Sugar soap, as typically found in

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with " republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from th ...

countries, is a

cleaning Cleaning is the process of removing unwanted substances, such as dirt, infectious agents, and other impurities, from an object or environment. Cleaning is often performed for aesthetic, hygienic, functional, environmental, or safety purposes. ...

material of variable composition sold for use on surfaces affected by greasy or tarry deposits which are not easily removed with routine domestic cleaning materials. Its name arises from the fact that, when in dry powder form, it resembles table sugar. The solution is

alkaline In chemistry, an alkali (; from ar, القلوي, al-qaly, lit=ashes of the saltwort) is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. An alkali can also be defined as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a ...

and its uses include cleaning paintwork in preparation for repainting.

Country-specific information

United Kingdom

The precise ingredients and their proportions (and, consequently, what hazards, if any, are associated) vary between manufacturers and suppliers but are now generally found listed in the

Material Safety Data Sheet A safety data sheet (SDS), material safety data sheet (MSDS), or product safety data sheet (PSDS) is a document that lists information relating to occupational safety and health for the use of various substances and products. SDSs are a widel ...

s found on manufacturers' and suppliers' web sites. The alkali component is normally sodium carbonate or less commonly

sodium hydroxide Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye and caustic soda, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaOH. It is a white solid ionic compound consisting of sodium cations and hydroxide anions . Sodium hydroxide is a highly caustic base and alkal ...

at a concentration of a few percent and an organic solvent and an abrasive agent are normally the other functional ingredients, as well as colouring and water. Many brands of sugar soap are freely available for domestic use in the UK, being commonly sold for preparing surfaces for redecoration, stripping certain types of wallpaper, removing accumulations of grease in kitchens or removal of tar deposits caused by tobacco-smoking; products are supplied in powder to be diluted before use or liquid form to be brushed or sprayed.

North America

The comparable cleaning product in Canada and the US is trisodium phosphate, also known as "TSP". However, due to environmental concerns about the impact of

phosphorus Phosphorus is a chemical element with the symbol P and atomic number 15. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms, white phosphorus and red phosphorus, but because it is highly reactive, phosphorus is never found as a free element on Ea ...

on lakes and streams, products labeled TSP may not actually contain any trisodium phosphate. "Sugar Soap" in the US is generally a

cosmetic Cosmetic may refer to: * Cosmetics, or make-up, substances to enhance the beauty of the human body, apart from simple cleaning *Cosmetic, an adjective describing beauty, aesthetics, or appearance, especially concerning the human body *Cosmetic, ...

product. If sugar is actually used in the product it helps the natural soap to generate more lather.

France and The Netherlands

A comparable product in France and The Netherlands is sold under the brand name St Marc. It is branded by

Reckitt Benckiser Reckitt Benckiser Group plc, trading as Reckitt, is a British multinational consumer goods company headquartered in Slough, England. It is a producer of health, hygiene and nutrition products. The company was formed in March 1999 by the m ...

and its formula is a derivative of a resin soap made from

terpene Terpenes () are a class of natural products consisting of compounds with the formula (C5H8)n for n > 1. Comprising more than 30,000 compounds, these unsaturated hydrocarbons are produced predominantly by plants, particularly conifers. Terpenes ar ...

. The ingredients listed in the safety data sheet include >30% sodium carbonate.

Australia and New Zealand

A comparable product in Australia and New Zealand is sold under the brand name Selleys. The chemical compositions listed in the safety data sheet include Sodium carbonate, Sodium lauryl ether sulfate, and Sodium tripolyphosphate

References

{{reflist Soaps Painting materials