Explain the mechanism of the cleansing action of soaps

Explanation

Soaps consist of a large hydrocarbon tail with a negatively charged head. The hydrocarbon tail is hydrophobic (water repelling) and negatively charged head is hydrophilic (water-attracting).
In cleansing, the hydrocarbon tail attaches itself to oily dirt. When water is agitated, the oily dirt tends to lift off from the dirty surface and dissociates into fragments. The solution now contains small globules of oil surrounded by detergent molecules. The negatively charged heads present in water prevent the small globules from coming together and form aggregates. Thus, the oily dirt is removed from the object.