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Pages: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [Back to Fact Sheet Notebook Main Page] Types of Household Cleaners ... Continued FLOOR AND FURNITURE CLEANERS Carpet and Rug Cleaners Carpet and rug shampoos are sold as concentrated or ready-to-use liquids, trigger sprays, powders and aerosols. They are formulated to wet the pile of the carpet and take up oily and greasy soils. Such products provide a system that traps soil in suspension and dries to a brittle solid residue. The brittle residue containing the soil particles is then removed by vacuuming. Carpet and rug cleaners actually clean a surface and should not be confused with carpet fresheners which are formulated to reduce malodors that may be found in carpets and rugs. As with many cleaning products, a surfactant is the essential ingredient. A polymer, which helps in making the dried foam brittle, is usually present in carpet/rug cleaners. In addition, shampoos may contain color brighteners, deodorizers to counteract malodors, and soil retardants to keep carpets cleaner longer. Carpet cleaning can also be achieved by the use of wet, free-flowing powders. These powders contain water, solvents and surfactants to emulsify soil. The emulsified soil is absorbed onto the powders. Once dry, the powder can be easily removed by vacuuming. Besides products to be used directly on carpets or rugs, there are liquid cleaning formulations which are marketed for use with carpet/rug shampooing equipment. The ingredients are essentially identical for both products. Steam cleaning equipment requires special formulations, as foam interferes with the steam cleaning process. If there is residue from previous shampooings, a defoamer (silicone emulsion) may be used. Dusting Products Dusting products are usually marketed as trigger sprays or aerosols that dispense the ingredients in a fine spray onto surfaces or a dusting cloth. Such products can be used on furniture to attract, pick up and retain light dust and soil on cleaning cloths. They are not appropriate for use on floors as they may make the surface slippery. These products function by picking up and holding dust on the applicator rather than simply spreading and redistributing the dust over furniture or in the area. Some products also contain additives for helping remove oil-based and water-based stains from furniture. Ingredients may include a light hydrocarbon oil used for dust pick-up. An organic solvent is the active ingredient for removal of oil-based stains; water may be present to pick up water-based soils. Floor Care Products In this group of liquid and paste products, it's necessary to formulate specialties within specialties because flooring materials come in many types: hard flooring such as stone, masonry and wood; and resilient flooring such as vinyl, asphalt, rubber, linoleum and cork. Each requires a specially formulated product for maximum effectiveness in removing soil, polishing the surface and leaving it with a shine and a protective coat. No-rinse products offer added convenience and easy application. Dusting aids are often used to help remove light particulate soil. Most floor care products contain water as the carrier for small particles of wax such as polyethylene, and polymers such as polyacrylate. When dry, they leave a shine and a light, clear protective layer on the surface. In products for wood or cork flooring, a solvent acts as the carrier for wax particles, such as those of natural carnauba wax which is especially effective in providing a pleasing shine and a hard finish. Floor care products that only clean are closely related in composition to the all-purpose cleaners. In products formulated for resilient flooring, special emphasis is on clear drying without leaving a cloudy or sticky residue. Most resilient floor cleaner products also contain a low level of surfactant to loosen and suspend soil. With continued use, most floor polishes build up a layer of residue that eventually needs to be stripped off with specially formulated strippers or a mixture of ammonia, all-purpose cleaner and water. True one-step products are designed to be self-stripping. They are formulated so that a new application of product dissolves the old polish and re-applies a fresh coat which dries to the original shine. The sponge mop or cloth is rinsed after each section is done and most of the dirt ends up in the rinse water. Also marketed are products which do not clean but are used solely for imparting a gloss to floors. Such products are clear emulsions of acrylic polymers, which dry to a hard shiny finish. Some products may also contain wax particles. In products for wood flooring, liquid or paste wax is still the principal gloss-producing ingredient. Many products require buffing to increase shine. To help prevent slippery conditions, apply the product according to label directions and buff thoroughly. Furniture Cleaners and Polishes Furniture cleaners and polishes are marketed as liquids, pastes or aerosols. The dispensing arrangement in the latter contributes to uniform deposition of the cleaning product. Furniture cleaners/polishes are designed to remove dust and stains from wood surfaces, produce shine and provide protection against water spots. They are formulated to reduce wax buildup with continued use. The principal ingredients contribute to natural wood shine and provide water repellency to furniture cleaners/polishes, They include silicone fluids and a wax, often a so-called microcrystalline wax. Lemon oil (a non-drying oil) and tung oil (a drying oil) are also used for this purpose. Both are used in products without water. Tung oil may lead to an antique, matte finish which is preferred by some consumers. In addition to contributing to shine, silicone fluids also provide easy application and reduce smearing during application. Silicone helps deliver a uniform surface. A hydrocarbon solvent helps remove oily stains and some wax build up. Furniture cleaners/polishes can be formulated as water-in-oil or oil-in-water emulsions. An emulsion stabilizer is present in both to prevent the product from separating into two layers. Fragrance and color round out the product formulation. Upholstery Cleaners Upholstery cleaners are very similar to carpet and rug cleaners. They are marketed as concentrated or ready-to-use liquids, trigger sprays, aerosols and even as powders. Surfactants and materials such as anti-soil agents are the essential components in upholstery cleaning products. The following are several home chemicals which can be used for light cleaning tasks. In a fully formulated product, manufacturers have the opportunity of providing multiple functions _ cleaning with the assistance of a surfactant, for example. In general, a formulated product may provide more advantages in performance and convenience than a single-ingredient product can. As with formulated cleaning products, you should not mix home chemicals unless you can confirm that the mixture is safe and effective (Mix-At-Home Recipes). Ammonia, baking soda and borax are weak alkalis. Because some soils are acidic in nature, these alkaline materials can be helpful in their removal. Ammonia is a volatile alkali and hence leaves no solid residue as it dries, making it easy to rinse off completely. The combination of volatility and mild alkalinity is the reason why low levels of ammonia are frequently found in formulated glass cleaners. Ammonia can also be used to strip wax. The scratchless abrasive action of dry baking soda helps in removing light soils because the baking soda crystal is harder than soil, but softer than sensitive surfaces such as fiberglass. Baking soda can also be used to deodorize refrigerators and freezers, where it destroys and also absorbs food odors. Borax, a white, crystalline, mildly alkaline, and water soluble salt, can be used as a deodorizer and household cleaner. |
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