Mixed Up About Mixing Cleaning Chemicals?

Selecting The Right Chemical Dilution Control System For Your Custodial Operation

By Keith Schneringer, LEED® AP O+M, Senior Director of Marketing JanSan + Sustainability, BradyPLUS

Keith Schneringer

Does selecting the right cleaning chemicals for your custodial operation have you mixed up?

Not sure whether or not you should utilize ready-to-use chemicals, bulk chemicals, or a chemical dilution control dispensing system?

Or perhaps you know you need a dilution control system, but you are still mixed up about which one would be best for you?

If any of these statements describe your current chemical situation, or even if you are just curious about some criteria to consider when choosing your next cleaning chemical dilution control system, read on for some suggestions for your consideration.

A Comprehensive Cleaning Chemical Program Checklist

Using cleaning chemicals in your facilities will most likely involve cleaning tasks focused on items such as horizontal and vertical surfaces, certain objects that may be in your facilities, and various types of floors that are in your facilities.

Here are some examples to represent each of these different items to be cleaned:

• Horizontal surfaces include items like desks and sinks;
• Vertical surfaces include items like walls and windows;
• Objects include items like dishes or laundry; and,
• Floors include items like tiles or carpet.

Once you have taken inventory of all the different types of items you will be cleaning, some other questions to ask include:

• What types of dirts and soils are on these surfaces, objects, and floors?
• How often do these surfaces, objects, and floors need to be cleaned?
• How many of these surfaces, objects, and floors need to be cleaned?

If the answer to most of these questions is “more than a couple,” you are definitely a candidate for a cleaning chemical dilution control dispensing system.

Benefits Of Cleaning Chemical Dilution Control Dispensing Systems

Now let’s review the three basic options to provide cleaning chemicals to your custodial staff to clean these items in your facilities:

• Ready-to-use (RTU) – the most convenient option since you don’t have to mix chemicals, but also the most expensive over time since you are paying for more water and packaging.
• Bulk Concentrates – the most flexible option since you can mix the chemicals to make them either weaker or stronger to different dilution ratios, but also potentially the most wasteful and least safe since most cleaning workers will come into contact with the chemicals. Those workers may also inaccurately measure the appropriate amount of chemicals, using instead the “guestimating” and “glug glug” methods, which can make chemicals too strong.
• Dilution Control Dispensing Systems – the best of both worlds, this option provides the convenience of automatic dispensing, the accuracy of precise dilutions, and the waste reduction and economy of chemical concentrates that reduce the amount of water and packaging you are purchasing.

The reason why a chemical dilution control system makes sense in most custodial operations is that there are typically a handful of cleaning chemicals that get used the most to clean the various items already described.

And while ready-to-use cleaning chemicals are convenient and certainly have their place in a comprehensive cleaning chemical program for certain spray and wipe situations like cleaning/polishing stainless steel or furniture, for the most part it is most economical for daily cleaning tasks to be handled by chemicals that have been diluted from a concentrate.

Types Of Chemical Dilution Control Dispensing Systems

There are a variety of different ways to deploy chemical dilution control throughout your cleaning operation including:

• Wall-Mounted Dispenser – one of the most popular ways to dispense cleaning chemicals, these dispensers are consistent, able to mix many different types of cleaning chemicals, and able to be locked for security purposes. Ideal for larger facilities, and for stationary cleaning applications such as dishes and laundry.
• Portable Dispenser – a great alternative that offers some more portability and flexibility, these dispensers are also able to mix different types of cleaning chemicals. Ideal for smaller facilities with smaller custodial closets and more spread-out buildings.
• Pre-Measured Packet or Pouch System – another great alternative when portability and flexibility is needed, these pre-measured packets or pouches are designed to be mixed directly into a spray bottle or mop bucket. Ideal for smaller facilities with smaller custodial closets and more spread-out buildings.

Typically, it is beneficial to select one of these dilution control ways in order to deploy a consistent dilution control system throughout your cleaning operation, and to then stick with it to make it easier to train your staff and decrease the amount of confusion. Ultimately, you can also mix and match across your operation to have the best system for each situation.

Key Considerations For A Chemical Dilution Control Dispensing System

Some other important considerations for your chemical dilution control system include:

• Cost Effectiveness – be sure to request a proposal that breaks down the cost of cleaning chemicals to a Ready-to-Use (RTU) quart and RTU gallon price, and expect to pay pennies per quart or gallon instead of dollars per quart or gallon.
• Safety – be sure to request a “closed loop” system to help prevent cleaning workers from coming into contact with the chemical concentrates.
• Security – be sure to request a system that is lockable and tamper-resistant to prevent cleaning workers from altering dilution ratios.
• Accuracy – be sure to request a system that offers dilution tips in each of the chemical concentrates and that has a way to regulate water pressure to maintain consistency in order to better ensure accuracy of dilution.
• Flexibility – be sure to request a system that offers all of the different types of cleaning chemicals you will need, whether that is glass cleaner, restroom cleaner, neutral cleaner, disinfectant cleaner, multipurpose cleaner, carpet cleaner, bioactive cleaner, degreaser, or deodorizer.
• Training – be sure to request a system that uses color-coding and images for more effective training.
• Sustainability – be sure to request a system that includes third-party certified green cleaning chemicals in recycled content packaging to meet sustainability goals.

Following these suggestions and working with your local distributor can help you to narrow down the right choice and get you on the path to selecting the best dilution control system for your cleaning operation.

BradyPLUS is a leading specialized distributor and solution provider focused on JanSan, Foodservice, and Industrial Packaging, delivering the right SUPPLIES + SUPPORT to ensure businesses are more successful every day. Please visit www.BradyPLUS.com.

Author Bio: Keith Schneringer has been in the sanitary supply industry since 1990 and is currently the Senior Director of Marketing JanSan + Sustainability for BradyPLUS, a specialized distributor and solution provider in facility care, foodservice, and industrial packaging. In his current role, Keith is responsible for marketing to the jan/san and facility care industry, for developing vertical-market-specific programs to better assist customers, and for leading the company’s sustainability initiatives. Before assuming his current responsibilities, he worked as an account consultant, sales manager, marketing manager, and director of channel marketing + sustainability for WAXIE Sanitary Supply.