Cleaning up

Cleaning seems like a simple enough task, but understanding key fundamentals can help you become much more effective at selling cleaners and degreasers.

by Russell Mays

Effective cleaning involves three principles: chemical action, mechanical action, and time. Understanding each of these fundamental principles and some common industrial applications in detail will help distributor salespeople solve common problems faced by their customers.

Chemical action
The first challenge in cleaning is matching the chemical to the task. Using a strong chemical for light applications can cause harmful consequences to the surface or item being cleaned. On the other hand, using a mild chemical for a tough application will cause excessive effort (mechanical action) and time.

One way to gauge cleaners and degreasers is by their pH. Technically, pH is the concentration of hydrogen ions in a water-based solution. A practical definition of pH is the acidity or alkalinity of that same solution. pH is measured on a scale of 1 to 14, with 1 being a very strong acid, 7 being neutral or the same as water, and 14 being extremely alkaline. This scale will help you recommend a suitable product for the customer’s application.

Solvent-based cleaners and degreasers do not have a pH and are commonly classified by their KB value. KB is the acronym for Kari-Butanol and is a test of a solvent’s power to dissolve a specific rubber in a specific test condition. Numeric values range from 1 to 400. Low numbers indicate the solvent did not dissolve the rubber quickly or efficiently, while high values reveal the test solvent dissolved the rubber to a high degree. These KB values give us a relative understanding of the solvent’s cleaning power.

Mechanical action
The second fundamental we need to consider is mechanical action, which is the force of movement a product will receive during its application. Mechanical action comes in many forms, floor scrubbers, brushes, mops, hand brushes, hand wipes, buffers, power washers, and in the case of aerosols, the rate the product is delivered from the can. Knowing the type of mechanical action that will be used for a customer’s application will give you a better chance to make the right product recommendation.

Time
This cleaning principle is the most ignored and abused of the three. Time is essential for chemical action to work. How many times have you seen a chemical placed on a soiled surface and immediately wiped away? Removing the chemical too quickly wastes some of the cleaner’s power as well as part of its value.

A disinfectant’s ability to kill 100 percent of bacteria and germs is time dependent. The next time you have a chance to read the label on a disinfectant, note that it requires 3 to 20 minutes of contact to kill bacteria and germs. Also note that the surface must remain wet during that time for the disinfectant to be effective. Recommend using the hottest water possible to increase the disinfectant’s power and efficacy.

On the subject of disinfectants, let’s clear up some confusion you may encounter. Disinfectant, germicide, bactericide and sanitizer are common terms when talking about killing bacteria. The terms disinfectant, germicide and bactericide are synonymous; they all kill 100 percent when used according to directions. Sanitizers are different; they kill only up to 99 percent of the bacteria present.

Again, customers often ignore time in the cleaning process. Of course, when a situation dictates a very quick cleaning process, you can compensate by using stronger cleaning agents and/or higher mechanical force. The opposite is also true; when time isn’t a critical consideration, use a milder cleaning product, which usually translates to a lower-cost product. This is important to keep in mind when recommending products to customers.

Let’s look at some examples of common cleaning processes in the industrial workplace.

Restrooms – Common restroom cleaning surfaces include toilet bowls, counters, sinks, floors and mirrors. Bowl cleaners are traditionally acid cleaners (low pH of about 1.5 to 3.0) that remove stains and scale from porcelain. Many bowl cleaners are EPA-registered, which is required for disinfectant products that kill 100 percent of bacteria and germs. For bowls with heavy scale and stain build-up, we would recommend cleaners with a high acid percentage (10 percent or greater). For normal maintenance, a lower acid percentage is sufficient. Remember, these products are very strong and should be used with proper safety measures and equipment. Since they are so strong, they should be confined to the porcelain bowl. They can destroy metals, chrome, baked enamels and plastics if used for cleaning.

Walls, counters, sinks, and floors can be cleaned with general-purpose disinfectants. Recommend a top-down process. Clean the highest points first to avoid having dirty cleaner run down over already clean surfaces. Recommend products based on fragrance (pine is common) and customer budget.

Glass cleaners are obvious for mirrors and customers usually select them based on scent (lemon is popular) and budget.

Plant floors – It’s critical to understand the application method for a plant floor before recommending a cleaner. Will the customer use a mop and bucket combination or a high-speed floor scrubber? Each method requires a different product.

Butyl cleaners are known for their ability to clean grease, oil and lift truck tire marks. Butyl cleaners range in pH from 9.0 to 13+, with the higher pH products being more aggressive than the lower. A mop and bucket requires a more aggressive cleaner because of the lighter mechanical force versus the power floor scrubber. In contrast, a power scrubber needs a less aggressive cleaner so it doesn’t remove the floor’s sealer or coating. The floor scrubber also requires a cleaner with low foaming characteristics, so its pick-up tank does not overflow.

That brings us to dilution. Instincts say if a little is good, more is better. That’s not true for cleaning products. Dilution ratios are specific to avoid harmful effects of being too strong or aggressive. Always recommend that customers use the proper dilution ratio for a given application. Manufacturers list the ratios on the label or product data sheet.

Electrical motors – A preventative maintenance-cleaning schedule is critical for motors since they tend to be magnets for dust, dirt, debris, grease and oil. Dirty motors will run hotter, less efficient and, if left unattended, will fail. Aerosols offer the most efficiency when cleaning motors due to the mechanical force of their delivery rate of the solvent. Recommend fast-evaporating, non-flammable products with high dielectric strength to service motors that can’t be removed from service for normal cleaning.

When motors are cleaned in the repair shop, flammability and dielectric strength are less critical, therefore, ask customers where they clean motors before recommending a product. Flammable products tend to be less expensive.

Circuit boards, contacts and relays – Again, aerosols are the most practical products for cleaning these delicate parts. The natural oils from hands can cause malfunctions. Here, you want to recommend products that are plastics safe and have lower KB values, which is less than 50 as a rule of thumb. It is important to recommend testing any product on a non-essential part before general use. Manufacturers deal with more types of plastics than ever before, so it’s important to avoid harmful effects such as crazing or deformation. Recycled plastic is a perfect example. If you don’t know the composition, it is important to test before general use.

New technologies
Cleaning product technologies are constantly advancing. For example, non-butyl, neutral pH cleaner degreasers with the same or better cleaning power as their traditional counterparts are now available. This type of product is particularly helpful where disposal regulations are tight and pH is a major factor for liquid down drains. It also eliminates the worker skin contact issues that high pH cleaners cause. Sprayon recently introduced Neutra-Force, an alternative to butyl cleaners that carries no chemical charge and contains no caustics, alkali, phosphates, silicates, petroleum solvents or butyl ethers.

Numerous advances in packaging technology include non-pressurized, trigger spray products in an aerosol container. This packaging technology eliminates issues of pressurized containers and their disposal while still providing the convenience of an aerosol package. Aerosol cans handle products that are normally too aggressive for plastic containers.

Clearly, the field of cleaners and degreasers is innovative. As environmental concerns and advanced technology continue to demand progress, capabilities will continue to expand. With a clear understanding of fundamental cleaning methodologies, however, you can effortlessly incorporate these innovations into your selling regimen.

This article appeared in the May/June 2005 issue of Progressive Distributor. Copyright 2005.

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