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Is Your Cleaning Chemical Doing More Harm Than Good?

Chemical pouring into Scrubber

Choosing the right detergent for your floor cleaning equipment is important for the health of your machine and for the effectiveness of your cleaning program. The proper cleaning chemical can help eliminate excess foam, streaking, and reduce the overall cost of cleaning your floors. Don’t underestimate the importance of the type of chemical that you choose for your floors. To determine which cleaner would be most appropriate for your use, contact our specialists today.

Using a chemical that is not suited for your needs might not only be ineffective and therefore a waste of money, but it could also be harmful to staff, customers, and your equipment. Understanding the floor chemical pH is one factor to consider when choosing an effective chemical. In addition, these 5 things should be considered in order to ensure that your chemical does not cause more harm than good:

1) Floor Safety.

A floor cleaning chemical may not be appropriate for use on all types of flooring. Buying a cleaner without understanding the particular formula could lead to irreversible floor damage. It is always a good idea to speak to a professional first to make sure the product that you plan to purchase is safe for use on your type of flooring. Being formulated for use on floors does not necessarily mean it is suitable for use on any floor material.

2) Contact Safety.

Even a chemical that is safe for use on your particular type of floor might not be safe for close human contact. Cleaning chemicals can be skin irritants or otherwise unsafe for human or animal contact. Ensuring that your cleaning chemical is safe to come in contact with skin is especially important for industries where people are in close proximity to the floors, like a fitness facility.

3) Machine Damage.

Using chemicals that are unsafe for the floor scrubber or scrubber/sweeper that you operate could be an expensive mistake. Certain cleaning chemicals might be corrosive to your floor cleaning equipment or create excessive foam. Damage done to a machine due to this type of avoidable error will usually void the warranty. If you choose a detergent that is less costly than the recommended chemical and it damages your equipment, you may loose more money than you saved in the first place. In addition to the cost to repair the machine, you will likely face increased labor costs due to equipment downtime while the machine is being serviced. 

4) Cost.

When comparing prices of floor cleaning chemical it is important to note the concentration of the cleaners. In many cases using a concentrated chemical is more cost effective than a ready-to-use chemical, although it may not always appear to be. Buying a larger amount of fluid for the same cost does not mean that you are getting the better deal. You may in fact be paying for more water rather than more chemical. With concentrated chemicals, you add the water on site following the recommended dilution ratios. Some concentrated chemicals do the work for you by being pre-measured. Clean & Green, for example, is a concentrated neutral detergent that comes in pre-measured 2oz packets. Using pre-measured concentrated chemical packets can also help reduce chemical waste.  

5) Sustainability.

Sustainability has become common practice for responsible business owners. Concentrated chemicals are often the more sustainable choice over ready-to-use cleaning chemicals. The reduction in packaging, transportation cost, and less materials for recycling waste make concentrated chemicals a more environmentally conscious choice. We offer an array of environmentally responsible cleaning solutions. In addition to being super concentrated, Clean & Green was formulated in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Their goal was to create a safer, more environmentally preferable neutral floor cleaner that does not sacrifice on performance. As stated in the Clean & Green Brochure: “Conventional cleaning formulations, especially those for industrial and institutional use, often rely on ingredients whose environmental and human health profiles can be improved. Highly alkaline chemistry is corrosive; common solvents can be absorbed through the skin with potential effects on the liver, kidneys, lymph and blood systems and certain terpenes present both human health and environmental concerns, especially for their potential toxicity to aquatic organisms.”

When you choose Factory Cleaning Equipment for your floor cleaning equipment needs we not only offer quality, American made machines, but we also sell the chemicals and parts specifically made for professional floor cleaning equipment. Our staff of experts is conveniently available to help direct you to the proper chemical for your application. Contact us today with any questions that you may have: 800-793-3790 or shop our online chemical store.

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