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How to Choose the Right Cleaning Chemical for the Job
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
disinfectants
How to Choose the Right Cleaning Chemical for the Job
So, you’re looking to choose a cleaner for your facility. Often times, we gravitate towards all-purpose cleaners without really thinking what the task at hand entails. The reality is that most environments, from healthcare to institutional, typically require a variety of cleaners.
Chemical cleaners can generally be divided into several categories:
- Water-Based
- Acids
- Alkaline
- Disinfectants
- Solvents
- Green
With all these options, where should you start? An easy way to start is to break cleaners into three categories: water-based, solvent-based and, the hybrid, water soluble solvents. For the time being, we’ll stick with discussing water based concentrates. At State Chemical Solutions, many of our water-based concentrates can be dispensed through our One SolutionTM system, which allows our customers to safely control product use.
Water-Based Cleaner pH
Water-based cleaners are often described by their pH. pH is the measurement of hydrogen ion concentration to determine the intensity of acidity. The pH scale runs from 1 to 14, with a pH of 7 being considered neutral. A pH less than 7 is considered more acidic, while a pH above 7 is considered more alkaline. It turns out that the pH scale is a good way to make your initial product selection when the task calls for water-based cleaners.
Typically, cleaners that are acidic are ideal for removing mineral stains and buildup like hard water, rust, and soap scum, which are commonly found restrooms. Alkaline cleaners work best on fats, oils, grease (FOG) and waxes as well as general dirt and grime.
To accommodate your exact needs, State Chemical offers several acid and alkaline cleaners. Each product varies in concentration and strength, and is specifically formulated for the applications described on their label and product literature. For example, Ecolution® Bath and Bowl cleaner is perfect for removing hard water and rust stains in toilet bowls, whereas a product like State Acidine® is better suited for industrial cleaning applications and the removal of hard water deposits. If you ever have any application questions, contact your State Chemical account manager or our customer service line.
Products that are above a pH of 7 (alkaline) typically do a great job when used as general surface cleaners. Kleen-All and Ecolution® Neutral Floor Cleaner, for example, are mild enough to clean waxed floors, while Formula-222 and Formula 68-A® are too strong for waxed floors but ideal for industrial degreasing applications.
A special category of water-based cleaners are the neutral cleaners, which makeup a majority of our housekeeping cleaners in the Ecolution® product line. These products use surface active additives, or surfactants, to achieve the same level of cleaning without the higher pH, making them ideal replacements for many higher pH (alkaline) cleaners. This category offers you, our customer, the safety of a neutral pH product without sacrificing performance.
T.A.C.T
In most cases, you can use the acronym TACT when choosing a cleaning product.
T – Time
A – Action
C – Concentration
T – Temperature
Each of these factors affect the performance of a water-based cleaner. A longer contact time will allow the cleaner to work better. Adding any scrubbing action or agitation will help the cleaner remove soil better. The higher the concentration of the cleaning product the better it will remove most soils. Finally, the higher the cleaning solution water temperature the better the cleaning action.
Once you have selected the appropriate product types for your cleaning application, consult your State Chemical account manager or any applicable product literature you have been provided for detailed application, dosage and surface compatibility information.
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