Glossary of Cleaning Terms
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| Acid: |
Any substance, which when dissolved in water, yields a pH
below 7. |
| Acrylic: |
A type of polymer used in floor finishes. Provides better
abrasion and detergent resistance than styrenes. |
| Alkali: |
Any substance, which when dissolved in water, yields a pH
above 7. |
| Antimicrobial Agent: |
A compound that destroys or inhibits the growth of microbes |
| Antiseptic: |
Compounds with bactericidal properties that are designed
for application on living tissue. |
| A.O.A.C.: |
The Association of Official Analytical Chemists which publishes
a manual which contains the approved test procedures which
must be used in establishing data to be submitted to the EPA
for registration. |
| Asepsis: |
The state of being free from pathogenic microorganisms. |
| Bacteria: |
Microscopic unicellular organisms which occur in several
shapes. Living bacteria are capable of increasing their numbers
logarithmically. |
| Bactericidal: |
The property of killing bacteria. |
| Bacteriostatic: |
Inhibiting the growth of bacteria. |
| Biodegradable: |
Any substance which has the capability of being decomposed
by naturally occuring microorganisms. |
| Buffable: |
Usually refers to softer floor finish formulas which are
capable of being repaired using conventional equipment. |
| Burnish: |
Usually refers to the use of high speed equipment when buffing
a floor and designates a type of maintenance program. |
| Catalyst: |
A substance that influences a chemical reaction in which
it does not take part. |
| Caustic: |
Any strong alkaline substance that has a corrosive effect
on living tissue. |
| Chlorinated Solvent: |
Degreasing solvents with lower flammability and greater solvent
power than normal petroleum solvents such as mineral spirits,
naphtha, fuel oil, and kerosene. |
| Copolymer: |
A polymer made from two different monomers to incorporate
the benefits offered from both. |
| Conductive Flooring: |
Floor covering which is impregnated with a conductive material
designed to discharge static electricity build up. |
| Corrosive: |
A solid, liquid or gas that burns, irritates, or destructively
attacks another substance. |
| d-Limonene: |
A natural hydocarbon solvent extracted from citrus products
and usually smells like oranges. |
| Detergent |
A synthetic cleaning agent resembling soap in the ability
to emulsify oil and hold dirt, containing surfactants which
do not precipitate in hard water. |
| Detergent Resistance: |
The degree to which a floor finish exhibits no apparent deterioration
when spotted or cleaned with a solution of a nonabrasive, non-ammoniated
detergent. |
| Disinfectant: |
A substance used on inanimate objects which destroys harmful
microorganisms or inhibits their activity. |
| Efficacy Data: |
The test results of the AOAC use dilution test for disinfectants. |
| Emulsion: |
A mixture of liquids that do not blend, such as water and
oil, and whereby one compound forms minute particles which
are suspended in the other compound. |
| EPA: |
Environmental Protection Agency, a branch of government responsible
for the registration of pesticides. |
| Finish: |
A coating or film which protects a floor from wear and abrasion
and enhances its appearance. |
| Flash Point: |
The lowest temperature at which the vapors of a liquid will
ignite in the presence of a flame or spark. |
| Germicide: |
A chemical compound which kills microorganisms. |
| Hard Water: |
Water which contains ions of magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca). |
| High Speed: |
Usually refers to a range of floor machines which have between
500 and 1000 rpms. |
| Hospital Type Disinfectant: |
Products which have been proven to be effective against three
organisms- Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella choleraesuis,
and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. |
| Hydrocarbon Solvent: |
Usually refers to petroleum distillates like mineral spirits
which do not mix with water. |
| K. B. Value: |
Indicates the relative solvent power and is used to test
the aggressiveness of solvent products. |
| Leveling: |
The ability of a floor finish to flow into a smooth film
during the drying process. Mop streaks in the floor finish
film are a sign of poor leveling. |
| M. S. D. S.: |
Material Safety Data Sheet, the form that is required by
law which lists hazardous ingredients per a published manual
that must be provided to those companies who distribute or
use chemicals products. |
| Metal Interlock: |
Refers to the process of bonding between polymer units in
the floor finish film through the use of metal ions (normally
zinc) to cross link. Amine type strippers act as the key to
unlock the metal cross link structure when stripping. |
| Mop Drag: |
Resistance when mopping, usually caused by mopping solution
biting into the floor finish. |
| Neutral Cleaner: |
Detergent with a pH in the 7 range. Ideal for use on floor
finish with out deleterious effects. |
| Non-Volatile Solids: |
Refers to the percentage of a floor finish product that remains
on a floor after drying. The higher the solids the greater
the film thickness that remains on the floor. |
| Organic Soil: |
The addition of 5% blood serum to the standard AOAC use dilution
test for disinfectants. |
| Pathogen: |
A disease causing microorganism. |
| pH: |
A unit of measure, pH gauges the concentration or amount
of hydrogen ions in an aqueous solution. The pH scale goes
from 0 to 14 with 7 being neutral. A pH under 7 indicates an
acidic solution while over 7 indicates an alkali solution. |
| Phenol: |
Carbonic acid. Phenol derivatives are used in disinfectant
compounds. |
| Plasticizer Migration: |
Plasticizers, which are present in some types of vinyl and
vinyl asbestos flooring, that can attack a floor finish film.
In mild cases, the floor finish will show increased dirt pick
up in the film as tackiness increases. In severe cases, furniture
will actually stick to the floor causing damage to the tiles. |
| Polymer: |
A very large molecule which is made by linking monomers together.
Depending upon the monomer, the polymer's properties may have
a wide range of variation. |
| PPM: |
Parts per million. |
| Resilient Tile: |
Term used to describe the type of floor covering as opposed
to hard floor surfaces. Includes, but not limited to, vinyl,
vinyl asbestos, asphalt, rubber, and vinyl composition tiles. |
| Quat: |
Short for quaternary ammonium compounds used in the manufacturing
of disinfectants. |
| Sanitizer: |
A disinfectant compound which according to AOAC test method
for sanitizers must show a 99.999% reduction in the number
of microorganisms within 30 seconds. |
| Slip Resistance: |
Frictional force opposing movement of an object across a
surface, usually with reference to the sole or heel of a shoe
on a floor. |
| Solution: |
A single, homogeneous liquid that is a mixture in which the
components are uniformly distributed throughout the mixture. |
| Specific Gravity: |
Represents the ratio of the weight of a given volume of liquid
to the weight of an equal volume of distilled water. |
| Stability: |
The ability of a product to remain unchanged over a long
period of time. |
| Streaking: |
Non-uniform deposition of a floor finish film. |
| Synergistic: |
When the total effect of two active components in a mixture
is greater than the sum of their individual effects. |
| U.S.D.A.: |
United State Department of Agriculture- in charge of regulating
meat and poultry establishments and issuing lists of compounds
approved for use in areas that are federally inspected. |
| Virus: |
A microorganism which reproduces only within other living
cells. |
| Viscosity: |
The degree of thinness or resistance to flow by
a fluid as measured in degrees centipose. |
