Chemicals & Cleaning Methods

The “How” Of It All

Products

• Review Of Product Types– Natural Soaps

– Synthetic Detergents

– Acid Cleaners

– Abrasive Cleaners

– Cleaning Abrasives

– Solvent Cleaners

– Disinfectants & Disinfecting

Disinfectant / Cleaners

• Never mix with acid cleaners• Allow 10 minutes dwell time (wet) for 100% rated germ

kill• Apply; let stand; wipe clean; dry• Clean while applying with cloth; re-wipe to apply; allow to

air dry

Read The MSDS

• You’ll learn some useful, general product use principles, like:– Sodium Metasilicate based products may etch glass and may damage

aluminum at temperatures over 120º

– Butyl based spray & wipe cleaners may damage a white board’s surface

– Don’t mix disinfectant cleaners and acid cleaners

– Use aerosol graffiti removers with adequate ventilation

Soil Removal

How Do We Get Rid of It?

Soil Types

• Loose, dry soils– Sand, dust and other dry particles – work dry soils with dry processes– Mineral deposits– pH - alkaline

• Oily, sticky soils– Greases & oils– Food & drink– Rubber streaks– pH - acidic

Detergency Processes

• The chemical processes by which cleaning agents remove soil from surfaces

• Involves a combination of chemical actions, including wetting action, emulsifying action, dispersing action and adsorption action

• Knowing how products react with soils and surfaces allows you to select a product that fits the situation and perform your tasks efficiently without damaging the buildings in your care

Wetting Action

• Wetting action “makes water wetter” by reducing its surface tension

Emulsifying Action

• Emulsification keeps oil and dirt separate; and the oil in suspension

Dispersing Action

• Dispersion keeps dirt particles from re-clumping and re-depositing

Adsorption Action

• Adsorption causes dirt to cling to cleaning agents until it can be wiped away

Basic Methods of Cleaning

• Direct Mechanical Action– Cleanser and a green pad, scraper, etc.

• 90% of a Maintenance & Operations budget is labor

• Direct Mechanical Action is 100% labor – scraping off soils

• “Elbow Grease” (Direct Mechanical Action) is your most expensive “cleaning product”

Basic Methods of Cleaning

• Chemical Action– Soils are electro-chemically bonded to the surface. We must break that

bond to remove the soils

– Cleaning “happens” at Neutral (pH = 7)

Cleaning with Chemistry

• pH and the pH scale– “pH” refers to the ratio of positively and negatively charged hydrogen

ions in a substance

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10 million times stronger than water

7 14 610x

510x

410x

310x

0 110x

810x

910x

1010x

1110x

1210x

1310x

10x

Oily, Sticky – Organic Soils Dry, Loose – Mineral Soils

Increasing Acidity

10x10x

Neu

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Deg

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Pure Water

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10 million times stronger than water

Increasing Alkalinity

pH Scale

Cleaning With Chemistry

1. Identify the relative pH of the soil

2. Apply a product with the opposite pH– This brings the pH of the soil closer to Neutral

• Ever hear of the word “Neutralize”? This is where it comes from

– When the pH of the soil gets close to Neutral, you can wipe it off

Allow the product some time for the chemistry to work

T.A.C.T. Principle

• In order for products to work, they need:– Time to work; dwell time, time to penetrate and loosen soils– Agitation to mix the soil and solution, put it in solution so it may be

removed– Concentration; it must be at the correct dilution; too much wastes

product, leaves streaks and residues which attract soil so the surface gets dirty faster and you have to clean more frequently; too little will require more effort (labor / time)

– Temperature – most products are formulated for use in cold water – using hot water may cause streaking or cause the product to rise into the air with the steam rather than be applied to the surface where it is needed.

Cleaning With Chemistry

• Use Acidic Products on Alkaline Soils; Use Alkaline Products on Acidic Soils

• Remember: Relatively Acidic or Relatively Alkaline • So: Acid on mineral deposits & Alkaline Cleaners (Spray

& Wipe Cleaners) on food spills

pH Balance

• Using cleaners with the same relative pH as the soil is not the most efficient way to clean – it relies on direct mechanical action.

How “Strong” Is That Product?

• Remember, each step away from 7 on the pH scale is 10 times stronger than the one before.

• The “Strength” of a product refers to how far away it’s pH is from Neutral – the farther away from Neutral, the Stronger the product

Cleaning With Chemistry

• Disinfectant Cleaners are generally Neutral Cleaners that also kill germs

• What are Neutral Cleaners good for?– Either type of soil

• Neutral cleaners won’t damage floor finishes

Cleaning With Chemistry

• So:1. Identify the pH of the soil

2. Select a product with the opposite pH

• Now, consider the surface

Finest First Rule

• Do No Harm to building surfaces– Begin cleaning an unknown soil by using the least aggressive product

with the least aggressive tool

– If it doesn’t work, don’t jump straight to a powdered cleanser and a green pad, move up gradually

Cleaning Smartly

• Cleaning Begins With Dirt!– Identify the Soil Type

– Which Suggests The Product Type

– Then Consider The Surface Type

– Which Suggests The Tool To Use

– Which Suggests The Method To Use

• We’ve Looked At Products and Soils…

Surfaces

• Surfaces may be damaged chemically or mechanically– Floor finishes

– Wood

– Painted surfaces

– Fabrics

– Even hard surfaces can be scratched

Hand Tools

• By Level of Aggressiveness – Low to High– Lamb’s Wool Duster– Soft Brooms & Brushes– Cleaning Cloths & Wipers– Fiber, Nylon Brushes– Hand & Floor Pads – The Lighter The Color, The Softer The Pad (More

or Less)– Grit Brushes – Wire Brushes– Scrapers

Hand Tools

• Applicators– Trigger Sprayers

– Pump-Up Sprayers

– Foam Guns

– Utility Pails

– Mop Buckets

– Finish Applicators

Cleaning Methods

• “Dry” cleaning– Remove dry soils with dry processes

• Vacuum• Sweep• Dust with duster• Dust with cloth (treated or untreated)• Dust mop (treated or untreated)• Scrape

Cleaning Methods

• Wet cleaning– Wiping& washing

• Spray & wipe cleaning – Spray product, wipe clean with cloth

• Pail & cloth cleaning– Wring cloth, wipe surface

• Mop bucket– Damp mopping – wrung almost dry, no dripping– Wet mopping – wrung half-way, drips– Flood mopping – no wringing, “slosh” it on the floor

Cleaning Methods

• Wet Cleaning (cont.)– Scrubbing

• Wet Surface, Use Hand Pad Or Brush To Loosen Soil, Wipe Clean and Dry With Cloth

– Stripping

• Using A Solvent To Chemically Loosen Soils/Finishes Before Scrubbing

– Scraping

• Wet Surface, Scrape Soil, Wipe With Cloth/Mop

Cleaning Process Descriptions

• Process descriptions begin with soil & the surface, add the product & application method, introduce the tool and state the cleaning method…

• “To clean a dried soda spill from a laminated table top, apply a liberal amount of general purpose cleaner with a trigger sprayer, allow to stand 5 minutes. Using a white hand pad, scrub the spot until soil is loosened. Wipe clean with an absorbent cloth. Re-spray area lightly and wipe dry with a clean soft cloth.”

Cleaning Task Descriptions

• Task descriptions are briefer, and assume a level of understanding

• “Spot-clean tables with spray & wipe cleaner.” – Describes removing the same soda spill from the same tabletop

So, How Do I Clean That?

• Mineral Deposits on chrome faucets?– Cleanser and a green pad, right?

• Consider the surface…– Heavy-Duty Spray & Wipe Cleaner? Its strong.

• Wrong pH; Mineral deposits are an alkaline soil.– Hydrochloric Acid based Bowl Cleaner?

• Wrong acid type – will still damage the surface.– O.K., Phosphoric based Acid Cleaner!

• Right. Correct pH, correct ingredient base. Which Tool?– Green Pad?

• Will scratch the surface– White Pad or Cloth!

So, How Do I Clean That?

• A leaking drinking fountain in a carpeted hallway left mineral deposits on the carpet…– Mineral Deposits; I’ll use an Acid Cleaner!

• Bowl Cleaner + Carpet = Hole

– Are there any acidic cleaners that are mild enough to use on carpeting?

• Nutra-Rinse from Hillyard

So, How Do I Clean That?

• When encountering an unknown, make reasonable assumptions based upon sound cleaning principles.– “It feels sticky (its pH is probably acidic – so I’ll use an alkaline or neutral

cleaner). Its on a finished vinyl floor (I’ll definitely use a neutral cleaner, with a soft tool so I won’t damage the finish), so I’ll leave some extra solution on it to soak and soften the soil while I mop the rest of the floor, and then come back and pick it up.”

Sound Principles

• Never Mix Products.• T.A.C.T.• When in doubt about the pH of a soil, use a neutral

cleaner - Finest-first – Do No Harm to the surface• Work Dry Soils With Dry Processes

Quiz

1. The Two Types of Soils Discussed were and .

2. Product Selection is determined by the of the soil; and the .

3. (T/F) The pH scale measures how much active ingredient is in the product.

4. (T/F) Abrasive Cleaners clean primarily by Mechanical Action.

Quiz

5. Wetting Action uses water softeners to make water “ ”.

6. Adsorption attracts the to the until it can be

wiped away.

7. (T/F) Deciding how to clean something is often a process of elimination.

8. Remove Dry Soils with .

Quiz

9. After identifying a soil type and selecting a product, consider the , which helps select the

, which indicates the cleaning to use.

10. The pH of a product should be relatively a) opposite; b) the same as the pH of the soil you’re trying to remove

Answers

1. The Two Types of Soils Discussed were Dry Loose Soils and Oily Sticky Soils .

2. Product Selection is determined by the pH of the soil; and the Surface .

3. (F) The pH scale measures how much active ingredient is in the product.

4. (T) Abrasive Cleaners clean primarily by Mechanical Action.

Answers6. Wetting Action uses water softeners to make water “wetter”.

7. Absorption attracts the dirt to the Cleaning Agent (Product) until it can be wiped away.

8. (T) Deciding how to clean something is often a process of elimination.

Answers

8. After identifying a soil type and selecting a product, consider the surface , which helps select the tool , which indicates the cleaning method to use.

9. The pH of a product should be relatively a) opposite as the pH of the soil you’re trying to remove

Cleaning Methods

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