Why You Should Use a Degreaser
Cleaning isn’t much fun, especially when you don’t have the right products. If you need to clean grease, oil and grime then a degreaser should be your go-to. Degreasers are there to minimise wiping and scrubbing to do the job quickly. Many degreasers are water-based solvents that break apart the contaminants with ease. Degreasers are used for both industrial and commercial applications.
Degreasers are strong and can contain hazardous chemicals. It is important to handle them with care for both safety and environmental reasons. At Ecospill we are dedicated to providing smarter environmental solutions.
In this article, we will discuss some reasons why you should use a degreaser.
WHAT IS A DEGREASER?
Having a clean work environment should always be a priority. Some messes are more difficult to clean than others and will require a degreaser. A degreaser is designed to cut through grease, oil, corrosion inhibitors, handling soils, cutting fluids, fingerprints, and other contaminants. These are common in many workshops such as automotive repair shops. Degreasers are also used in some commercial kitchens and domestic cleaning jobs. Degreasers have different formulations, so you need to be cautious of this when choosing yours. Now let’s discuss why you should use a degreaser.
WHY YOU SHOULD USE A DEGREASER
Keeping your workspace clean is important for productivity and safety. Having a heavily soiled area will slow work down and make it difficult to complete tasks. Having a good degreaser on hand for frequent cleaning is essential. Grease and grime can cause safety issues in a workshop. These issues include:
- Corrosion – some contaminants will begin to corrode if left on for too long.
- Slipping hazard – oily, greasy pools can create a safety hazard for your workers.
- Overheating – some contaminants will make a piece of machinery overheat if they are not cleaned off.
- Electrical issue – wires and outlets that are covered in grease or oil can be an electrical hazard.
Having a degreaser on hand can prevent such hazards from occurring. It is always important to be aware of the formulation of your degreaser. Some do contain chemicals that need to be handled carefully.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND DEGREASERS
There are 3 types of cleaning chemical formulations: acidic, alkaline and neutral. To determine which formulation the cleaning chemical is you must know the pH. The pH refers to the concentration of the hydrogen ion in the product. A lower pH means it is more acidic, a higher pH means it is more alkaline. When the solution sits in the middle of the scale it is known as neutral. The scale runs from 1 to 14, so number 7 is neutral.
Degreasers tend to be alkaline; this is because grease is an organic soil. This means it comes from something living. Alkaline solutions easily break down organic soils such as oils and grime. The more severe the mess the more alkaline your degreaser will need to be.
WRAPPING UP
You should always use a degreaser when working with substances of an oily/greasy nature. It will not only make your cleaning job easier but will also provide safety benefits. At Ecospill, we have a range of heavy-duty degreasers. They are formulated to work on all types of machinery. They are also safe and compliant with environmental standards.