Ironically, these fluorescent "whitening" agents do not assist in cleaning at all. Rather, they consist of a chemical that gives off a blue light by reflecting ultraviolet rays, making dingy old clothes fool the eye and appear whiter.
諷刺的是，螢光增白劑與洗潔力毫無關係，其實只是加入一種經紫外線照射後會放出藍光的化學物質，使原本泛黃的衣物呈現潔白鮮豔視覺感的「障眼法」而已。