They say the thrill is in the hunt. So much time is spent tracking down the “Magic Bullet” product for specific cleaning concerns. We search online and weed through the hundreds of internet “Superstores”, we go on message boards to get opinions and we fight for every penny off that we can get. Then it’s done. We successfully got the best product for the job at the lowest possible price. Now what? Far too often we get this product on the job and it doesn’t solve all of our problems, and the search is back on. And so it goes, while the cleanliness of the building declines and the budget decreases because we keep buying products that “don’t work”.

What if the product isn’t the problem?

We saw it work on TV. The attractive person sprayed it on the ground in grease or soil and immediately wiped it ALL away in one swipe. Just like most things we see on TV, this isn’t real life. Cleaning products are designed to be used in very specific ways to get the desired results. The first thing to look for is, do I use this product straight out of the bottle or do I dilute it? Any product that has RTU on the bottle means “Ready to Use” and can be used straight. Other products are designed to be diluted and are called concentrates. These chemicals have been formulated to work best when mixed with an exact amount of water. The most common mistake made when using concentrated chemicals is simply using too much product. The misconception is that more is better. This usually results in a chemical residue that attracts more soil. This can also have a significant effect on the health of the user.

Once the product is properly mixed, how long are you allowing it to work? Most products need a minimum of 5 minutes to break down the soils. The old “spray and wipe” method does not give the chemical sufficient time to do its’ job. If soil is coming off the surface it is a result of the wiping, disregarding the chemical altogether. In the case of disinfectants, the average required dwell time is 10 minutes before the kill claims on the bottle are accurate. The other important step often skipped is actually wiping the product off of the surface and rinsing with clean water when required. No matter how great the product is, if it isn’t used as intended it will not yield the intended results.

Before using ANY cleaning products you must first read the directions carefully to determine if it’s the right product for that surface and soil load, how it should be mixed (if at all) and how long it needs to sit/dwell before being rinsed. If you follow this one step you are bound to see better results from all of your cleaning products.