Water:The Greenest Cleaning Solution

Water has very high surface tension, what chemists refer to as “sticky.” This means water sticks together and forms droplets rather than spreading out in a thin film, which isn’t great for cleaning. We have found that adding cleaning chemicals to water reduces its surface tension improving its cleaning ability. Chemicals combine with water to help it spread more evenly over a surface to come in contact with more dirt and actually attract dirt and oil, which helps clean with less work.

While using chemical cleaners may require less work, the toxins in these cleaners have great impact on health and the environment. Fortunately, times are changing and recent advances in technology now allow us to activate water’s natural cleaning ability to transform it into a powerful cleaner without added chemicals. This water activation process can replace many of today’s general-purpose chemical cleaners.

Harmful chemicals in the water

According to a study by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans spend more than $75 million each year on medical expenses and lost-time wages due to cleaning chemical-related injuries. The Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine reports an increased risk of asthma in adults who are frequently exposed to spray cleaning chemicals. In recent research, The Clean Water Fund found that Americans pour 32 million pounds of toxic cleaning chemicals down the drain each year, polluting our earth. Many articles, including in The Wall Street Journal, have pointed to Americans change in behaviour when it comes to cleaning products. Increasingly, consumers have concerns about exposure to toxins and want to know more about the effects of chemicals in household cleaners. People are concerned about the impact on their health and are looking for new ways to clean that are safe for themselves as well as the environment.

Electrically activated water

Recent findings show that activating or adding a slight charge of electricity to tap water makes it clean more effectively than water in its natural state. Furthermore, it completely removes toxic chemicals from the process.

When electricity is applied to water, it behaves differently. Activated water performs much like water mixed with cleaning chemicals; but the process doesn’t require harmful chemicals to be effective. Professional cleaners have been known to call activated water ‘the miracle liquid’, but this idea of applying electricity to water to make it behave differently has been known for years.

The science of activated water begins with a process called electrolysis. Classic electrolysis involves placing two electrodes into water, connecting one electrode to the positive end of a power source and the other electrode to the negative end. Applying a small amount of electricity to water, similar to classic electrolysis, actually breaks down the water’s molecules. This process lowers water’s natural surface tension and creates positively and negatively charged water ions. In some applications it can add microscopic oxygen gas bubbles that also carry an electrical charge.

When applied to a surface in this electrolyzed form, water can spread to contact dirt, just like it does when mixed with chemicals. The charged ions attach to the dirt and help lift it from the surface. Studies show that electrically activated water cleans as well as, or better than, traditional general-purpose cleaners. Furthermore, the electrically activated water is completely safe and returns to its natural state in 45 seconds.

Electrically activated water is currently being applied throughout the cleaning industry in several ways. For instance, a leader in commercial cleaning equipment has incorporated the technology into onboard automatic floor scrubbers, and a recent development incorporates a version of this technology into a convenient hand-held spray device for on-demand portable cleaning.

As we can see, uses for electrically activated water are expanding. Many professionals use electrically activated water technology to clean in hospitals, schools, hotels and restaurants. These professionals are turning to the technology as a versatile general-purpose cleaner for many surfaces, including glass, stainless steel, wood, marble, plastic and carpet. Activated water has been proven to attack soils, stains, grease, grime, soap scum, mold, mildew and bacteria and, in some forms, it’s been proven to sanitize.

Benefits of electrically activated water

For people who regularly come in contact with cleaning chemicals, electrically activated water is a welcome replacement. According to an EPA-sponsored report, each year, six out of every 100 cleaning professionals are injured by the chemicals they use daily. Activated water frees people from serious health risks caused by toxic cleaning chemicals.

Beyond its safety qualities, activated water helps sustain greener environments, as the need to dispose off harmful toxins into the earth is eliminated. In addition, it reduces the resources required to manufacture & ship dangerous chemicals and helps eliminate unnecessary waste in landfills.

Using water technologies, instead of chemical cleaners, can save cleaning companies considerable amounts of money annually. Cleaning with activated water removes the need for purchasing, receiving and stocking multiple cleaners. It also dramatically diminishes the time cleaning professionals might spend mixing and disposing off chemicals. An activated water system only needs tap water.