What You Should Know About The PH Scale - The Janitorial Store

TheJanitorialStore.com

Having the basic knowledge and understanding of cleaning chemistry is essential for choosing the correct cleaner for the type of soil being removed and to help eliminate any potential damage caused to your customer's property.

When we hear the word “chemistry” the first things that come to mind is complex, complicated, and confusing. For cleaning business owners, it really doesn't have to be that way. Comprehending the pH scale and grasping the general idea of how the cleaning chemicals we use effects the soils and surfaces we clean, is relatively easy.

How Well Do You Know the pH Scale?

Knowing the pH Scale

The pH scale determines the balance of acidity or alkalinity (alkaline is sometimes referred to: base) of a solution. All pH is measured on a logarithmic scale from zero to 14 with 7.0 being neutral. At the 0 end of the scale, solutions are very acidic. Moving up around 2 on the scale is the rating for lemon juice, around 3 is vinegar and soda, around 4 is wine and beer and so on. Pure water has a pH of 7.0, which is neutral.

As you move up past the scale from 7.0, solutions become more alkaline; baking soda has a pH of around 8, Milk of Magnesia has a pH of 10, household ammonia has a pH of 11, and household bleach has a pH of 12. Oven cleaners and Drano fall between 13 and 14.

If the soil you are trying to remove is slightly acidic, you would use a slightly alkaline cleaner, and vis-versa. For example, a customer has spilled their morning glass of tomato juice on the carpet by their desk. The carpet cleaner you will want to use should have a high pH since tomato juice has a low pH on the scale.

Remember to rinse the carpet after cleaning with pure water (7.0) in order to completely remove any cleaner left behind. The closer to neutral the chemical, the gentler it will be on the surface being cleaned.

High pH detergents may be required when floors are heavily embedded with wax or badly soiled with grease. However, it is not recommended to use harsh chemicals for daily floor cleaning. Instead, use a high quality cleaner with a neutral pH that will not harm the surface.

Strong acids (low pH) may be required to clean toilet bowls (removes those tough mineral deposits). Be aware that strong acids are very corrosive and they can eat through metal. Your employees should always have the proper protective gear when working with chemical solutions. Cloth or cotton type gloves will not protect an employee's skin from these chemicals. Make sure you have the proper gloves available (usually a latex or nitrile glove) for your employees to use when handling chemicals.

As with all cleaning procedures, it is recommended to begin with the least evasive action (neutral cleaner or pure water) and work your way to a more aggressive action and chemicals until the soil has been completely removed.

In a nut shell, solutions that land at either end of the pH scale are extremely powerful and corrosive. Improperly using cleaners with too low or too high of a pH can ruin surfaces. In addition, mixing low pH solutions with high pH solutions is dangerous, and can cause injury or death. Employees need to be aware that mixing chemicals together to make their own "super" cleaning solution is never a good idea.

A simple understanding of the pH scale and applying that knowledge to your cleaning regiments and chemical choices will give you a better understanding of the cleaners' effectiveness against the different types of soils you will come up against. And finally, we want to reiterate the importance of have all cleaning technicians that work with cleaning chemicals wear the appropriate personal protection equipment to help insure a safe work environment. Happy Cleaning!

Additional resources available to current The Janitorial Store members only

Reference chart to see what the pH is of common products

WEBINAR: The Basics of Cleaning Chemistry - Part 1

WEBINAR: The Basics of Cleaning Chemistry - Part 2

Copyright The Janitorial Store. All Rights Reserved

Certified Safety Training for Janitorial Employees

Janitorial safety training must be a priority in your cleaning business. Not only is it your responsibility to keep your employees safe, but paying added Worker's Compensation fees due to your own lack of training just does not make good business sense.

Buy the Training Program and learn how to use it to get Certified!

Visit our Store for Certification Training Programs

Non-Member Price $147.00 Member Price $97.00

Recommending Resources

• Improve Cleaning Quality With Commercial Cleaning Inspections
• Training Workers On Safe Lifting And Material Handling
• Precautions to Take When Cleaning Windows
• What To Look For When Choosing "Green" Floor Equipment
• Cleaning with Hydrogen Peroxide
• Safety Cleaning a Commercial Office Building