To maintain a healthy home, what better than cleaning products? Multipurpose cleaners, dishwashing liquids, anti-lime products, sanitizing spray, detergents, the safety tests and compares the maintenance products of your daily life. Efficiency, pollution, dangerousness: independent experts give you their advice to help you keep a healthy interior.
In chemistry, products are classified according to their pH, that is, their acidity is measured on a scale of 0 to 14 (it is also said that their aggressiveness is determined).
- 0 to 3 ph level products are marked as Strongly Acidic
- 4 to 6 ph level products are marked as Slightly Acidic
- 6 to 8 ph level products are marked as Neutral
- 8 to 11 ph level products are marked as Low alkaline
- 11 to 14 ph level products are marked as a Highly alkaline Highly efficient degreaser, cleaner
Classification according to 6 actions
1. Detergents (alkaline PH 8 to 14)
Their chemical action takes off the dirt, degreases and emulsifies. This action is made possible by the surfactants contained in the detergents. These are cleaning products that do not contain antibacterial agents. These products are intended for inert surfaces and materials, instruments and medical and surgical equipment. Detergents are equipped with: wetting power, dispersing power, emulsifying power, foaming power, de-greasing power, they are often associated with anti-redeposition agents.
2. Abrasives
These are products containing surfactants (detergent action) and finely ground silica or calcite (abrasive action).
The choice of a cleaning product must meet 2 criteria:
• Be effective and harmless for health and the environment.
• It must not damage the support to be cleaned.
3. Disinfectants
These products contain at least one active principle endowed with antimicrobial properties and whose activity is determined by a recognized normative system. Disinfection has a so-called temporary result because it is usually limited to the time of the procedure. The effectiveness of this operation is inter alia related to strict compliance with the conditions of use of the disinfectant product: dilution, contact time, temperature.
Caution: It is imperative to clean before applying the disinfectant. Do not rinse or wipe disinfectant
4. Detergent-disinfectants
These cleaning products have the dual property of detergency and disinfection. Their use saves time and simplifies work. They are generally characterized by a good disinfecting power but a weak detergency. The standards used for these products are the same as for disinfectants.
Caution: When cleaning the premises, disinfectant detergent products are not rinsed because they need a minimum of 5 minutes of action time. On the other hand, for the surfaces in contact with the foodstuffs, it is required to rinse the surfaces after having respected the time of action of the product.
5. The descalers (acid PH 1 to 4)
These acidic products remove scale deposits (limescale deposit, decreasing operation: The de-scaling should be done about once a month, or more often if the tap appears scaled.)
6. Soil protection products
These are specific products containing components (polymers, waxes) that deposit on the surface; ensure the protection of the soil against external attacks.
Concrete examples:
You have to clean a daycare center where many young children have fun all day long and do not hesitate to put everything they find in their mouths. Which products should you use? A detergent-disinfectant is the ideal choice because it removes all bacteria from soil and toys. However, be careful when applying it as it can be dangerous for children for a moment after application.
You want to clean your kitchen and you realize that your sink is encrusted with limestone, which products will you use? A de-scaling agent is a right product, the limestone will disappear and the sink will be restored as new.
You take care of the high school cafeteria and you have to regularly clean the kitchen and the different surfaces in contact with the food, which product would you prefer? A traditional cleaning followed by a disinfection will be adapted, always make sure to leave the surface disinfected a moment before reusing it. Warning! You have to accomplish the task in this order and complete both steps, otherwise, all this is useless!
Ironing board, drying rack and vacuum cleaner: where do you put them?
Not only are the endless bottles and packs of cleaning products to create disorder, but also more bulky accessories and objects. In most cases, we find it in precarious balance leaning against the wall behind the door of the room but the balance is only temporary (often necessary to rearrange the position, so that the axis does not fall) and also, when you are in bed absorbed in a good book, it is there to remind you of the mountain of things to iron waiting for you for the weekend.
Last Word: Safety first of all!
The ideas for organizing and rearranging cleaning products are many, always keeping an eye on comfort and trying to keep the objects you use most often at your fingertips. But you must remember that safety comes first: the most dangerous places in the house, such as the laundry, should always be locked and you should never forget to put toxic or poisonous materials at the right height so that children or animals cannot reach them.
