Phenol

Phenol is a chemical compound also known by the name carbolic acid, and it has the chemical formula C6H5OH. It is considered a weak acid because its chemical potency is quite low, and it is used in many everyday products to destroy microorganisms.

Physical appearance and safety

In its solid state, phenol looks exactly like the white crystalline sugar used in tea shops. In its liquid state, pure phenol is colorless, but it turns into a red liquid when it mixes with dust and oxygen in the air. This red liquid causes irritation if it touches the human body. Because it can irritate the skin, phenol should never be handled or used without adult supervision.

Uses in manufacturing and medicine

• Chemical factories use phenol to manufacture plastics, explosive materials, and colored dyes.
• About ten or fifteen years ago, phenol was also used in the process of developing photographs.
• The medical field uses phenol to manufacture different medicines and tablets such as aspirin.
• Medical professionals use red phenol as an antiseptic during surgical operations to kill microorganisms.

Uses in everyday cleaning and hygiene

Phenol is used for daily cleaning and personal care depending on how concentrated it is. People commonly use it as a cleaning chemical to scrub and sanitize household toilets. When its concentration is kept very low, it can even be used safely as a mouthwash for rinsing the mouth. In these different cleaning roles, it works by eliminating harmful microorganisms.

The chemical inside Dettol

Many households keep a familiar bottle of Dettol to clean rooms, disinfect toilets, and wash open wounds. While people call this product Dettol, that is simply a brand name rather than its actual chemical identity. The product really contains a specific type of phenol called chloroxylenol. This chloroxylenol is the active chemical agent that kills all the microorganisms, which means the product is truly chloroxylenol at work.