Powder or Liquid Chemicals

ADVANTAGES OF A LIQUID vs. A POWDER CLEANING AGENT

By Ed Valentine, President, Cross-American Corp

Trying to convince someone that a Liquid Cleaning Agent is much better than a Powder one, can sometimes be like trying to convince a Carpenter that a composite handled hammer is much better than a wooden handled one. The determining factor here is that it becomes a matter of personal preference. Sometimes the real advantage of one over the other may be far too small that many of us would not be concerned when we go about our daily routines of satisfying the customer first, before ever considering these smaller details.

There can be many times when our products at hand can and will make the difference between:

1. The Effort (amount of times we have stroke the carpet with our cleaning wand) we put into the original amount of square footage we bid on.

2.  The effectiveness of the Water (what we all use to clean with in our solution tanks)

3.  The machine Life and Maintenance (impact of using these agents)

Now, let’s dissect all three individually.

 "The amount of effort" one puts into the cleaning of a carpet will inevitably fall on how efficient and effective their cleaning agent is. For example, if one bids on 1,000 sq. feet of carpeting to clean, and it takes them an average of 2 strokes per cleaning, they are actually covering 2,000 sq. feet of cleaning. If, however, it takes 4 strokes, then this figure would be 4,000 sq. feet. Consequently, if you figure out the real amount of sq. footage you are covering in terms of labor, then your real profit per square footage would go way, way down. Therefore, if the effectiveness of the cleaning agent is top notch, you reduce time, labor, and increase profit per job.

"The amount of water" would also have a direct correlation to the facts above. If the cleaning agent is not effective, it will not aid in the cleaning process and thus, the carpet would require more rinsing to. The more rinsing; the more water usage; the more cleaning agent required per job; the more fill ups; and even possibly, the greater the saturation of the carpeting.

"The Life & Maintenance" of the machine would also largely depend upon what particular cleaning agents (and what the ingredients are) we are using through the machine. For example, if we employ an abrasive agent that is not fully dissolved (ex: Powder) it will have a wearing effect on our pump components and the o-rings in our valves. It can further plug up our spray jets, tank fillers, thus creating  back pressures on our pump seals, and sometimes, even resistance on the pump motor drive itself. Furthermore, I have witnessed many powdered agents leaving a white powder residue in the solution tanks and hoses. This residue will eventually plug up our filters and transfer back into our pump valves. All of these situations will have an adverse effect on machine life.

Through my own experience as a one-time Professional Cleaner and now, manufacturer, I can in confidence conclude that a LIQUID Cleaning Agent when used properly, can be much more effective in so many ways, as stated above.

Liquid cleaning agents are “pre-dissolved” whether the operator uses them in cold, warm, or hot water temperature cleaning. It doesn’t matter how they are used because they will thoroughly mix and dissipate throughout when added to clean clear water in a solution tank. Many times, unless the water is extremely hot, powdered cleaning agents will only partially dissolve leaving a grainy residue (similar to a crystallized salt) at the bottom of the solution tank that will eventually accelerate the clogging of filters, etc. Liquids on the other hand, are very convenient when used as a Spotting agent because, unlike Powders, they require no dissolving. Liquids are also very compatible with buna, viton o-rings in our valves and pumps, and can even have a lubricating effect; thus not having the abrasive properties of a powder.

I have also noticed that Liquids do not have a tendency to leave a “powdered residue” (also indicated by a dullness of fibers) that is sometimes noticeable on just cleaned carpeting when dried.

Some may feel that a powder is more concentrated and dense where a liquid is more diluted and not so dense. However, nothing could be so far from the truth. One can measure a concentrated liquid and obtain an accurate amount consistently because a liquid will conform to the shape of the container (measuring cup). A powder, on the other hand, will not have consistent measurement accuracy because of many microscopic air spaces between particles. When compared to a liquid, a Powder is less dense (larger volume due to air spaces than actual mass), hence less concentrated, and will float on top of the water unless we thoroughly mix it.

The most important thing for us to remember here when speaking specifically of cleaning agents, is to separate the word, “Liquid” from “water”. Because when water is added to any Liquid cleaning agent (or powder), it actually becomes a vital “solvent” in the cleaning process. And, perhaps this is the good news and new twist in our industry: With the advent and birth of the newer (which I’ll label) “Hybrid” Super Concentrate liquids (ex: Cross-American Kwik-Mix Formulations) that are formulated as a syrup and mixed on-location by the user, they are shipped without the addition of water. Therefore, these super concentrated hybrid liquids are very inexpensive (less weight) to ship than powders; extremely concentrated without fillers (many powders have Soda Ash); take up a lot less storage space than powders; and if ever frozen, can easily be thawed and reused without any affect on their efficiency! And, now these Hybrid Concentrates are heavily comprised of water softeners that help condition the water and break down surface tension much quicker and thoroughly, instead of the traditional generic ingredients that comprise most other “Liquids”.

In conclusion, I hope that I helped logically convince you of the many advantages a Liquid has over a Powder. Now, I think I’ll go get a glass of that freshly squeezed (liquid) Florida orange juice rather than that jar of (powdered) Tang sitting on the shelf!