Dilutable cleaners

All-purpose dilutable cleaners are often used for floor cleaning. This results in a laborious task mixing of the solution in a bucket, washing of the floor with a mop (which must then be cleaned), rinsing of the cleaned surface (difficult on a large horizontal surface), and then cleaning the solution bucket in which the removed soil resides. 

Wood floor cleaning also seems to be a special case for some consumers with cleaners formulated for this particular use [193], Certainly, wood floors have a higher sensitivity to water-based cleaners than almost any other type of flooring. This is one of the few types of dilutable cleaner in which soap is seen as the main surfactant [194],... 

Surface safety is evaluated in the same manner as for the dilutable cleaners, by letting the product sit on a surface for a predetermined amount of time. Safety profiles for spray cleaners can be quite different from dilutable cleaners due to the different proportions of solvent/surfactant generally used. 

Wipe cleaners can be tested in one of two ways either just the cleaning solution can be tested (using the methods outlined above for spray or dilutable cleaners) or the final wipe itself with cleaning solution on the nonwoven substrate can be tested. The testing of the wipe for cleaning performance would have to be, because of the form, abrader testing. In this case, however, there would be no question of how to apply the cleaner, or how much, if wet wipes are used. 

The spray cleaners are used for jobs that used to be done by either low dilutions or direct application of the dilutable cleaners. The spray cleaners have many advantages over using the dilutable cleaners this way. First and foremost, the spray format makes it easy to spread a small amount of cleaner over a wide area or to apply to a small spot. Second, the higher solvent content makes these cleaners more effective at penetrating greasy soils. Third, the relatively lower level of surfactant produces less foam and makes them easier to rinse or wipe up. 

Similar to the disinfectant dilutable cleaners, disinfectant spray cleaners are intended to both clean and disinfect. Although they are very popular with consumers, they are not used without controversy in microbiological circles [50,51]. The usual disinfectant ingredient used in these cleaners is quats (quaternary ammonium surfactants), which were discussed with the dilutable cleaners. As previously mentioned, these disinfectants are inactivated by anionic surfactants, so these formulas are usually formulated with only nonionic surfactants. 

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