This is an encore post on basic cleaning strategies. The chemicals are used as examples only, to better understand cleaning strategy. As a healthoriented company we prefer using products close to nature. That’s the big difference you’ll find with Clean Craft; we live up to our name: We clean everything everywhere in Concord, CA and the surrounding area with professional expertise and an eye towards ensuring health and safety.
Please review these cleaning tips and discover how you can apply them to cleaning your home, office or other space. The how-tos and spotting chart offer helpful resources.
Cleaning can be a rewarding and sometimes fun! It helps to know the basic cleaning principles. First look at what it is you want to clean. Do you know where the dirt came from? If not don’t worry. I will give you some way on how to find out. It’s also important to know the different cleaners and when to use them. Let’s get familiar with some basic cleaners!1. Abrasives work like sandpaper and physically remove dirt. They come
in powders, liquids and tools like brushes, sponges and pads.2. Acid is the opposite of alkaline and can be used
to remove rust stains, water deposits and even clean clogged pipes.
Depending on its pH level the lower from 7 the more powerful. 7 being
neutral and anything higher is considered a Alkaline. Some acids include
lemon juice, (citric acid) vinegar, (acetic acid) and hydrochloric acid.3. Alkaline can be used to remove heavy soil and
grease, wash windows. Clean coffee and tea stains and dissolve grease.
Alkaline include banking soda, ammonia, TSP (Tri-Sodium Phosphate) and
lye.4. Bleaches used to bleach out a discoloration by
removing or adding oxygen. Bleaches are also used to disinfect because
of their ability to kill germs safely. Bleach types include oxygen bleach
(adds oxygen) reducing bleach (removes oxygen) and peroxide.5. Detergents have the ability to lower surface tension
and of deflocculating soil and dirt clumps and keeping them in suspension,
so they can be washed away. Detergents are typically considered to be
both water and oil soluble, which serves as an emulsifying agent. Detergents
are used to clean both soil and grease. Detergents include laundry cleaners
(synthetic detergents) and soap.
6. Solvents are capable of dissolving another substance
to form a uniformly dispersed mixture. They are chemically capable of
dissolving oily and greasy soils and stain and speed up drying time
because they evaporate faster than water. The types of solvents are
water miscible (wet solvents) like alcohol and butyl cello solve, and
water immiscible (dry solvents) like OMS (odorless mineral spirits)
and kerosene.
7. Enzymes are microorganisms engineered to break
down protein and oil into their basic components. Enzymes are sensitive
to pH changes and chemical reactions.
Now you have the knowledge of what the basic
cleaners do. So now we need to identify the problem. Some grime you
might already know. Some might be more complicated. Food might automatically
be considered a protein; some foods like juices and condiments contain
dye. Urine is a protein but it’s also very acidic and may require a
combination of enzyme and alkaline to completely remove it. There are
of course products specific for each problem but that goes beyond the
scope of this article! |
Here’s a chart to help get you started! |
SPOT |
CHEMICAL |
REMOVAL
STEPS |
ADHESIVES
|
|
|
Elmer’s glue
|
NDS
|
Agitate Time Rinse Repeat
|
Rubber Cement
|
VDS
|
Agitate Time Dry Vac Repeat
|
Other Adhesives
|
NVDS
|
Agitate Time Rinse
|
BEVERAGES
|
|
|
Beer
|
NDS
|
Agitate Time Rinse
|
Coffee
|
NDS
|
Agitate Time Rinse
|
Soft Drinks
|
NDS
|
Agitate Time Rinse
|
Cream De Menth
|
NDS
|
Agitate Time Rinse
|
Grape Juice
|
NDS
|
Agitate Time Rinse
|
Milk
|
NDS
|
Agitate Time Rinse
|
Prune Juice
|
NDS
|
Agitate Time Rinse
|
Tea
|
NDS
|
Agitate Time Rinse
|
Tomato Juice
|
NDS
|
Agitate Time Rinse
|
COSMETICS
|
|
|
Lip Stick
|
NVDS VDS
|
Agitate Blot Dry-Vac
|
Nail Polish
|
NVDS VDS
|
Agitate Blot Agitate Time Dry-Vac Repet
|
PAINTS
|
|
|
Acrylic
|
VDS NVDS VDS NDS
|
Time Agitate Dry-Vac
|
Latex
|
VDS NVDS VDS NDS
|
Time Agitate Dry-Vac
|
Varnish
|
VDS NVDS VDS NDS
|
Time Agitate Dry-Vac
|
Oil Stain
|
VDS NVDS VDS NDS
|
Time Agitate Dry-Vac
|
FOODS
|
|
|
Ketchup
|
NDS
|
Agitate Rinse
|
Chocolate
|
NDS
|
Agitate Rinse
|
Egg
|
NDS
|
Agitate Rinse
|
Gravy
|
NDS
|
Agitate Rinse
|
Ice Cream
|
NDS
|
Agitate Rinse
|
Mustard
|
NDS Protein Spotter
|
Agitate Rinse
|
MISCELLANEOUS
|
|
|
Asphalt
|
VDS NDS
|
Dry-Vac Rinse
|
Carbon Black
|
VDS NDS
|
Dry-Vac Rinse
|
Gum
|
NVDS
|
Agitate Time Repeat-Scrape-off Rinse
|
Crayon
|
VDS NDS
|
Dry-Vac Rinse
|
Grease
|
VDS NDS
|
Dry-Vac Rinse
|
Oil
|
VDS NDS
|
Dry-Vac Rinse
|
|
|
|
 |
|
VDS=Volatile
Dry Solvent
NVDS=Non
Volatile Dry Solvent
ADS=Alkaline
Detergent Solution
NDS=Neutral
Detergent Solution
|
|
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