Cleaning products are divided into three main chemical families. There are "Alkaline" or "Basic" products, "Neutral" products and "Acid” products.
Alkaline or basic cleaning products have a pH (potential hydrogen) above 8.
This generally includes strippers, oven cleaners, degreasers, laundry detergents, dishwasher detergents, etc.
The higher the pH the more alkaline the product is. Bleach is highly alkaline. Above 11.5, cleaning products are considered very alkaline.
Acid cleaning products have a pH of less than 6.
This generally includes scale removers, toilet cleansing gel and bathroom descalers, which remove lime and hard water scale.
This also includes washing machine and coffee maker scale removers.
Use caution when using cleansers that are highly effective against hard water scale as they often contain large amounts of hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid or other harsh acids, which can damage your counter tops and fittings.
Cleaning products with a pH under 4 are considered strongly acidic.
Neutral cleaning products are products whose pH is between 6 and 8.
These products are generally used on fragile floors and surfaces.
This also includes personal care products such as soap.
Some surfaces such as thermoplastic flooring protected by an emulsion must be cleaned using neutral pH products.
These products are generally less effective but will not damage your floors.
The cleaning product is not the only factor in cleaning.
The same cleaner will not have the same effectiveness when used manually or with a machine (floor scrubbers, polishers, etc.). If you add a mechanical action to the action of your cleaner, you can reduce the amount of cleaner or use a less aggressive cleaner (for example: an ecolabel cleaner).
In the same vein, a product used hot or cold will not have the same effectiveness, for example in your washing machine, dishwasher or even when washing your car.
Another factor is how long you leave the cleaner on. The longer you leave it on, the less you'll have to rub or scrub (with or without a machine).
Our agents are here to help you choose the right cleaning product.
Call us on our local call rate number.