Understand wetcleaning chemistry
There are many cleaners who have problems
doing wetcleaning or using wetcleaning chemicals because they
do not understand the products that they are using.
There are some wetcleaning chemicals that
are incompatible with others.
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If the chemicals have a high PH, the soil
may be removed but so will the color. For that reason, it is
important to use all wetcleaning chemicals that are not only
safe but also compatible.
For example some cleaners may use a spray
spotter or lubricant that will break down when wetcleaned with
another manufacturers product. Your chemical representative can
give the information needed to achieve safe and consistent
wetcleaning.
Types of detergents
Anionic. If the cleaning surfactant is
anionic in nature, it means that the detergent has a negative
charge. This detergent is effective for cleaning most fabrics
and removing the necessary soil.
This detergent, however, is not
compatible with cationic detergents and cationic softeners
which are commonly used for silks and wools.
If it is used with cationic products they
will counteract each other, resulting in rings and loss of
cleaning effectiveness. It does not mean that you cannot
pre-spot wools and silks, but you should use pre-spotters that
are compatible.
Cationic. The cationic surfactant used
for cleaning has a positive charge. The type of detergent is
good for silk and wool because it coats the fiber. It prevents
the wool from shrinking because it keeps the fiber lubricated.
As we previously explained, if you use an
anionic detergent for spotting it will break down when in
contact with this cationic detergent.
This detergent should not be used on
glued-on trimmings or pigment print. It can loosen the adhesive
binder used. It also tends to remain in the fabric and will
produce rings and swales if used for cleaning quilted fabrics.
This detergent is usually acidic in
nature, which means it also has dye setting properties and is
not considered an aggressive cleaner.
Non-ionic. This cleaning surfactant has a
neutral charge and is compatible with any detergent. It is also
effective as a grease remover. This non-ionic detergent can be
a base for tannin, protein and grease remover pre-spotters. It
is used as a softening agent for wools and silks.
Citrus degreasers. This is a pre-spotter
used for removing dry side stains such as grease, oil, ink,
lipstick, paint, etc. This type of pre-spotter is made up of
oil from citrus products and is a nonionic surfactant. It can
affect pigment print, glued-on beading and Spandex. It can be
damaging to some dyes on silks, acetates and cottons. It should
be tested before use.
PH
The PH of water is 7 and is considered
neutral. When a chemical falls under this range, it is termed
an acid. When the PH is above 7, it is termed an alkali. The
strength of the chemical involved can be significant if the PH
changes. For example, if the PH of an alkali is 8 and another
chemical has a PH of 9, it means that the chemical in the 9
range can be 10 times as strong. The same condition occurs with
acids.
Acids. These are chemicals that release
hydrogen ions in the presence of water. Acids are found in
tannin formulas and cationic detergents for cleaning wools and
silks.
Alkalis. These are chemicals that release
hydroxyl ions in the presence of water. Alkali increases the
cleaning action of any detergent or pre-spotter.
The stronger the alkali the more soils
and stains it can remove, but it can also make it potentially
more dangerous. If you mix an alkali with a citrus-based
degreaser, it can make it much stronger but with more safety
factors to the fiber and dye. When using citrus degreasers, it
is safer to use products with only a slight alkalinity.
Summary
If you used one set of wetcleaning
chemicals from the same company, you can be assured of complete
compatibility. The chemical company can supply you with
necessary safety data for doing effective wetcleaning.
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