Around the house — what they are made of

21 around the house objects, broken down.

Object	Made of
Banknote	Cotton and linen rag paper, or polymer film — never wood pulp, which is why notes survive the wash.
Lego brick	ABS plastic moulded to a tolerance of about ten micrometres — the tightness of the fit is the whole product.
Soap	Fats reacted with lye to make fatty acid salts — and most modern "beauty bars" are not soap at all.
Toothpaste	Mostly abrasive and humectant, with a detergent for foam — the active ingredient is about 0.15% fluoride.
Coin	Base-metal alloys chosen for wear and cost — most modern "silver" coins are copper-nickel and most "copper" ones are plated steel or zinc.
Sunscreen	UV filters — mineral, chemical or both — suspended in an emulsion whose job is to hold them in an even film.
Credit card	Laminated PVC sheets 0.76 mm thick, carrying a silicon chip in epoxy and a copper antenna coil.
Candle	Wax that is really a fuel, and a braided cotton wick that acts as a pump rather than as the thing burning.
Lipstick	Castor oil carrying pigment, set into a stick with waxes — the oil is the workhorse, not the colour.
Shampoo	Three-quarters water, a primary detergent, a milder secondary one, salt to thicken, and silicone to make hair feel smooth.
Balloon	Party balloons are dipped natural rubber latex; foil balloons are metallised plastic film and are not rubber at all.
Deodorant	Deodorant kills the bacteria that cause the smell; antiperspirant uses aluminium salts to plug the sweat duct. Different products.
Toothbrush	Nylon filaments stapled into a polypropylene handle with a wire — three plastics that cannot be separated for recycling.
Match	An oxidiser and a fuel in the head, with the phosphorus that starts it moved onto the striking strip.
Mattress	Steel springs or polyurethane foam, comfort layers, and a legally required fire barrier under the quilted cover.
Carpet	Face fibre tufted through a woven backing and locked in place with latex — three layers, two of which you never see.
Nail polish	Nitrocellulose lacquer — the same film-forming chemistry as 1920s car paint — with pigment and a clay suspender.
Dice	Cheap dice are injection-moulded plastic with painted pips; casino dice are machined cellulose acetate with density-matched fill.
Pillow	A fill of polyester fibre, foam or waterfowl down inside a tightly woven downproof cover.
Banknote ink	Stiff intaglio paste ink pressed into the paper under tonnes of force, plus colour-shifting metal flakes.
Duvet	A downproof shell divided into baffled compartments, filled with down, feather or hollow polyester fibre.

Banknote Cotton and linen rag paper, or polymer film — never wood pulp, which is why notes survive the wash.
Lego brick ABS plastic moulded to a tolerance of about ten micrometres — the tightness of the fit is the whole product.
Soap Fats reacted with lye to make fatty acid salts — and most modern "beauty bars" are not soap at all.
Toothpaste Mostly abrasive and humectant, with a detergent for foam — the active ingredient is about 0.15% fluoride.
Coin Base-metal alloys chosen for wear and cost — most modern "silver" coins are copper-nickel and most "copper" ones are plated steel or zinc.
Sunscreen UV filters — mineral, chemical or both — suspended in an emulsion whose job is to hold them in an even film.
Credit card Laminated PVC sheets 0.76 mm thick, carrying a silicon chip in epoxy and a copper antenna coil.
Candle Wax that is really a fuel, and a braided cotton wick that acts as a pump rather than as the thing burning.
Lipstick Castor oil carrying pigment, set into a stick with waxes — the oil is the workhorse, not the colour.
Shampoo Three-quarters water, a primary detergent, a milder secondary one, salt to thicken, and silicone to make hair feel smooth.
Balloon Party balloons are dipped natural rubber latex; foil balloons are metallised plastic film and are not rubber at all.
Deodorant Deodorant kills the bacteria that cause the smell; antiperspirant uses aluminium salts to plug the sweat duct. Different products.
Toothbrush Nylon filaments stapled into a polypropylene handle with a wire — three plastics that cannot be separated for recycling.
Match An oxidiser and a fuel in the head, with the phosphorus that starts it moved onto the striking strip.
Mattress Steel springs or polyurethane foam, comfort layers, and a legally required fire barrier under the quilted cover.
Carpet Face fibre tufted through a woven backing and locked in place with latex — three layers, two of which you never see.
Nail polish Nitrocellulose lacquer — the same film-forming chemistry as 1920s car paint — with pigment and a clay suspender.
Dice Cheap dice are injection-moulded plastic with painted pips; casino dice are machined cellulose acetate with density-matched fill.
Pillow A fill of polyester fibre, foam or waterfowl down inside a tightly woven downproof cover.
Banknote ink Stiff intaglio paste ink pressed into the paper under tonnes of force, plus colour-shifting metal flakes.
Duvet A downproof shell divided into baffled compartments, filled with down, feather or hollow polyester fibre.