How does the addition of detergent make water "wetter" ?

How does the addition of detergent make water "wetter" ?

It doesn't make water wetter. Detergent is soap and the more pure the water is the slippery it will feel on your skin for example.

Water has a surface tension and the soap will break this tension and also the soap has additives to cut grease.

To see this soap work put a couple of inches of water in the sink, now scatter a little black pepper over the water, now take a toothpick and dip it in soap and stick it into the middle of the water and watch what happens.

As letmetellu said, "Water has a surface tension and the soap will break this tension".

Actually, it doesn't "break" the surface tension, it lowers it. A lower surface tension helps the wetting process. Soaps have one hydrophobic (water hating) end and one hydrophilic (water loving) end. The hydrophobic end gets into the grease and the hydrophilic end gets into the water. The result is that the grease is effectively hidden from the water and vice-versa. You get an emulsion of grease (oils) and water.

Hello ambur

Do the replies you received so far answer your question, i.e. is that what you meant with "wetter" ?