Neat and tidy
Neat and tidy
Minerals keep us looking good.
We all have clean clothes, brush our teeth, and try to look good. Minerals are very important in keeping us neat and tidy!
There are lots of places you can find minerals in your bathroom and on your dressing table.
Find out more about the minerals you use to keep neat and tidy
Emery boards
Many people use emery boards to keep their nails neat and tidy. 'Emery' is a fine-grained natural mixture of the minerals corundum and magnetite.
Among natural substances only diamond is harder than corundum. It doesn't look like much here, but did you know rubies and sapphires are also varieties of corundum?
Minerals used to make emery boards
Emery is a mixture of the minerals magnetite and corundum.
Properties of corundum
- hard
- abrasive
Washing powder
Every type of washing powder promises to give you clean and bright clothes, but they wouldn't be able to without minerals. The zeolites are a group of minerals used in washing powders to soften 'hard' water.
The mineral halite (table salt) is used to make the soda crystals that we use to remove stubborn grease stains.
Zeolites and halite are used in different laundry products
Minerals used in the laundry
Zeolites are used in washing powder. Halite (table salt) is used to make soda crystals. Both minerals break up easily and dissolve in water.
Properties of salt:
- dissolves in water
- breaks up easily
Toothpaste
How white are your pearly whites?
The fluoride in toothpastes is a chemical made from the mineral fluorite. It is thought that fluoride reduces tooth decay, so if you clean your teeth every day, you shouldn't need fillings the next time you go to the dentist!
Minerals used to make toothpaste
Many toothpastes contain fluoride. Fluoride comes from the mineral fluorite.
Properties of fluorite:
- is quite soft
- breaks up easily
Talcum powder and cosmetics
To keep fresh and smelling sweet many people dust themselves with talcum powder. As you can guess, talcum powder is made by grinding the mineral talc into a fine powder and mixing it with perfume.
Talc is also used as a base for powders and other types of cosmetic. Another mineral called mica is ground up to add glitter to lipsticks and nail varnish.
Minerals used in cosmetics
Talc is powdered and mixed with perfume to make talcum powder and some cosmetics. Another mineral called mica adds glitter to lipsticks and nail varnish.
Properties of talc:
- soft
- breaks up easily
- absorbant (soaks up moisture)
Properties of mica:
- soft
- breaks up easily
- reflective (adds glitter)
Watches and jewellery
The strap and casing of some watches are made of metal, and small quartz crystals help to regulate their timing.
Gold and silver are used to make all types of jewellery. Diamonds, rubies, opals, sapphires and emeralds are some of the most expensive minerals on earth, and are admired for their colour and sparkle..
Gold, silver and opal are all used to make jewellery
Minerals used to make watches and jewellery
Gold and silver are used a lot in jewellery. Opals, sapphires, rubies, emeralds and diamonds are precious and valuable minerals.
Properties of gold:
- flexible
- does not rust
- rare (making it valuable)
