4 Fatal Mistakes You’re Making with Your Cleaning Products
General B2BWhen looking for commercial-grade cleaners for your business, you want the most effective and potent formula to get the job done, and this is applicable for at-home use too! Of course, you have kids and pets to worry about at home, but you still want to ensure that your cleaning products are powerful as possible.
Now more than ever, we all want to guarantee that we can feel safe at work and home. And buying a strong cleaning product is the first step. The problem with using these potent formulas is, they contain multiple ingredients with extremely harmful effects if not handled properly.
Due to increased government regulations, there is growing pressure to maintain a sanitary workspace, while also keeping cleaning time to a minimum. This scenario can quickly lead to improper use of chemicals and potentially cause harm. The Government of Canada (September 23, 2020) released statistics on exposure to cleaning chemicals in 2020. This report stated that there were 3408 calls related to bleaches, 2015 calls related to hand sanitizer and 1667 calls related to disinfectants.
With increased exposure to cleaning products due to Covid-19 (both at home and in professional settings), more and more people are realizing they don’t know proper protocols for using cleaning products. Which is why it’s so important now more than ever to learn how to safely and effectively using extremely potent products.
Tips on safe use of cleaning products
Read the Instructions
Instructions are there for a reason, to educate the end-user and make sure the product is being used appropriately. The instructions will outline anything from proper dilution, to what chemicals to not pair the solution with and even whether it requires PPE while using.
If you are purchasing commercial grade cleaners for your business, rather than at-home use, it may be useful to consult the supplier for an in-depth overview of the products. This will allow employees to get clarification on any misunderstandings, gain more product knowledge and see first-hand how the product should be handled.
Avoid breathing in chemicals
Most, if not all, potent cleaning chemicals should never be used in an unventilated area. If the room you’re cleaning isn’t properly ventilated, try opening a window or turning on a fan to reduce breathing in unnecessary fumes.
When certain potent chemicals are inhaled, it can go to our lungs or blood stream.
Wear proper PPE
Various wipes and concentrates require gloves while using the product, due to their potency. Many other solutions even recommend wearing masks to avoid breathing in excess fumes. Without proper PPE it is easy to suffer from skin irritation, bleached skin or sickness from excess exposure to certain chemicals. This applies to commercial-grade cleaners and at-home cleaners also.
One of the most common chemicals related to exposure is hydrochloric acid. Due to the versatility of this chemical, it is used fertilizers, dyes and cleaning products (commercial and home use). The CDC recommends masks, gloves and protective eye wear when handling it due to its harmful nature.
Research what products can and cannot be mixed
When using multiple cleaning products simultaneously, double check that no ingredients will have an adverse reaction when mixed. Bleach is a commonly used household cleaner and the list of chemicals that it cannot be mixed with is longer than most. When handling products that contain bleach, try to not mix various other cleaners to avoid serious injury.
The Precision Chemical team has all worked in various industries that require heavy-duty cleaners in order to keep up with health standards. We know that certain sanitation practices require handling potent chemicals. This is why we always work with the best professionals when developing our formulas in order to ensure they contain the best possible ingredients. We also educate our customers on necessary PPE required when using certain solutions and provide that PPE whenever possible. To learn more about our product offerings, click here.
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