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What is Sugar Soap and What is It Used For?
Sugar soap is really something else! This soap is a heavy-duty cleaning agent for tough grease stains and in fact is found pretty commonly worldwide. Similar to sugar in its powdered form, it’s often used to clean up paint on interior walls before repainting and removing household and automotive grime.
It’s not used that often in the United States, however. Interestingly enough, there are a lot of popular brands its sold under around the world each with a slightly different chemical makeup.
What is Sugar Soap Made Of?
From one brand to the next, the amounts of given ingredients may differ, but sugar soap usually contains a mix of sodium phosphate, sodium silicate, and sodium carbonate.
If you think that sounds like a lot of sodium, you’re right; despite what you might think about it, table salt (sodium) is actually a highly reactive element that allows sugar soap to create more lather as you wash.
What is the Difference Between Sugar Soap and Detergent?
Unlike many detergents, sugar soap isn’t as harsh or caustic to work with. You should still use precaution while using it such as wearing gloves so your hands don’t dry out or wearing a mask to prevent inhalation of the dust, the soap suds are still far less damaging than the alternative if you find yourself having to clean a lot of grease stains.
Can You Use Sugar Soap on Wooden Floors or Kitchen Cupboards?
Yes, sugar soap can be used on floors and cupboards.
But as a general rule for any cleaning product, if you’re not confidently sure if it’s safe to use you should test it on a small and less visible area first to be sure it won’t hurt it.
Is Sugar Soap Antibacterial?
No, sugar soap is what’s known as a surfactant and isn’t directly antibacterial. However, it does remove germs and microbes from surfaces, effectively removing their ability to cause sickness, infection, or other problems.
Plus it doesn’t risk creating any antibiotic-resistant superbugs while in the middle of a good spring clean.
Does Sugar Soap Get Rid of Mold?
Again, no. Though it will remove the surface mold from whatever you’re cleaning, it doesn’t kill the spores that allow that mold to spread, nor does it do anything about whatever mold might be lurking underneath the surface.
If you have a mold problem you’ll want to take a different approach like using bleach and a spray bottle, removing the source of moisture, and so on. Most soap aren’t a good solution for mold or mildew.
How Long Do You Leave Sugar Soap on When Cleaning?
You shouldn’t need to leave it on for more than a few minutes in most circumstances. If you leave it to dry out it can stick to the surface and be hard to scrub off.
What Kind of Sponge Do You Use for Sugar Soap?
Just about type of sponge or scrubber can be used with sugar soap. You can use it with a scrubbing brush, a damp cloth, a sponge, or even a stiff broom if you’re out in the garage.
