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Purpose: To inform and acquaint you with
the meaning of pH, and how it is applied in the
use of cleaning compounds.
pH is a unit of measurement similar to meters, feet,
and pounds. The concentration of ions containing
hydrogen in a compound is measured and expressed
as pH which means, percentage of hydrogen. Ions
are the electrically charged particles of atoms.
The charge is either positive (+) or negative (-).
Hydrogen ions are acidic in nature and are called
acid ions. All acids contain hydrogen e.g. hydrochloric
acid HCl, sulfuric acid H2SO4.
HCl is hydrogen chloride, hydrochloric acid. H2SO4
is hydrogen sulfate or sulfuric acid. Notice hydrogen
is a part of both. The percentage of hydrogen determines
acidity or alkalinity.
If a substance is alkali it contains alkali ions
(OH). Hydroxides are alkaline in nature and are
seen in such compounds as caustic soda or commonly
referred to as lye (NaOH), or sodium hydroxide.
By knowing the above information, pH then is a measurement
of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution.
In a solution containing water (H2O)
there are present both alkaline as well as acidic
ions. In a neutral
cleaning solution, the alkaline ions and acidic ions
are equal. In acidic solutions the acidic ions outnumber
the alkaline ions. In an alkaline solution, the
alkaline ions outnumber the acidic ions. Therefore
it becomes possible by understanding this information
to measure the pH of a compound.
The reason for understanding the importance of pH
is critical in the proper selection of cleaners for a particular job.
What is really happening in cleaning is that one
is attempting to "neutralize" the impact
of the acidic or the alkaline ions. When a surface
requires cleaning, the selection and use of the
proper product results in the surface being cleaned
or "neutralized".
If one has a dusty floor which is otherwise clean,
it would not be practical to use a heavy alkaline
cleaner to remove the dust. One would respond to
a problem of a dusty floor by either vacuum
sweeping or dust-mopping
it. In a number of ways all of us have interacted
with this idea of neutralizing a surface or have
had to clean something. We may not have been aware
of pH but we nevertheless utilized the theory behind
pH. Did you ever have an overactive acid problem
in your stomach caused by overeating or eating the
wrong foods? If so you probably took a commercial
preparation intended to neutralize the acid in your
stomach. And oh! What a relief it was. (Alka-Seltzer
is an alkaline product). The purpose of the information
herein is to help you thoroughly understand pH.
The pH scale can be expresses as follows:
Most of the soils that we encounter are a combination
of oils, dust, and dirt, and fall over the acid
side of the scale. In order to clean a surface with
acidic soiling, one would select a cleaner from
the alkaline side of the pH scale, since an alkaline
neutralizes an acid.
In cleaning a surface where a residue of water stains,
or oxides, or in such instance where soap scum in
a shower stall is found, an acid based cleaner,
like Foamy
Shower Care would be used to remove the buildup
from the surface. Most of the acids used for cleaning
purposes are mild solutions of diluted phosphoric
or hydrochloric acid. In some cases a blend of acids
might be offered as a cleaning agent since even
at very high dilution rates can be quite harmful
to human tissue as well as inanimate objects.
Some of the problems faced in the cleaning of hard
surfaces and the type of soil problem are indicated
below:
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Motor Oils
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Oily Hands
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Diesel Oil
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Engines
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Cooking Oil
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Tools
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Dirty Walls
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Vent-A-Hoods
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Ovens
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Fifth Wheels
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Cigarette Tars
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Axle Grease
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Oil from Skin
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Greasy Floors
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If one can determine the basic soil condition,
then selection of the correct product for cleaning
is much easier.
Alkaline Soil Conditions
- Requires Acid Cleaner
For a alkaline soil condition, use a disinfectant
like; Brulin
Maxima RTU.
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Milk Stone
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Metal Oxides
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Water Spots
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Ferrous Oxide (Rust)
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Calcium Deposits
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Inside of Dishwasher
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Lime Deposits
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Toilet Bowls
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Uric Acid Salts
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Urinals
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Dirty Shower Stalls
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There are 3 ways to determine pH.
1. Litmus Paper - If acidic, paper turns red. If
alkaline, paper turns blue.
2. pH Paper - Paper turns various colors depending
on the strength of the acid or alkali. This method
is the crudest of the three in order to determine
pH.
3. Electronic pH Meters - Provide an accurate quantitative
reading and is a must for research and quality control.
Finally, there is one other factor relative to pH
that needs to be explained, and has to do with the
corrosiveness of a compound.
Both acids and alkali's have the capability of being
corrosive, although one would have a pH range of
0 (acid), while the other would range in the area
of 14 (alkali). Sodium hydroxide, a very strong
and corrosive alkali would have the same damaging
effect on human tissue as sulfuric acid.
If a 25% concentration of sulfuric acid and phosphoric
acid were measured for pH, both would range in the
area of 0. However, if sulfuric acid were allowed
to contact human tissue, severe burns would result,
while the average person would not detect even a
burning sensation from contact with the phosphoric
acid. Why? The answer lies in the corrosive nature
of some acids over others.
Through experimentation and testing over the years
by chemists, certain characteristics were observed
in reactions of acids and alkalis, and were assigned
classifications accordingly. One of the classifications
is corrosiveness. Therefore to classify a product
or compound as being corrosive means that it would
have the potential to eat away at something, in
some cases very rapidly, and it would have the capability
of being harmful to human tissue as well as inanimate
objects.
It is incumbent upon each one who offers cleaning
products for sale to understand that some compounds
are corrosive by their very nature and should be
handled according to the label directions on the
container.All corrosive products are labeled as
such and must follow strict guidelines imposed by
the Federal Government.
As one studies proper use of cleaning products,
it will become clear that knowledge of pH is a very
important issue.
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