There are more cleaning chemicals available today than ever before, and building service contractors need to weigh their options carefully. Too few chemicals and they might not be able to do the job; too many and they risk cluttered closets and confused users. Get the wrong formula and misuse, customer dissatisfaction and wasted money could ensue.

What works for one BSC or one task may not work for another. Chemical concentrates work wonders for some applications, and ready-to-use bottles are vital to others. A general disinfectant is essential, sure, but does every business need specialty products as well? Some cleaning decision-makers offer their advice to help BSCs determine which chemicals they need.



Concentrate vs. RTU

One decision BSCs need to make is whether to use a concentrate or a ready-to-use (RTUs) chemical. Concentrates can ship in a variety of formats — pre-measured packets that get emptied into a bucket or spray bottle with the proper amount of water, or in a bulk bucket or drum, to be dispensed through a chemical-management system. RTUs, on the other hand, arrive full strength in spray bottles or jugs.

For many applications, BSCs prefer concentrates.

“It’s more cost-effective — it costs less per bottle, and we can control usage better,” says Tom Heveron, CEO of Beachland Cleaning Service, Vero Beach, Fla. “About 95 percent of what we use are concentrates.”

However, that usage control only works if the chemicals are diluted properly. Many cleaners tend to guess, rather than measure, the water-to-chemical ratio. Too much of the concentrate can damage surfaces and waste money, and too little can be ineffective.

Tom Brennan, owner of Shining Image of Logan, Utah, suggests using a chemical-management system, such as a dispensing station that automatically dilutes the chemicals with water to the proper concentration.

“Seriously look at a chemical-management system for all of your buildings,” says Brennan. “You save money, and you clean better than if you use the ‘glug-glug’ method.”

Another way of controlling chemical usage is through pre-measured packets. Most of John Kronenfeld’s chemicals are such packets — and he keeps a sharp eye on them.

“I usually don’t put the packets in the hands of the team,” says Kronenfeld, president of NRG Maintenance Co., Bellflower, Calif. Instead, bottles get filled at the office and transported to the job site, allowing him to keep track of chemical use and virtually guarantee a proper dilution.

Even though concentrates are good for many applications, sometimes, RTUs are more appropriate.

“Some of our ready-to-use chemicals are chosen because of the client,” says Kronenfeld. “They like the way it looks and smells in the bucket. Appeal to as many of the client’s senses as you can.”

Also, not everything is available in concentrate, says Brennan. For example, he prefers using aerosol-based odor-control products.

For certain mold-removal application, Heveron uses a ready-to-use chemical, because he doesn’t use much of it and he finds it more effective than the equivalent concentrate.



General vs. specific

Most BSCs’ supply closets include disinfectant, glass cleaner, bowl cleaner and other general chemicals.

“I try to keep the number of chemicals to a minimum,” Kronenfeld says. “That minimizes the chance someone will use the wrong one.”

NRG’s primary chemicals include a window cleaner and a general-purpose, quaternary ammonium disinfectant, in different colors for easy identification.

Heveron also prefers simplicity.

“We use a general disinfectant, which makes things simpler for the cleaner,” he says. “We don’t have to worry about damaging surfaces by using the wrong chemical.”

However, a disinfectant isn’t a miracle cure, cautions Brennan.

“It depends on the soil load you’re taking on,” he says. “If it’s run-of-the-mill, a general disinfectant cleaner should do the trick.”

If there’s a high soil load, or unusual substance or surface, a specialty chemical might be needed.

Kronenfeld agrees. Specialty chemicals enter the picture sporadically — Kronenfeld uses a degreaser for factory floors, and a variety of floor-finish compounds for different surfaces. Heveron’s mold-removal chemicals are another example of diversification.




POSTED ON: 5/1/2003