Plural of detergent; cleaning substances that remove dirt and stains by breaking down oils and allowing them to be washed away with water.
From Latin detergent-, present participle of detergere (to wipe away), plus -s for plural; widely adopted into English by the early 20th century as synthetic cleaning products replaced soap.
The invention of synthetic detergents during World War II—when soap fats were needed for the military—accidentally revolutionized cleaning because these new molecules worked in hard water where soap failed, changing how billions of people wash clothes forever.
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