Why is one cleaning product good for removing grease and another good for removing limescale? Is it all a supermarket conspiracy that there is effectively no difference between one product and another?
Without ruling out conspiracy theories, (is it really the right product for every corner of the house?) The truth is that there is one thing that makes a grease removal product very different from a limescale removal product and that is its pH level.
I. What is pH?
pH (hydrogen potential) is an indicator of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution.
It is measured over a range of 0 to 14. The middle is neutral pH (7), 0 to 6 is acidic pH, and 8 to 14 is basic pH.
This classification is somewhat open-ended in cleaning products, which are considered neutral if their pH is between 6 and 8.
II. Why is it important to know the pH value?
It is important to have a rough idea of the pH value of a cleaning product for 3 reasons:
- Depending on their pH value, products can be used without damaging surfaces.
- Depending on their pH value, products can be effective at removing certain types of dirt, but not others.
- Depending on their pH value, products may or may not pose a risk to our skin or health.
1. Acidic cleaning products PH: 0-5
Properties and Uses
Their main property is their ability to eliminate residues of mineral origin, such as lime or rust.
Anything stated on the water scale or descaling label may be an acidic product.
Because of this limescale-removing property, most bathroom and toilet cleaners usually have an acidic pH.
Vinegar is also an acid (pH 3).
Acidic products should not be used on marble or granite as they can cause irreparable damage to the marble or granite. This includes vinegar, even if diluted with water.
2. Neutral PH value cleaning products: 6-8.
Performance and Usage
They are cleaning agents that remove dirt without affecting the top layer of the material. In this way, neutral products can be used to clean furniture coated with varnish, as it does not remove the varnish layer.
They are used to clean delicate surfaces or materials such as marble, granite and wood, as well as ‘less difficult’ soils that do not require acidic or alkaline products.
Floor cleaners and all-purpose cleaners usually have a neutral pH because they are designed to clean all types of materials. This is not always the case, for example if they contain bleach or are also disinfectants.
Regular dishwashers have a pH value of 8, which is almost neutral. If it's a skin care product or if it's gentle on the hands, it will have a pH value very close to 7.
3. Alkaline Cleaning Products pH: 9-14.
Performance and Usage
Their main property is that they eliminate organic residues such as fats.
Their second property is that they are disinfectants. Which and how many bacteria they kill depends entirely on the composition of the product, but in general, if the product is a disinfectant, it is likely to be alkaline.
Ammonia (pH 11-12), bleach (pH 12-13), oven cleaner (pH 11-13), pipe cleaners (pH 13-14) and generally all degreasing products are alkaline.
Bicarbonates (pH 9) and sodium percarbonate, also known as activated oxygen (pH 10-11), are also alkaline.
They are corrosive products, which means that they gradually wear away the top layer of the material and therefore should not be used continuously on delicate surfaces. The higher the pH, the more corrosive the product.
An example of this is the bleach in toilet cleaners. If your toilet seat has metal parts, you need to avoid touching them with the cleaner as the bleach can damage the top layer of the metal over time.
Baking soda is an exception to this rule, as its pH makes it alkaline enough to remove grease and grime, but not enough to be corrosive.
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III.How do I know the pH of a cleaning product?
Ideally, the manufacturer would put it on the label, but not many people do.
If you want to know the pH value of a specific product, you have two options:
Write the name of the product in Google (or your favourite search engine) and add the technical sheet at the end. The first result should be a pdf file containing the technical or safety sheet of the product, which will show its pH value.
Purchase your own pH meter, digital or manual (colour changing bar) and remember your high school chemistry labs.
IV. How does the pH of cleaning products affect us?
In general, any cleaning product can have harmful effects on our skin, eyes or respiratory system. They are intended to clean inert surfaces and are not intended to come into contact with our skin. The further away we are from the centre of the scale (7), the more problems they cause us.
Some products cause immediate damage on first contact, while others cause cumulative damage, i.e., damage that occurs only after multiple uses of the product.
For example, a dishwasher used every day will eventually dry out the skin on our hands. Extreme products can cause skin burns and severely damage our eyes within seconds.
Since cleaning is something we must do regularly throughout our lives, it's best to get used to wearing gloves and opening windows while cleaning, especially if we use acidic or alkaline products.
It is also important not to mix products. There is no need to play mad scientist in our homes as many products have been invented in the market.
V. How do I choose the right product for each type of dirt?
If there's one thing we can't complain about, it's the number of cleaning products on the market. There are so many that sometimes it's hard to make a decision.
However, once you know that their properties depend on their pH value, the choice is a little easier:
Acidic products fight limescale, neutral products can be used for daily cleaning of any surface and alkaline products remove stubborn grease and disinfection.
Which specific products you choose will depend on your preferences (commercial or natural products), your current needs (if you have children, pets ......), your lifestyle (do you clean every day or only on weekends ......), etc.
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