Answer to Question #23351 in Biochemistry for Rabiya

Question

why washing powders are used to remove starch stains from the clothes?

Answer 1

If you magnify or look very closely to the shape of the threads that make up the cloth, they are organized like a series of tiny squares. Stains, such as starch stains, get stuck in these tiny squares.
An enzyme, such as glycosylase, in the washing powder breaks down this starch into smaller more soluble molecules of glucose.
The new molecule is soluble, thus when the water in the washing machine rises, or you rinse the piece of cloth, the water dissolves this molecule and carries it away from the cloth. This leaves the square spaces between the threads clean and empty of stains.
This means that washing powders with enzymes can efficiently remove starch stains.