The Science Behind Cleaning

Cleaning involves the process of locating, identifying, restraining, removing and properly disposing of undesired substances from an environment. Nowadays, you may use a wide variety of methods and techniques, stimulated by the rapid innovation in the chemical industry for cleaning products. But first, you must understand the cleaning’s purpose and the science behind your actions. Without this knowledge, you could misuse products, causing more harm than good to the indoor environment.

Just knowing the right chemicals and tools, as well as learning how to use these products, is not enough. To be fully effective, cleaning processes must be based on science concepts that explain how the equipment and cleaning products work.

Understanding the pH Scale

The pH scale is important for cleaning because the pH of a substance determines how well it will work. It also determines what is the right cleaning chemical that will work on different types of stains. For instance, when cleaning a substance from a hard surface or a carpet, your goal is to neutralize the soil’s acidic or alkaline ions. It is important to understand that some compounds are corrosive by their very nature and should be handled according to the label directions on the container when using cleaning chemicals. Any corrosive chemical will have the corrosive symbol on the container (Mike Besley, 2016).

Running from 0-14, the pH scale can help you to determine whether a substance is acidic or alkaline. A substance with a pH of 7 is neutral; anything lower than 7 is increasingly acidic, with 0 being the most acidic, and anything higher than 7 is increasingly alkaline, with 14 being the most alkaline. In a neutral solution, you have both acidic and alkaline elements but they are equal making the product-neutral. Any substance that does not contain water will not have a pH level. It is possible to measure the pH level by dipping a litmus test strip into an aqueous substance. Acids turn blue litmus paper red, while bases turn red litmus paper blue.

High-Rise Cleaning

Most windows should be washed twice a year while the newly constructed buildings need to be cleaned about four times during their first year of existence. High rise window cleaners employ unique products that entirely remove salt residue, hard water stains, pollen, and dust. The special products used by these cleaners can’t leave soapy residue or streaks on the windows. Access to the sides of a skyscraper is important not just for window washing but also for metal cleaning, an inspection of curtain wall conditions, and the hoisting of replacement panels. In buildings with straight sides, this access is generally provided by a rigging mechanism that is anchored on the roof and has the ability to move up or down fairly easily. (Kate Ascher, 2011)

Many factors must be taken into account when cleaning the windows of high-rise buildings. These include the shape or design of the building, the obstacles on the property such as trees and car parks, the daily activity associated with the building, and weather conditions. Each factor will affect the amount of time required to access and clean the windows. High rise cleaners must adhere to strict safety standards that are set by the Workplace Health and Safety Administration. The major safety concern associated with high rise cleaning is making sure the window cleaners do not fall while performing their jobs.

To keep this from happening, the window cleaners are attached to two separate security lines which are anchored to the roof of the building. To reduce the risk of injury and damage to the people and property below, every piece of equipment that is used to clean the windows is attached to the people cleaning the windows. Even if the equipment were to slip out of the hands of the cleaners, it will not fall to the ground.

Dry Carpet Cleaning

Dry carpet cleaning has gained increasing popularity and approvals by leading carpet manufacturers because of its effective cleaning performance and convenience as it does not require drying time. The various processes involved in dry carpet cleaning are as follows:

• Dry Compound: The dry compound involves an absorbent and biodegradable cleaning compound spread evenly over the carpet and brushed or scrubbed in. The dirt and grime are attracted to the compound, which is then vacuumed off, leaving the carpets clean and dry immediately.
• Encapsulation: The encapsulation technique doesn’t use liquids. Instead, it uses polymers to encapsulate and crystallize the dirt and dust particles, which is followed by instant vacuuming.
• Bonnet: Bonnet cleaning method uses chemical agents as cleaning agents. The absorbent pad is designed in such a way that it attracts dirt, debris, grime off the carpet. However, the cleaning is restricted to the upper layers of the carpets i.e. up to 1/8th of an inch.
• Solvent Extraction: The solvent extraction method uses a d-limonene based cleaner which is pre-sprayed upon the carpet to be cleaned. The product is given a dwell time of 5 – 10 minutes. The carpet is then extracted using an acid rinse solution through a hot water extraction machine. Triple dry strokes are then performed to ensure a low dry time. While this process is not strictly dry-cleaning and involves a 1-4 hour dry time, it cleans deep into the fibers.

It is best if a professional carpet cleaning company decides the dry carpet cleaning process that best suits your carpets. There are many benefits of dry carpet cleaning such as:

• Suitable for all types of carpeting from synthetic to natural, on small & large areas
• Water-free! Carpets can be walked on during and immediately after cleaning
• Dissolves & absorbs both oil and water-based dirt
• Removes unwanted odours
• Uses a dry, highly absorbent natural 100% biodegradable cleaning compound
• No sticky residue that can attract fresh dirt; carpets last longer
• Eliminates the risk of shrinkage, over wetting, mildew, marks & colour running
• Cost-effective effortless cleaning and maintenance process for carpeting
• Environmentally friendly

Duct Cleaning

Too low or too high relative humidity boosts the impact of bad indoor air quality. Indoor air pollution is an issue of growing concern and increased visibility. According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), duct cleaning generally refers to the cleaning of various heating and cooling system components of forced air systems, including the supply and return air ducts and registers, grilles and diffusers, heat exchangers heating and cooling coils, condensate drain pans (drip pans), fan motor and fan housing, and the air handling unit housing.

Professional duct cleaning services use specialized blowers, vacuums, and brushes to clean out the supply, intake, and return ducts throughout your premises. Each building should have a system that would provide clean air for all of the occupants. Thus, duct cleaning helps to ensure that the entire system is working optimally and that there is nothing that is causing inefficiencies.

Marble Polishing

Shiny floors are the reflection of your business. It’s been shown that facility appearance ratings can drop by as much as 75 per cent if floor shine makes a bad first impression (Joe Davis, 2017). Marble is very beautiful but soft stone. If not maintained properly it will scratch, fade and lose its shine and luxury. Marble care and maintenance depend on a place where it’s used: floors, walls, shower walls or anything else. If the marble surface loses its natural shine and general appearance, it’s high time to think about marble polishing.

Marble polishing is an effective way to give your old and dull stone floor a new look. The procedure for marble polishing comes in two steps:

1. Resurfacing scratched and stained floor with scratch removal discs
2. Polishing

Marble floor polishing requires trained manpower. To polish marble, you need to use specific equipment such as various sizes of diamond polishing pads and an electric sanding machine. Working gloves, safety goggles and a dust mask are necessary to prevent hand and eye injury and breathing in particles.

Atalian’s cleaning team has proven our expertise to become a major operator of cleaning services. You will get a cleaning plan that creates the right environment for your business, improving productivity and enhancing your customers’ experience. Cleaning buildings may not seem like a complicated task, but our professional and knowledgeable cleaning team will ensure the correct product is selected for the task at hand and it is correctly diluted so that the cleaning process can be effective. If you are still confused or would like further help, contact our specialists and schedule your cleaning today.