Abrasive Cleaners
Abrasive cleaners are like liquid-sandpaper cleaners. They physically scratch off dirt, stains, and tarnish with friction as you rub the surface.
They are composed of either particles or physical abrasives such as sandpaper, steel wool, or pumice.
The finer the particle, the less abrasiveness it has, whereas the coarser and denser the particle, the more abrasive it becomes. Baking soda and salt can be used as abrasives. Baking soda is finer, less abrasive. Salt is more abrasive. Abrasives can dull glossy surfaces and change both the look and texture of surfaces.
Mild Abrasive Cleaners
These materials include plastic mesh pads, nylon-coated sponges, and fine-metal “wools.” Mild abrasives are used on pots and pans, oven interiors, and enamel sinks. Use as directed to remove stains from surfaces of furniture and countertops, and be aware that abrasives, even mild ones, will scratch fine, hard, smooth surfaces if you rub too hard.
Moderate Abrasive Cleaners
These cleaners should be used sparingly. They are made of such things as pumice blocks and fine steel wool. Steel wool is actually graded 0000 (superfine), 000 (extrafine), 00 (very fine), 0 (fine), 1 (medium), 2 (medium coarse), and 3 (coarse).
Steel wools rated 00 and finer should be used lightly on pots and pans when needed to remove burned or encrusted foods and grease. They are often used on burned-on spills.
Strong Abrasive Cleaners
These materials include medium and coarse steel wool, metal mesh cloths, metal brushes, coarse pumice, minerals, and sand. Use them on barbecue Chapter 3 I Greening Up Household Cleaners 23
grills and untreated oven racks for stubborn deposits when damage to surface is not important.
Strong abrasives quickly abrade hard surfaces, making them coarse and thus more susceptible to dirt and stains later.
Acid Cleaners
Acid cleaners can be used to remove tarnish, alkaline discoloration, corrosion, and hard-water deposits from many surfaces and may have a bleaching effect.
Acids can injure eyes, skin, and fabrics. Some acids are highly active and can eat through metal and etch surfaces such as porcelain enamel.
Mild Acid Cleaners
These include lemon juice (or citric acid) and vinegar (or acetic acid). They help to remove hard-water deposits from shower doors, mild rust stains, soap film, and tarnish from brass and copper.
Strong Acid Cleaners
These include dilute hydrochloric (muriatic) acid, dilute sulfuric acid, and sodium bisulfate. These acids are used in some toilet bowl cleaners and etching compounds. They remove hard-water and iron deposits as well as organic matter.
Never mix acids with any other cleaner. It’s very dangerous and toxic as well. Follow label instructions exactly. Do not get on skin, in eyes, or on other materials.
Alkali Cleaners
Alkali or alkaline cleaners remove both suspended heavy soil and grease so that it can be rinsed away.
Alkalies can damage skin and fabrics and corrode and darken aluminum. Most (except baking soda) are toxic if swallowed.
Mild Alkali Cleaners
The most common mild alkali is baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Soak burned food from pans in a solution of 2 tablespoons of baking soda per quart of warm water. (For heavier or sticky spots, sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge, rub, and rinse, or make a paste of baking soda.) Baking soda can be used to clean glass, tile, porcelain enamel, stainless steel, chrome, and fiberglass tubs and showers. It also removes coffee and tea stains from dishes.
Moderate Alkali Cleaners
The most common of these is ammonia, which can be used in a solution of 2 tablespoons per quart of warm water to clean windows, glass, ovens, range burners, and greasy surfaces. Moderately strong alkali cleaners such as borax can be used in a mild solution consisting of 1 to 2 tablespoons per gallon of warm water to wash sinks and painted walls.
This solution also can be used in laundering to remove odors and retard bacterial growth. It also removes soot and smoke and greasy dirt.
Moderately strong alkali cleaners can have irritating fumes. They also can soften paint, especially latex paint, if they are too strong. Always use them alone because combining ammonia with other cleaners may produce lethal gases.
Always wear rubber gloves to protect your skin, and always rinse thoroughly.
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Strong Alkali Cleaners
The most common of these is washing soda (sodium carbonate), and it can be used in dilute amounts to soak greasy burners, pans, and BBQ grates.
Sodium carbonate is highly toxic.
Do not get it on your skin. It also will darken and corrode aluminum.
Very Strong Alkali Cleaners The most common of these is lye (sodium hydroxide), and it is used to clean grease from ovens and to open grease- and hair-clogged drains.
Lye is very caustic and toxic. It can cause serious burns to the eyes or skin. Follow label instructions exactly.
Bleaching Agents
Bleaches can oxidize and remove stains from surfaces and fabrics.
Rinse bleached items thoroughly and promptly to prevent fading.
Mild Bleaches
Mild bleaches such as dilute hydrogen peroxide can be used in solution with water to help lighten stains on surfaces such as plastic laminate.
Hydrogen peroxide can be bought in 3% to 35%
concentrations. It is a very powerful oxidizer in higher concentrations. We all know that water is H2O; hydrogen peroxide is H2O2, so it is basically water with an extra oxygen attached.
Rinse items thoroughly, and follow label directions.
Strong Bleaches
Strong bleaches such as chlorine bleach (sodium hydrochlorite) remove stains and disinfect toilet bowls, trash cans, and other surfaces.
Sodium hydrochlorite may bleach dark-colored surfaces dull, such as the porcelain enamel finishes of sinks or tubs.
Never mix with ammonia or other cleaners because the fumes produced are toxic.
Do a colorfastness test to decide if a fabric or surface can be bleached safely.
Colorfastness Hint
Dissolve 1 teaspoon of Clorox 2 in 1 cup of hot water. Soak a hidden area of the garment in the solution for 1 minute. Rinse and let dry. The garment is safe for washing if color does not fade or bleed.
If a stain is not removed within 15 minutes when bleach is used, it cannot be removed by bleaching, and further bleaching will only weaken the fabric.
Detergents
Detergents can be alkaline or neutral. Neutral detergents are pH 7, meaning that they are neither acidic nor alkaline. Read the can or bottle first to determine a detergent’s level of alkalinity.
Mild Detergents
These include hand dishwashing liquid. Detergents have surfactants that dissolve or lift dirt and grease away. Use in a solution of warm to hot water to clean washable surfaces such as countertops, appliances, fixtures, and floors.
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Moderate Detergents
Moderately strong detergents use both surfactants and builders, so they dissolve heavier soils and grease. Use the least amount of detergent that will do the job. Low-sudsing types are easier to rinse off.
To boost a detergent’s grease-cutting ability, add an alkali such as ammonia or borax (i.e., boron or boric acid).
To boost a detergent’s soil- and odor-cleaning ability, add vinegar to neutralize the odor and soften the dirt.
Most powdered detergents contain washing soda as a builder, and some are very alkaline, which can damage surfaces and irritate skin.
Solvent Cleaners
Solvent cleaners are readily available and are used frequently to dissolve household dirt and grim. A solvent is often the go-between that a stain or soil goes into so that it can be wiped or rinsed away.
Water is a solvent because it will dissolve most kinds of soils except oils. Alkalies, acids, bleaches, and/or detergents are often added to water to chemically react and loosen dirt and grim so that they can be removed with the water.
Surfaces can be damaged by water. For example, wood can warp, wood finishes can soften or discolor, fabrics can shrink, and water can result in the growth of mold and mildew. Some materials soften or
disintegrate in water, such as paper and sheet rock.
Be extra careful around electrical components, where shock hazards can exist.
Organic Solvents
These include acetone, denatured alcohol, methyl/ethyl esters (biodiesel), petroleum distillates such as kerosene, mineral spirits, naphtha, dry-cleaning fluid, and turpentine. They are used to remove greasy soil or stains that will not dissolve in water, in addition to being used for cleaning surfaces that normally would be damaged by water. Some organic solvents remove waxes, finishes, and oil-based paints. Many are used in polishes, waxes, spot removers, rug cleaners, degreasers, and automotive exterior cleaners.
Most organic solvents are flammable or combustible. Read and follow all product directions completely.