishes and causing dullness or film. Also contributes to water softening and scale inhibition.


Enzymes:


  1. Ingredients: Protease, Amylase


  1. Function: These are biological catalysts that break down specific types of food soils.


  1. Protease: Breaks down protein-based soils (e.g., egg, meat, dairy), breaking them into smaller, water-soluble peptides and amino acids that are easier to wash away.


  1. Amylase: Breaks down starch-based soils (e.g., pasta, rice, potato) into simpler sugars, which are then easily dissolved and rinsed off.


Perfumes:


  1. Ingredients: depends on the product variant. Learn more about perfume safety here [Link to Article #4].
  2. Function: Leaves a pleasant subtle scent upon opening the dishwasher.


For full transparency


This guide covers the main ingredients in our Fairy Platinum Plus dishwasher tablets. For a complete, product-specific list of all ingredients, please visit the official P&G ingredient information website at: https://www.info-pg.com/