When greasy food is spilled on clothing, why is it diffficult to clean with water alone?

Question

What would be better than plain water for removing a greasy food stain? Why?

Answer 1

Water and oil do not mix up. That is why you have to use a detergent who has something name surfactant. That is a substance who has a side hydrophobic and other side hydrofilic.
With the mecanical movement the hidrofobic sides envelop the greasy and made a miscella.

Answer 2

Because oil and water do not mix, the water cannot get to the stain to clean it. You would need to use something to "break up" the grease. I use dishsoap to get greasy stains off of clothes, because the soap is formulated to break up grease, and allows the water to wash away the stain.

Answer 3

Oil will not come out of clothes unless it is very hot water. The best thing to do with clothes with oil on them use spray and wash, but let it sit on the stain for at least 10 mins

Answer 4

because you need soap
soap is a nonpolar molecule so it interact with the greasy food b/c the greasy food is a polar molecule

Answer 5

cuz water and oil don't mix!! u gotta use soap, and probably hot water... or apparently something ELSE that has oily texture that will "stick" to the oil of the food.

Answer 6

It is impossible because water is repelled by grease. This is why an oil spill is such an environmental disaster.

Answer 7

Dish detergent works well.

The grease doesn't dissolve in the water but does dissolve in detergent.

;-)

Answer 8

Oil and water don't mix.

Answer 9

gasoline
it's so hard because grease contains an ensime that doesn't dissolve in water, so you need something in which grease dissolves