Hi, I’m Ken Kuwako, your Science Trainer. Every day is an experiment! Want the big-picture guide to the science of cleaning? Start here: 洗剤の驚異の化学（お掃除の科学） Chlorine-based cleaners (Haiter, Kabikiller, Kitchen Haiter and the like) get their power from sodium hypochlorite, a strong oxidizer that breaks down stain pigments and kills germs. Here’s what they’re good at: […]

I’m Ken Kuwako, your Science Trainer. For me, every day is an experiment. What Happens When You Spin a Motor With No Battery? Hook a battery up to a motor, and it spins. “Well, duh,” you might be thinking. But what if you skip the battery and spin the motor’s shaft by hand instead? What […]

Ken Kuwako, Science Trainer here. Every day is an experiment. Scrub Away Stubborn Grime! Cleanser Is a Team-Up of Surfactants and Abrasives Burnt-on gunk and dull, stubborn stains that laugh in the face of both acidic and alkaline cleaners. When that happens, there’s a trusty bottle waiting in the back of your kitchen cabinet: scouring […]

Hi, I’m Ken Kuwako, your Science Trainer. Every day is an experiment! Want the big-picture roundup on the science of cleaning? You can find it here. 洗剤の驚異の化学（お掃除の科学） You’ve probably heard the words “acid” and “alkali.” Technically, an alkali is a base that’s dissolved in water. When it comes to cleaning, the heavy hitter among the […]

Ken Kuwako, Science Trainer here. Every day is an experiment. No batteries. No outlet. Just a magnet moving near a coil, and suddenly electricity flows. No matter how many times I see it, it still makes me say, “Wait, what?!” This is electromagnetic induction. Move a magnet toward a coil and current flows. Hold it […]