When it comes to food preparation, hygiene is always the top priority. This is why cleaning the respective rooms and equipment is of utmost importance. From the hygienic and quick cleaning of dishes to the professional degreasing of stoves: the cleaning agents and their application may differ, but they all have to deliver a hygienically clean result.
Foam allows the easy and safe application of cleaners and helps to prolong the working time of the cleaner (e.g. oven cleaner, kitchen hood degreasers). Foam can also protect sensitive surfaces from scratches.
Often, foam is not desired, especially in machine cleaning of surfaces in large kitchens. Low-foaming surfactants with high cleaning power are an excellent choice for these applications.
Hydrotropic surfactants help to overcome solubility problems of nonionic surfactants in surface cleaners, especially in cleaner concentrates.
With the right product, perfume oils or hydrophobic solvents can be clearly solubilised.
Depending on product type, dosage system and application, the viscosity of a cleaner must be in the “right” range and therefore needs to be either decreased or increased.
Degreasing means to remove hydrophobic dirt (e.g. oils and fats) effectively. In cleaners, nonionic surfactants are used since they possess a high fat-dissolving power.
Wetting of dirt and surfaces is the first critical step in the cleaning process. Special surfactants with fast wetting properties speed up the cleaning of surfaces, especially if hydrophobic (greasy and/or polymer-based) surfaces are to be cleaned.
Cleaning of surfaces from dirt means first to remove dirt from the surface and subsequently to disperse all dirt components in water and prevent redeposition. Since dirt in kitchens usually contains oils and fats, cleaners must contain surfactants that are able to emulsify these components effectively.
Shiny surfaces can appear hazy and dull if water condensation causes fogging. Special surfactants and polymers used in cleaners in the right concentration can prevent fogging.
Static charges on surfaces can cause electric shocks that may damage electronic devices. Furthermore, static charges may accelerate the re-soiling of surfaces after cleaning. Surfactants with antistatic properties help to avoid static charges on surfaces.
Metal surfaces can be damaged by acidic cleaners. Surfactants with anti-corrosion properties prevent corrosion during the cleaning process.
