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Uses of Linear Alkyl Benzene

Anyone who does laundry, washes dishes or cleans the kitchen floor likely has come in contact with linear alkyl benzene. This compound is widely used in a variety of cleaning products used in household applications or in industrial settings because it is versatile and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
  1. Laundry

    • In the home, alkyl benzene is most likely to be found in your laundry detergent. It is mixed in with both liquid detergents and powder variety. Among common products containing the chemical are Tide, Cheer and Gain.

    Washing dishes

    • Liquid alkyl benzene, also known as LAB, is used to help clean dishes. It can be found in liquid soaps and in detergent tablets that are placed in a dishwasher. Products manufactured by Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Colgate-Palmolive are among those with liquid alkyl benzene.

    Soap bars

    • Linear alkyl benzene sulfonate is often used in the types of soap commonly used in bathtubs and showers throughout the world. One advantage of the compound is that is does not interact with calcium in hard water and therefore doesn't typically leave a ring on the tub like other standard soaps.

    Household cleaning supplies

    • Many types of household cleaners contain liquid alkyl benzene. It is used in floor cleaners like Spic 'n Span and other multi-purpose hard surface cleaning products.