Several years ago, a contract cleaner said she was pleased with the cleaning solutions her company was using and had no interest in switching to any others.  “I was very happy with the products and the pricing,” said the contractor.

But, she finally did try another cleaning solution, and it turned out to be an eye-opener.  “We decided to sample an oxygen cleaner at one of our sites [and] we were very pleased with how well it worked…. Plus, it was less expensive than what I was using, so we began to switch all our products over.”

The “oxygen cleaner” this cleaning contractor was referring to is a type of hydrogen peroxide cleaner.  For those that are not familiar with these cleaners, they are made of water (H₂O) with an added oxygen atom, creating H₂O₂.

This extra oxygen atom boosts the cleaning effectiveness of the cleaner and allows it to work very effectively on a wide range of surfaces, such as glass, floors, walls, carpet, protein-based stains on desks, chairs, grout, and in shower areas where it helps eradicate mold, mildew soap scum and odors.

To clean all these types of surfaces, only the dilution needs to be adjusted. Cleaning professionals can find specific ratios on the product label.  For instance, for cleaning glass, mopping floors, or extracting carpets, a mixture of one-ounce hydrogen peroxide to one U.S. gallon of water is all that is necessary.

For more soiled areas and surfaces that need restoration such as tile and grout, a more powerful mixture may be necessary, as much as 48 ounces of the hydrogen peroxide to one U.S. gallon.

Some facilities now use hydrogen peroxide cleaners because they tend to be safer for the user and the environment.  In fact, some of these cleaners are certified green, recognizing both their safety and effectiveness.

Here are some more benefits of hydrogen peroxide cleaners:

• They work well in cold water; along with saving energy, when mixing some cleaning solutions with warm water, there is always the possibility that fumes will be released. This is not a concern with hydrogen peroxide.
• They are designed to clean and deodorize in one step.
• They are low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), helping to protect indoor air as well as the environment.

Charlotte Products is a manufacturer of cleaning products with manufacturing facilities in Canada and the U.S.