Surface cleaning is necessary for all types of hard surfaces – from plastic to wood to metal surfaces. These areas must be cleaned in the home as well as in professional and industrial areas. The specific requirements for the cleaning agents are as diverse as the surfaces themselves.
Foam allows the easy and safe application of cleaners. It does not produce harmful aerosols but prolongs the working time of the cleaner. Furthermore, foam can protect sensitive surfaces from scratches.
Foam is often not desired, especially in machine cleaning of hard surfaces. Therefore, low-foaming surfactants with high cleaning power are suitable for this application.
Hydrotropic surfactants improve the solubility 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 effectively removing hydrophobic dirt (e.g. oils and fats). In hard surface cleaners, nonionic surfactants are used since they possess a high fat-dissolving power.
The wetting of dirt and surfaces is the first and 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 surfaces from dirt means removing dirt from the surface first and subsequently dispersing all dirt components in water to prevent redeposition. Since dirt 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. In the right concentration, special surfactants and polymers used in cleaners 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.
