House Keeping Basics - Cleaning Agents

Contributed By: Ms. Gaaural Thakur

• What are detergents.
• These are the cleaning agents used in conjunction with water, loosens and removes the dirt and prevents it to settle back on the surface.
• Explain Abrasives.
• These are the cleaning agents which depend on the rubbing or scratching action to clean the dirt and grit from the hard surfaces.
• Reagents.
• These agents make the cleaning happen by the Chemical reaction requiring the distinctly low or high Ph.
• Explain polishes.
• These are the chemicals which produces shine by providing a smooth surface from which light is reflected evenly.
• Types of furniture polish.
• Paste polishes.
• Cream polishes.
• Liquid polishes.
• Spray on polishes.
• Floor sealers.
• This is a semi permanent finish applied on the floor which prevents the entry of Dirt, Grid or any other foreign substances.
• Oleo-resinous sealers.
• These are clear solvent based sealers used on all types of wooden floors.

• Explain the following terms and enlist the use of these cleaning agents
• Ammonia.
• It comes in liquid form it is solution of Ammonia gas in water. It is strong alkali used for softening the water or main constituent of glass cleaner.
• Bath brick
• Reddish brown powder used for scouring and polishing of metals.
• Benzene
• Stain removing agent to remove paint and tar stains.
• Borax
• Stain removing agent to remove coffee or tea stains.
• Bran
• Used mainly in laundry as a dry cleaning as a grease absorbent.
• Fullers earth
• This is also a grease absorbent mainly used for wooden surfaces.
• Hydrochloric acid
• Used for age old method of toilet cleaning now hardly used.
• Jwellers rouge
• A major constituent of silver polisher also available in the form of pink color powder: Chemical name – Ferric tetra oxide.
• Linseed oil
• A major constituent of furniture polishes and paints it is obtained from the seeds of flax plant.
• Magnesia
• Used as dry cleaning agent for fabrics like Felt, Fur, and Woolen articles.
• Methylated spirits
• A stain removing agent used to remove nail polish stains.
• Oxalic acids
• This is a stain removing agent used to remove ink stains.
• Paraffin oil
• Used for cleaning of greasy substances
• Petrol
• Old or cheap method of dry cleaning.
• Pumice
• An abrasive for metals, earthenware and enamel.
• Rotten stone
• Used for cleaning of copper, brass, and earthenware.
• Sawdust
• Used as both abrasive as well as grease absorbent.
• QACs
• Quaternary Ammonium Compounds. They are used as disinfectants, surfactants, fabric softeners, and as antistatic agents (e.g. in shampoo). In liquid fabric softeners, the chloride salts are often used
• Per chloroethelene
• Dry cleaning Chemical
• Tri chloroethelene
• Dry cleaning Chemical
• Carbon tetra chloride
• Dry cleaning Chemical
• Bees wax
• Used as wood polish obtained from honeycomb structures.
• Ph Scale
• This is a scale that measures the acidity or alkalinity of the substance,
• 7 is neutral
• Less than 7 is acidic while
• 7 to 14 is alkaline