Many contract and in-house cleaners make extensive use quat disinfectant deodorisers for keeping washrooms and bathroom areas clean. However there is also specialised washroom cleaning products. So you might be asking… when and where do I use what?
I did a floor restoration demo last week in the washrooms of an upmarket office complex. The extremely poor state of the tiled floor was made worse by urinals and toilets which smelled terrible. This office complex had only been open for about a year and they had cleaned them methodically every night with a Johnsons disinfectant cleaner deodoriser.
The problem here was not the quality of the disinfectant they were using (although I am quite sure it would have been somewhat better if a Total Supply Solutions one was used… lol) but the simple fact that the chemistry of a disinfectant is not suited to washroom cleaning and sanitizing.
I will explain why…
Firstly the soiling in a washroom contains or includes:
• Uric crystals from urine (alkaline in nature)
• Mineral ions deposited by water drying on a surface (alkaline in nature)
• Soap scum which is a mixture of soap, mineral ions and body fats.
• Bacteria; (mainly ecoli) and mould
Next we should note the chemical composition of a disinfectant cleaner deodoriser:
• They are normally slightly alkaline or neutral in nature.
• Have minimal cleaning power. Mostly only contain enough surfactant to hold the perfume in solution.
• Contain 1.5% to 2.8% Benzylchonium Chloride (Quaternary Ammonium Chloride) as a disinfectant to kill the germs and the odours.
The reason why the disinfectant does not work in washroom cleaning is:
1. The uric crystals require a well buffered acid to break them down. Disinfectants do not have this acidic nature and do nothing toward breaking the uric crystal down.
2. Mineral scale also requires a well buffered acid to remove.
3. The disinfectant does not remove the odour because the odour causing germs are locked up in the structure of the uric crystals and mineral scale and the disinfectant cannot reach it.
The net result is an extremely smelly washroom with a mottled looking floor which gradually greys in colour.
Here’s some good features to look for in a quality total washroom cleaner.
• Contains a well buffered organic acid (when used as directed will not damage grout lines) which quickly breaks through and removes uric crystals and mineral scale.
• Employs a sophisticated surfactant / DiLimonine package which effectively emulsifies and removes body fats, oils, general grime and soap scum.
• Contains a sanitizing agent to destroy any remaining bacteria.
Tags: bathroom, cleaning, Cleaning Chemicals, Cleaning Tips, Disinfectant, Tile and Grout Cleaning
