I have been working with my group for about a month to create an environmentally friendly cleaning product in my biotechnology class. The prompt was to use the class-given materials to make the best cleaner, balancing cleaning performance with physical appearance and scent. After creating the cleaner, we will start working on an ad campaign in our English class.
We first researched our given plants and their properties and how they can contribute to cleaning. Before the trials, our teacher allowed us to waft the plants to determine which plants work well together. After, we hypothesize which of the various plants we want based on fragrance and/or cleaning properties. Initially, we chose lavender and chamomile to create a calming sensation.
Next, we went into trials and tested the plants with the solvents. As an ambitious team, we wanted to make an essential oil to enhance the fragrance. We used a mortar and pestle to grind the lavender and chamomile into a powder-like substance. We then combined the powder with isopropyl alcohol to let it sit over a couple of nights to intensify the olfactory. After 72 hours, we mixed our “essential oil” with more alcohol and castile soap. However, the chamomile resulted in an unappealing mustard-yellow color, and overall, the cleaner didn’t work.
To address these issue, we substituted borax, a widely established cleaner, instead of castile soap, and spirulina instead of chamomile. This resulted in a huge improvement in cleaning ability; however, it left a borax residue and a very unexpected color: dark peach with green and red speckles, which my team found unpleasant, almost like it had a disease.
Even though borax had a great improvement in cleaning, it brought its own problems, looked diseased and left a residue, thus we got rid of the borax. As result, we found alcohol is overall a superior cleaner. And we used lavender to add fragrance and a touch of spirulina to have an aesthetically pleasing crystal blue color.
We are currently working on our campaign, and we have a mascot, Bubble Bob the T-rex. We created him using the Arabic and Hebrew characters that mean bubble in English. I have made multiple potential logos with Bubble Bob, such as him hugging a bubble or surfing a speedy bubble. I’m excited about what we do next for this conjoined project with my biotechnology and English class.
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