Terms & Definitions For Chemical Agents in Cleaning Supplies

In the commercial cleaning industry, cleaning supplies and cleaning solutions have certain names, types and markings that show their use cases and chemical properties. This is important for cleaners to use the correct cleaning supplies for corresponding surfaces and maximise cleaning efficacy. As an individual, knowing the chemical agents used in each cleaning solution might help you get the result you’re looking for when cleaning your home, office or any other premises.

In this article, we’ll explore the most important terms and definitions of chemical agents used in cleaning supplies.

Why is This Guide Important?

The knowledge of terms and definitions of chemical agents in cleaning solutions is helpful for 4 main reasons:

Knowing how to handle each cleaning solution based on H&S and COSHH regulations.
Buying the correct type of cleaning supplies and using them correctly for each area.
Using appropriate personal protective equipment when cleaning with certain cleaning agents.

Chemical Agents in Cleaning

While there are hundreds of chemical agents used in cleaning products, most of the commercial cleaning supplies you can buy are defined by one (or multiple) of the following terms. These terms and their definitions give you a broad understanding of the type of cleaning solution, how to use and where to use it.

This information is based on the information provided by BICSc (The British Institute of Cleaning Science) Standards and Best Practices handbook.

Acetic Acid

Acetic acid is a weak and organic acid. It is the acid that gives vinegar its sour taste and strong smell. Acetic acid is also known as ethanoic acid.

Antibacterial & Bactericide

Antibacterial chemical agents are similar to disinfectants and are used to fight bacteria actively. Bacteridices are chemical agents that are not only active against bacteria but also prevent the growth of bacteria when applied correctly to surfaces.

Acidic Cleaning Agents

Acidic cleaning agents are cleaning chemicals suitable to break down inorganic and insoluble sediments and soil like lime scale and rust. Its pH is between 1 and 6 and is as strong and effective as oxalic to vinegar.

Most commercial descalers for cleaning toilets and removing rust from surfaces have this chemical agent. Using the full set of PPE and COSHH regulations should be considered when handling and using acidic cleaning agents. Spraying such chemical agents is prohibited due to the risk of inhalation.

Alkaline Cleaning Agents

On the other hand, alkaline cleaning agents are used to break down organic sediments like grease, oil and food residues. Its pH value is between 8 and 14. It is found in soap, soda crystals, over cleaners and heavy-duty degreasers.

Strong alkaline cleaning agents are extremely dangerous. Therefore, using full PPE and considering COSHH regulations is important. Similar to acidic cleaning agents, alkaline cleaning agents should not be sprayed to reduce the risk of inhalation.

Degreaser

Degreasers are chemical agents used to remove grease, grime, traffic films and other oily substances. It is recommended to use degreasers on hard surfaces only, although sometimes they are used to clean carpets and other fabrics and soft surfaces.

While many commercial degreasers are considered all-in-one without the need to rinse, rinsing with water is always recommended after using degreasers.

Detergent

Detergents are cleaning solutions used to clean and remove dirt. This chemical agent may be a solvent or water-based. It is considerably stronger than soap and is effective in hard and soft water. Detergents also don’t form scum.

Detergent Disinfectant

Detergent disinfectants are chemical agents in cleaning products used for many applications. Their main purpose is to kill germs while cleaning the surface. Most general-purpose cleaning supplies have detergent disinfectant chemical agents.

Disinfectant & Sanitiser

Disinfectants and sanitisers are solely used to kill bacteria. They are intended to clean pathogenic micro-organisms (viruses and disease-producing agents). However, they are rarely used to achieve true cleaning and are often incapable of killing bacterial spores.

It is recommended to use disinfectants and sanitisers on clean surfaces. This is because dirt and soil on surfaces may diminish the effect of disinfectant if they are used for cleaning as well as disinfecting.

There are 5 main types of disinfectants:

Alcohol: Takes time to become active. Has poor penetration of organic matter but can trap certain bacteria and viruses
Chlorine compounds: Effective against many types of bacteria, viruses and fungi. However, this chemical agent is corrosive to metallic surfaces. Chlorine should be diluted in water and should always be made fresh for cleaning.
Phenols: Effective against most bacteria but fail to kill viruses. Can also be used on metallic surfaces.
Peroxygen compounds: It is a disinfectant, sterilant and antiseptic used in medical settings. It is believed that peroxygen compounds are environmentally friendly.
Quaternary ammonium compounds: Cationic detergent in this chemical agent is used to dilute or activate solutions when applied for cleaning. They have limited efficacy against some bacteria and bacterial spores.

Neutral Cleaning Agents

Neutral cleaning agents are chemical agents used for general cleaning purposes to remove dirt and soil from surfaces. Its pH value is 7 and can be found in many general cleaning products such as washing up liquid, carpet shampoo and window cleaning products.

While neutral cleaning agents aren’t harmful, it is still advised to use PPE and COSHH when using them for cleaning to avoid potential irritation.

Surfactants

Surfactants are also known as surface reactive agents or wetting agents.

They have 3 main functions:

To enable the water to penetrate and loosen the dirt on surfaces.
To assist foam creation during cleaning.
To protect surfaces (like vehicle surfaces) by providing lubrication during brushing or cleaning with cloths.

Soaps

Soaps form when an alkaline solution reacts with an organic acid and makes water-soluble sodium or potassium salts of fatty acids. Soap functions similar to surfactants. It loosens the tension in water and helps the separation of soil particles.

Synthetic Detergents

These are chemical agents similar to surfactants but with more solubility than soap. They are also more suitable with hard water as their calcium and magnesium salts prevent the formation of scum.

There are four main classes of synthetic detergents:

Anionic
Cationic
Non-ionic
Amphoteric

Sterilisers

Sterilisers are strong chemical agents in commercial cleaning supplies used for sterilisation. Sterilisation is the process of removing all forms of germs, viruses or other viable organisms from an object or environment. There are other methods for sterilisation. Very high-temperature treatment, irradiation and use of strong sterilisers.

Sterilisers are generally used in clinical and medical settings such as hospitals, isolation rooms and other similar premises.

Conclusion

There are several types of chemical agents used in cleaning supplies. Knowing more about the terms and definitions of each chemical agent can help you choose the right cleaning supplies, use them correctly for each area in your home or office, use the correct PPE during the cleaning and consider the COSHH and H&S regulations when using such chemical agents. The information in this article is based on the BICSc Handbook of Standards and Best Practices.

In this article, we discussed the most important chemical agents used in commercial cleaning supplies. The information in this article not only helps individuals when buying cleaning supplies but also helps cleaning staff and commercial cleaning contractors in determining what type of chemical agents are suitable for cleaning each area.

Chemical Agents in Cleaning Solutions: What Are They?