Dr. Dirt's Janitor & Cleaning Supplies » Chemicals

Four Tips to Help Care for Wood Furniture

Dr. Dirt — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:14:45 +0000

Dust buildup can acutally cause small scratches in wood finish. Regular dusting will protect the finish on the wood. Always dust gently, following the grain of the wood.
Polish with a paste or liquid wax to protect the wood, prolong the life of the finish and minimize dust buildup.
Avoid direct sunlight and heat. Heat can cause the wood to warp or split, while exposure to sunlight can cause the finish to crack.
Use a colored wax or stain stick to cover small scratches and nicks. Wax sticks protect the wood and help to camouflage the scratch; stain sticks hide light scratches.

It’s Friday! Happy cleaning from Dr. Dirt

Quick Tips on Floor Cleaners

Dr. Dirt — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:55:17 +0000

Today I have a quick post about the different kinds of floor cleaners and what floor surfaces to use them with.

Unless the areas that you are cleaning have one kind of floor throughout, you will have to deal with different cleaning methods depending on the different kinds of hard-surface floors. The first step toward efficient floor cleaning is to know what your floor is made of. What works for one surface may ruin another.

Wood floors, for example should be cleaned with solved or solvent-based cleaning wax. Never use water solutions or cleaners that have to be rinsed off with water on wood floors; this will cause the wood to swell.

Ceramic tile floors (glazed or unglazed) should be damp-mod cleaned with an all-purpose cleaner. Avoid using harsh abrasive cleaners that might scratch glazed ceramic floors and never use acids or strong soaps on unglazed ceramic floors.

The first time you use any procedure on any floor, test it on an out-of-the-way part of the floor to be sure that it does not damage the flooring or finish.

Got any specific questions? Ask ‘em at the Ask Dr. Dirt page and I’ll try to get them answered soon.

Until tomorrow, happy cleaning from Dr. Dirt.

Chemical Dilution Chart

Dr. Dirt — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:02:50 +0000

Use this chart as a guideline for diluting chemical cleaning products. 1:x means 1 part concentrate to x parts water. For example, to make a quart of solution in a 1:15 dilution, mix 2 oz. of concentrate into 30 oz. of water. (NOTE: To minimize foaming, fill the container with water before adding the concentrate. Then stir thoroughly.)

Before we get started, here is a simple conversion chart:

Conversion Chart
1 Gallon	128 ounces	1/4 Cup	2 ounces
1 Quart	32 ounces	1/8 Cup	1 ounce
1 Pint	16 ounces	2 Cup	1 Pint
1 Cup	8 ounces	2 Pints	1 Quart
1/2 Cup	4 ounces	4 Quarts	1 Gallon

And the dilution chart:

Dilution Ratio	24-oz. Spray Bottle	Quart	Gallon	5 Gallons
Concentrate Needed to Make the Following Amounts of Solution
1:4	4 3/4 oz.	6 1/2 oz.	25 1/2 oz.	128 oz. (1 Gallon)
1:10	2 1/4 oz.	2 1/2 oz.	11 1/2 oz.	59 oz.
1:12	1 3/4 oz.	3 oz.	10 oz.	50 oz.
1:15	1 1/2 oz.	2 oz. (1/4 Cup)	8 oz. (1 Cup)	40 oz.
1:20	1 oz. (1/8 Cup)	1 1/2 oz.	6 oz (3/4 Cup)	31 oz.
1:32	3/4 oz.	1 oz. (1/8 Cup)	4 oz. (1/2 Cup)	20 oz.
1:40	3/5 oz.	4/5 oz.	3 oz.	16 oz. (1 Pint)
1:50	1/2 oz.	3/5 oz.	2 1/2 oz.	13 oz.
1:64	1/3 oz.	1/2 oz.	2 oz. (1/4 Cup)	10 oz.
1:128	1/5 oz.	1/4 oz.	1 oz. (1/8 Cup)	5 oz.
1:256	1/10 oz.	1/8 oz.	1/2 oz.	3 oz.

And, as always bulk chemicals are available from my website, AdvancedJanitorialSupply.com.

Happy Cleaning!

Dr. Dirt