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Gentle washing-up liquid with Decyl Glucoside
Beginner
Household cleaning

Gentle washing-up liquid with Decyl Glucoside

Suggested household cleaning formula for hand dishwashing, not for automatic dishwashers.

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Formula objective. An indicative hand dishwashing liquid with Decyl Glucoside as the main surfactant. The suggestion aims to evaluate hand dishwashing with a glucoside system, keeping the formula simple and easy to adjust.

Why these ingredients were chosen.

  • Decyl Glucoside provides most of the detergency and ability to lift light greasy dirt.
  • Coco Glucoside can support foam and improve the body of the surfactant system.
  • Coco Betaine helps round out foam and feel during use.
  • The preservative protects the aqueous formula, especially because it is stored in a container used repeatedly.
  • pH adjustment should aim for effectiveness and compatibility in use, without formulating it as a product for prolonged skin contact.

Intended users. Household use on dishes suitable for handwashing. It is not designed for automatic dishwashers or delicate surfaces that require specific products.

Skill level. Easy level: the process is straightforward, but requires foam control during manufacture and checking actual performance against grease and during rinsing.

Validation required. Test cleaning power, foam, rinsing, pH, stability, preservation and container compatibility. It must not be presented as a professional product or disinfectant.

Base formula

Include Product % Quantity Price / pack size
Gelled aqueous phase
Distilled or deionised water
64.8 % 648 g Manual addition
Clear Xanthan Gum
0.4 % 4 g €0.47 used (1 x 30 g · purchase €3.50) Approx. leftover 26 g
Surfactants
Decyl Glucoside
22 % 220 g €4.14 used (1 x 250 ml · purchase €4.70) Approx. leftover 30 ml
Coco Glucoside
9 % 90 g €2.38 used (1 x 125 ml · purchase €3.30) Approx. leftover 35 ml
Coco Betaine
3 % 30 g €0.59 used (1 x 125 ml · purchase €2.45) Approx. leftover 95 ml
Preservation and pH adjustment
Geogard 221 / Cosgard
0.8 % 8 g €1.64 used (1 x 10 ml · purchase €2.05) Approx. leftover 2 ml
Citric acid in a 20% solution
0 % 0 c.n. Manual addition

Step by step

Prepare a lump-free aqueous phase 1 Room temperature

Prepare a lump-free aqueous phase

Start with a clean, disinfected mixing beaker, spatula and final container. Water-based formulas are not a place to improvise: weigh everything before you start and work calmly.

If the formula contains xanthan gum, mix it with the glycerine or humectants first. This wets the gum evenly and makes lumps much less likely to form.

Add the water gradually, in several additions, mixing gently after each one. If you see small lumps, do not whisk vigorously: leave it to rest for a few minutes and stir again until the base looks uniform.

Add the surfactants gently 2 Room temperature

Add the surfactants gently

When the aqueous phase is uniform, slowly incorporate the Decyl Glucoside. Use slow, folding movements to avoid filling the product with foam.

Then add the remaining surfactants one at a time. Wait until each ingredient is well distributed before incorporating the next; this gives you better control of the texture and avoids concentrated areas.

For a surface cleaner, the aim is not excessive foam but a uniform mixture that sprays well and can be rinsed or wiped off easily.

Preserve and adjust the pH 3 Room temperature

Preserve and adjust the pH

Add the preservative when the mixture is uniform and stir for at least one minute using slow movements. The preservative must be distributed throughout the formula, not left in one area.

Measure the pH and compare it with this recipe's target range: 6,0 - 7,0. If it is high, adjust with a 20% citric acid solution, drop by drop.

After each drop, mix and measure again. The pH does not always change immediately, so it is better to proceed slowly than to overshoot and have to correct in the opposite direction.

Allow to rest, check and package Final

Allow to rest, check and package

Cover the beaker and leave the formula to rest for 24 hours. This resting period helps the foam subside and the gum finish hydrating, allowing you to assess the actual viscosity.

The next day, check the smell, colour, separation, lumps, transparency or opalescence and texture. If anything changes in an unusual way, do not package it yet: first you need to understand what has happened.

Before using it more generally, test the cleaner on a small area of the surface. Do not present it as a disinfectant unless it is developed and validated specifically for that use.

Preservation, shelf life and validation

  • Work with clean, disinfected utensils. Avoid whisking the surfactants so that excessive foam does not form during manufacture.
  • Always measure the final pH before considering the formula finished. Do not use the recipe on children, mucous membranes or the eye area without specific validation.

Questions, improvements and possible corrections

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