Reply #35: Here's the answer.

[drm604]

I did the research in about 15 minutes via Google. Castor oil (which, for those who don't know is made from the castor bean which is also the source of ricin) is sometimes used in the manufacture of surfactants. From the wikipedia entry on "surfactant":

Applications

Surfactants play an important role in many practical applications and products, including:

* Detergents
* Emulsifiers
* Paints
* Adhesives
* Inks
* Alveoli
* Wetting
* Ski Wax
* Snowboard Wax
* Foaming
* Defoaming
* Laxatives
* Agrochemical formulations
o Herbicides
o Insecticides

Notice the first one, "Detergents". Now check out this patent: Wrinkle reduction laundry product compositions

Inventors: Murphy, Dennis Stephen; (Leonia, NJ)
Correspondence Name and Address:

UNILEVER
PATENT DEPARTMENT
45 RIVER ROAD
EDGEWATER
NJ
07020
US

Serial No.: 131110
Series Code: 10
Filed: April 24, 2002

U.S. Current Class: 510/276; 510/426; 510/487; 510/492
U.S. Class at Publication: 510/276; 510/426; 510/492; 510/487
Intern'l Class: C11D 017/00; C11D 017/08
Claims


What is claimed is:

1. A laundry detergent formulation comprising one or more wrinkle reducing agents selected from the group consisting of sulfated vegetable oils; and sulfonated vegetable oils; said wrinkle reducing agents being present in an amount effective to reduce the occurrence of wrinkles in laundered clothing; said laundry detergent formulation having 10 to 60 wt % of a surfactant.

2. The formulation according to claim 1, wherein the wrinkle reducing agent is a sulfated vegetable oil.

3. The formulation according to claim 3, wherein the wrinkle reducing agent is sulfated castor oil.

There it is, "sulfated castor oil", a wrinkle reducing agent in laundry detergent. Like I said this took me about 15 minutes to research, and another 5 minutes to post. What's up with CNN? :eyes: