Industrial cleaning and detergents

In today’s world, hygiene and cleanliness are priorities .Every responsible corporate has to commit itself to improve cleanliness all around and protect the environment from degeneration. Due to heavy industrialisation and increasing urbanisation, in our country, mechanised cleaning is being considered seriously and best standards of cleanliness is being expected.

The selection of suitable detergents for various cleaning applications has to be done very carefully as the ingredients in detergents should not be harmful, toxic and hazardous to the user and the environment. Unlike in the past, user friendly, safe formulations with minimal health risks and environmental damage are available now. However, choosing appropriate cleaning chemical is always challenging and a careful study is required.

Industrial needs

Whatever the type of industry be, the demand for cleaning always exists. The category of industrial customers will include customers from various enterprises like Processing industry, Mining industry, Automobile, Engineering, Pharmaceuticals, Food processing and Construction.

In general, industrial floor has oil/ grease, tyre marks, embedded dirt and soil. Depending upon the type of the industry, the dirt will vary. Hence appropriate process, tools and detergents are vital to complete the cleaning task.

Floors like ceramic tiles, natural stones, terrazzo and concrete are durable and long lasting. They perfectly fit into our climatic conditions since the floors remain cold when the atmosphere is hot. However, these floors challenge the housekeeping managers in order to maintain them properly.

Hard surface cleaners like general purpose floor cleaners, degreasers and heavy-duty dirt removers are meant for industrial cleaning applications. These products do the job practically at any surface economically. They are indeed extensively used to achieve the desired cleanliness.

Flooring requires sweeping and scrubbing. After sweeping, suitable scrubbing machine could be used to maintain the areas dirt free. Mains or battery operated auto scrubbers are designed for heavy-duty use on small and medium-sized areas. Degreasers are the perfect choice for maintaining industrial facility’s floors with an auto scrubber. Removing oil and dirt from industrial floors by scrubbing and vacuuming helps stop tracking and reduces the chances of injury.

An adequate programme is fixed on the basis of floor type, the desired look, equipment available, skill of the staff and the level of traffic. When a facility has various types of floors we need to have different, at the same time suitable programme.

Industrial cleaning also includes glass cleaning and washroom maintenance. Glass cleaners are intended for effective and easy removel of dirt from the glass facade and surfaces. Cleaning of industrial washroom means descaling, removal of lime, uric acid & other organic deposits. Disinfecting the surfaces of washbasins, sinks, troughs, baths & gullies internally and externally is vital. Washroom care products include effective disinfectents, bactericides, virucide and fungside cleaning products.

The cleaning performance of a cleaning detergent may also be influenced by the following factors:

Mechanical Action: The type of agitation used may have a direct impact on the cleaner’s ability to perform and the dilution employed. Machine scrubbing, pressure rinsing and abrasive pads can improve the cleaner’s ability to break up soils and reduce the amount of cleaner needed or the time to complete the jobs.

Chemical Strength: The optimum use of dilution varies with different detergents. Also, the effect of a reduction in dilution is different with each detergent. It is important that the proper dilution be maintained, and that you understand how this dilution can be changed for specific applications.

Time: The length of time a cleaning solution is allowed to remain on the surface to be cleaned can affect the performance of that cleaner. Typically, the longer the contact time of a solution, the perfromance. Never, however, allow a dirty cleaning solution to dry on a surface before it can be rinsed.

Water Temperature: Although most detergents are designed to work in hot or cold water, the performance of a cleaner can be enhanced by employing warm to hot water. Extremely hot water should not be used on highly finished floors or on carpeting.

Procedures: The skill level of the user can also affect the choice of cleaner to be used. A properly trained staff may be able to use one cleaner in a variety of applications or more aggressive cleaners for special cleaning tasks.

Safety: You should also consider the safety of employees, equipment and surfaces to be cleaned while choosing a cleaner. For example, strong, acid or alkaline solutions may require safety precautions and care when used on certain surfaces. Always read the product label and refer to the Material Safety Data Sheet before using a new product.
Close association with the customers is always key to understand their needs and to provide them with cost effective and environmentally sustainable solutions.

V. Balathandayutham
Manager-Product Support, Roots Multiclean Ltd

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