Depending on the item to be cleaned, the cleaning technique, and the kind of soiling discovered on the item, different cleaning agents are employed. Although there are a huge variety of cleaning products available, they all eventually fall into one of four main categories: abrasives, acids, degreasers and detergents.
Cleaning agents may be either natural or synthetically developed. They are generally classified as: water, detergents, abrasives, degreasers, acid cleaners, organic solvents, and other cleaning agents.
Bleach (pH 12) and ammonia (pH 11) are common alkaline cleaning agents. Often, dispersants, to prevent redeposition of dissolved dirt, and chelants, to attack rust, are added to the alkaline agent. Alkaline cleaners can dissolve fats (including grease), oils, and protein-based substances.
The designation of “neutral” on a cleaning product indicates that it has a true pH of 6.5 to 7.5, and is therefore non-hazardous. Neutral cleaners are non-alkaline and they do not contain chemicals like hydroxides, silicates, or phosphates.
Citric acid is one of the best all-purpose cleaning agents: powerful enough to kill mold, remove soap scum, and even tackle rust. Make your own easy-as-pie, tough-as-nails home cleaner with citric acid: boil 2 cups of water, then add 2 tablespoons of citric acid.
1. Detergents. Detergents are the most common type of cleaning agent and are used in home and commercial kitchens. They work by breaking up dirt or soil, making it easy to wash it away.
Borax is a white crystalline powder, and trisodium phosphate (TSP) is a crystalline powder found in some all-purpose cleaners. Very Strong: Washing soda, also called sal soda, is sodium carbonate. Lye is a sodium hydroxide and is also called caustic soda, which can be found in some oven cleaners and drain cleaners.
A basic natural cleaning toolkit includes white vinegar, baking soda, borax, citrus fruit, and empty spray bottles. You may also want hydrogen peroxide, cornstarch, castile soap, tea tree oil, and other essential oils for scent.
Yet a few inexpensive household essentials you probably have on hand already—vinegar, salt, coffee, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide—will neutralize most noxious odors around your home and in your vehicles.
ALKALINE CLEANER is a water-based, alkaline detergent for deep cleaning of greasy dirt, organic residues, dark marks, oxidation, as well as to strip wax or old layers of treatments. ALKALINE CLEANER can be used in combination with the SOLVENT STRIPPER for an even deeper cleaning to do a “double wax stripping”.
Acid cleaners are the most powerful type of cleaning agent and should be used with care. If they are not diluted correctly, acid cleaners can be very poisonous and corrosive. Acid cleaners are generally used to remove mineral deposits and are useful for descaling dishwashers or removing rust from restroom facilities.
A Broom, Dustpan, and Mop. If you have any hard surfaces like wood, tile, cork, and linoleum, you'll need tools to get them clean. You should check out the instructions for different types of floors before you start, but most people can get along with a broom and dustpan and/or a dust mop.
There are two basic principals in all cleaning; pH and physical removal. Physical removal is one of the best microbial decontamination processes. It lessens the numbers of pathogens from all surfaces as well as removes the food sources that aide in their growth.
The go-to all-purpose cleaner is a mixture of vinegar and water, says Peterson. To make it, combine half a cup of distilled white vinegar with 2 cups of water. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil or a squeeze of lemon for scent; since these are in low concentrations, they'll be safe for more surfaces.
Vacuuming and Sweeping Dust clean-up will be another substantial portion of a construction site's rough cleaning. General sweeping, and if necessary, powerful vacuums will be used to suck up dust on floors, walls, and other flat surfaces that need to be ready for flooring installation.
To make a spray that will clean just about anything—countertops, the sink, light fixtures, and more—mix 13 ounces of hot water, ½ cup of white vinegar, 15 drops of grapefruit essential oil, 10 drops of lavender essential oil, and seven drops of lemon essential oil in a spray bottle, says Kimberly Button, a certified ...
The 3 Types of Cleaning: Immediate, Maintenance & Remedial
It's important, however, to ensure that a cleaning company knows what it's doing. Too often cleaning companies are not well-educated, or even misinformed, about best practices when it comes to cleaning, and a handful is even deliberately unprincipled.
Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner + Bleach Original
This all-purpose solution penetrates hard water stains, soap scum, limescale, product residues, and other buildup while killing 99.9 percent of bacteria and viruses.
1) Hydrochloric Acid (HCl)
To get rid of dirt and grime, toilet bowl cleaners use hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid is referred to as muriatic acid in ordinary cleaning products, the primary purpose of it is to clean concrete by peeling away the outermost layer.
Cleaning alone removes most harmful viruses or bacteria from surfaces. Surfaces should be cleaned before they are sanitized or disinfected because impurities like dirt may make it harder for chemicals to get to and kill germs. Sanitizing reduces the remaining germs on surfaces after cleaning.