Wednesday 15 / January / 2025
Muscat: The requirements and controls related to the Omani-Gulf Standard Specification No. (OS GSO 2059/2022) for the standard specification of liquid synthetic detergents for fabrics and clothes has been clarified by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MoCIIP).
The specification clarifies the requirements that must be met in liquid synthetic detergents that contain effective synthetic materials for the purpose of using them in washing fabrics and clothes by washing machines and hand wash.
The standard specification aims at setting characteristics, technical requirements and explanatory data for liquid synthetic detergent products for fabrics and clothes, to ensure for manufacturers, traders and consumers, the quality and safety of these products before being traded in the markets.
Suad bint Fahd Al-Houtiyah, a specification specialist at the Directorate General of Standards and Metrology at the MoCIIP, said: “(Detergent) means any substance or mixture that contains soap and/or a substance with surface activity used in washing and cleaning operations, as detergents can be in any form (liquid) , gel, powder, paste, cut, mould, moulded pieces, shapes, etc. while this product is being marketed for use in household consumer purposes.”
She added: “As for liquid detergents for fabrics and clothes, they are a detergent in the form of a liquid, gel, or capsules for washing clothes for use by non-specialists and public laundries for cleaning clothes. It can be high or low foam, depending on the type of washing machine designated for use or for washing by hand.”
Elaborating about the technical requirements of this standard specification she further said: “The detergent should be homogeneous and stable under normal conditions, i.e. its solid or liquid components do not separate, it does not have sedimentation or turbidity, and it must has an acceptable odour, suitable for use in soft and hard water, and to be easy to be removed with water, with the possibility of adding allowed brighteners and color enhancement.”
Suad Al-Houtiyeh pointed out that there is a difference in the pH limits between washing machines and manual washing, as the pH limits in manual washing range between 6-9, while pH limit in washing machines is ranges from 6-11, in addition to other technical requirements in terms of the total number of active ingredients. The totality, pH and wires are calculated in the form of silicon dioxide and phosphate.
She stressed that the product must be packed in suitable containers that do not affect the product and must be clean and well-sealed in order to protect the product from damage during transportation and storage.
She further added: “The product must include many explanatory data, while each package must bear a non removable clear written label in Arabic or in both Arabic and English, including the name of the product, its type, the name of the factory-supplier-or its trademark, size or Net weight, production date and/or batch number, expiry date, country of origin, ingredients, and instructions for use and storage (if any).
