All life is chemistry - H for household cleaners

Cleaning agents for every application

The list of cleaning agents that accumulate in our houses, apartments and offices is long. There are special cleaning agents for different rooms, surfaces and dirt. Whether for the kitchen, bathroom or toilet - there is a suitable cleaner for every application. 

There are also a variety of cleaners for different surfaces, which are specifically suitable for wood, stainless steel, glass, for coarse soiling such as burnt-on but also for lightly soiled. No household should be without hand dishwashing detergent or dishwashing detergent, but upholstery cleaners and air fresheners are also very popular when it comes to cleanliness and cleanliness in our four walls.
 

But what do these cleaning agents contain and what are they made of?

All cleaning agents have something in common: they consist of surfactants, acids, alkalis, etc. Selected raw materials for cleaning agents and hygiene products are therefore not something bad per se, but rather something necessary. 

They can contain diverse groups of substances: from saline, phosphoric, citric, acetic, sulfuric or amidosulfonic acids to alkalis in grease-dissolving cleaners and solvents in industrial and specialty cleaners, the most diverse combinations are available on the market, specially adapted to the requirements of the particular cleaning agent. There are also various chlorine-containing cleaning agents on the market.

Substances such as wetting agents, emulsifiers or dispersing agents are also available to ensure that the properties of the household cleaner are optimally matched to the individual application. Preservatives and biocides are also included in many cleaning agents to enable longer sterility, stability and usability.

With some products, for example, a certain volume of foam is desired during use. Others, on the other hand, should not foam at all, if possible; special defoamers are then added to these products.

Cleaning agents in granular form contain sodium carbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate or sodium hydrogen sulfate. They, too, enjoy great popularity in both private and industrial use.
 

Ingredients overview:

• Surfactants

Wetting agents and emulsifiers are needed for all products in the cleaning and hygiene sector. 

• Acids

Removal of acid-soluble soiling such as lime (CaCO3) by means of various acids or by decomposition into carbonic acid and dissolved calcium.

• Bases 

Removal of grease and oil (alkaline cleaners)

• Complexing and dispersing agents

From dispersing lime precipitates in aqueous cleaners to use in cosmetic products, there are various important types of complexing agents and dispersants.

• Preservatives and biocides

Biocides and preservatives are used in many products as protection against harmful organisms. 

• Consistency enhancers

Thickeners as well as fats, oils and waxes provide stability and firmness in creams and ointments. Our wide range of products enables our customers to achieve the right consistency in their mixtures.

• Bleaching agents

For decolorizing soils and disinfecting; e.g., oxygen-rich chlorine compounds such as hypochlorites in chlorine cleaners; compounds containing or releasing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), such as percarbonate and sodium perborate, in oxygen cleaners

• Enzymes

Decomposition of contaminants into smaller, soluble fractions, e.g. by amylases (starch), lipases (fats), proteases (protein), etc.

• Fragrances

In the field of acids, alkalis, industrial solids and solvents, there is an extensive range of products and qualities.