ABSTRACT
I. Introduction ........................................................................................................... 154 A. Background................................................................................................ 154 B. Classification of Household Soils ............................................................. 154 C. Classification of Household Surfaces ....................................................... 156 D. Test Methods ............................................................................................. 157
1. Encrusted grease and soap scum removal................................. 157 2. Limescale removal ..................................................................... 158 3. Shine performance ..................................................................... 158 4. Foaming profile.......................................................................... 158
II. Surface Cleaner Formulations............................................................................... 159 A. All-Purpose Cleaners................................................................................. 159
1. Suds and Other Aesthetic Parameters ....................................... 159 2. Performance Profile ................................................................... 159 3. Technology................................................................................. 160
B. Bathroom Cleaners.................................................................................... 164 1. Suds and aesthetics .................................................................... 164 2. Technology................................................................................. 165
C. Toilet Bowl Cleaners................................................................................. 167 D. Bleach Cleaners......................................................................................... 169 E. Cream Cleansers........................................................................................ 170 F. Glass Cleaners ........................................................................................... 171 G. Carpet Cleaners ......................................................................................... 172
1. Spotters and High Traffic Cleaners ........................................... 172 2. Shampoos ................................................................................... 173
154 Scialla
3. Spray Extraction Formulations .................................................. 173 III. Future Trends......................................................................................................... 174 Acknowledgments........................................................................................................... 175 References ....................................................................................................................... 175
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Background In this discussion we will define household surface cleaners as products used to clean hard or soft surfaces in the home, with the exclusion of dishes and laundry items. The above definition gives an idea of the vastness of the field in terms of soil and surface types to deal with. Just to provide a few examples, soils can go from generic dust to clay, oil, greasy encrustations, soap scum, limescale, water marks, urine, mold, and mildew. Surfaces can vary from wood to ceramic, enamel, porcelain, glass, marble, stainless steel, various metals, linoleum, carpets, and several plastics. This variety of soils and surfaces causes a significant complexity for the formulator, who needs to make sure products are effective against virtually any type of soil without damaging the substrate to be cleaned. An additional difficulty stems from the fact that hard surface cleaners are mostly used at room temperature, where reaction kinetics is relatively slow, and contact time between product and surface is usually quite short. Also, the user can have a big and to a large extent unpredictable influence on the cleaning end result, for instance by using different application methods (e.g., sponge or wipe or kitchen paper), applying different degrees of pressure/rubbing, or adopting different levels of dilution with tap water. Thus the household surface cleaning process has a much higher degree of variability than the laundry cleaning process, which typically occurs inside a washing machine and therefore is more reproducible. Due to this high degree of complexity, it is useful to adopt a classification of soils and surfaces that allows us to make reference to them in a simplified manner.
