Detergents are products that contain an active substance called surfactants or surface active material. Surfactants are able to reduce the tension of the water surface so that water can mix with oil or fat. That is why we wash dirty clothes with detergent – the detergent can remove dirt in a solid or liquid form.

The detergent ingredient in a shampoo is also able to reduce the water surface tension, with the aim of thoroughly wetting the hair, allowing it to be cleaned. Shampoo also breaks down fat so that the grease in hair gets removed.

There are many other substances in a shampoo as well. They are listed on the bottle's label. They break down and take out stains, dirt, dandruff, salts and oil from hair. This cannot be done by water only.

Toothpaste is made of water and abrasives, such as aluminium hydroxide and calcium carbonate. It may also contain sweeteners, dyes, breath freshners, germ and microbe resistors, and an active substance called sodium fluoride, which strengthens the tooth enamel and protects against cavities.

Textiles used for making clothes are sometimes finished by chemical processes to enhance their characteristics. For example, finishing agents are used to strengthen fabrics and make them wrinkle free.

During the manufacturing process, a textile may go through a range of chemical and non-chemical treatments. These include preparation and pre-treatment, dyeing, printing and refinement of fabrics. Certain products used in textiles are highly specialised chemicals such as biocides, flame retardants, water repellents and warp sizes. Others are relatively simple chemicals or mixtures such as emulsified oils and greases, starch, sulfonated oils, waxes and some surfactants.

Research on nanomaterials as led to additional developments, such as  permanent treatments based on nanoparticles and nanostructures to make textiles more resistant to water, stains, wrinkles, bacteria and mould.

A fragrance is an aromatic chemical compound that has a smell. Aromatic chemical compounds usually vapourise, so that the smell reaches our noses. This is why a fragrance is always kept in a bottle with a narrow neck.

Fragrances can be made of synthetic or natural substances. Most natural fragrances derive from plants such as the flower, fruit, root, bark, or wood. For example, the geraniol from rose, jasmone from jasmine, citrus from orange, and sassafras oil from sassafras woods.

Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds, fixatives and solvents that give the human body a pleasant scent.

An example of insecticide active substances used in houses are permethrin and tetramethrin. These synthetic chemicals work by attacking the nervous system of insects

There are many types of paint, which are specifially designed according to the item to be painted, such as wall paint, wood paint, car paint and iron paint. Paints are either water-based or oil-based, depending on the solvent being used.

Paints are a mixture of ingredients – binders, pigments/colorants, additives and a solvent or carrier - that originate from fossil, mineral, biological and synthetic sources. Additives can improve the performance of the paint, such as a fungicide to act against mould, coagulants  to make the paint thicker and other substances that protect paints from water or sunlight.