Save Time And Money With Proper Cleaning Chemical Measurements

A lot of janitors think that using the right amount of chemical is good, but more is better. What can happen if janitors improperly dose chemicals when cleaning or spray too much chemical on surfaces?

Proper measurement of chemical is important. If janitors use too much chemistry, it can leave a sticky surface that attracts more soil and makes the next cleaning cycle take longer. If the janitors uses too little chemical it may not do the job intended. In situations like sanitization or disinfection, it may not disinfect properly. This is mainly for dilution-based chemistries. However, oversprayed/applied cleaning chemicals can also require longer and more secondary materials to clean up, costing more per job to clean. – Chris Plotz, Product Development Manager, ITW Pro Brands, Olathe, Kansas

Overuse of product is bad on multiple levels. From an environmental position, overuse introduces more products unnecessarily into the environment. Secondly, overuse or over dilution may damage the surface being cleaned. Economically, over dilution is wastefully expensive. Under dilution causes poor product performance, which increases labor costs. – Bob Stahurski, President and CEO, Nyco Products Company, Countryside, Illinois

Quality cleaning products should be formulated to work effectively at a particular dilution and application rate. They should be tested according to standards to ensure they perform effectively as directed. Improperly diluting or dosing cleaning products could have negative consequences such as residue buildup, streaking, damage to the surface and unnecessary costs. – Jim Bruno, Senior Marketing Manager - Facilities Supplies, Rochester Midland Corporation, Rochester, New York

Product concentrates are designed to work at targeted dilutions. If too much product is used, the chemical can become counterproductive and leave a residue that makes surfaces slippery and attract soil. The best way to illustrate this point is to take a bottle of lotion and place a small drop in someone’s hand. The amount should be enough to do the job. Next, flood the hand with lotion. The person will then see that there isn’t enough area for the lotion to go and they will be looking for towels. That is what happens with using too much chemical. – Jason Welch, Micribiologist, Spartan Chemical Company, Inc., Maumee, Ohio