Question

what is detergent. why is it called so?

Answer 1

A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with cleaning properties in dilute solutions. ... In most household contexts, the termdetergent by itself refers specifically to laundrydetergent or dish detergent, as opposed to hand soap or other types of cleaning agents.

Answer 2

A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with cleaning properties in dilute solutions. ... In most household contexts, the termdetergent by itself refers specifically to laundry detergent or dish detergent, as opposed to hand soap or other types of cleaning agents.

People got used to referring to cleaners having the general characteristics of soap as "soap", whether they contained soap or not. A more accurate term would be "soapless detergent", but sometimes the oxymoron 

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