Have you ever used this logic when cleaning?

"If a little bit of this chemical works to get rid of some of this soil, then a twice as much chemical should get up twice as much soil, right?" Wrong!

Although it may sound logical, all it really does is cost you more money because you're using more chemical than the manufacturer recommends. Not to mention, you're taking a big chance of ruining the surface you're cleaning. And if the surface happens to be carpet, then chances are you'll never be able to rinse all that extra chemical out of the carpet, which leads to chemical build-up and faster re-soiling. The same thing can happen to hard floors. If you use too much chemical when mopping, you can damage the finish on the floor.

Safety is also a concern if you use too much chemical. We once had a customer call to let us know their employees were slipping on the breakroom floor. After doing some investigating, we discovered that the employee who had burnished the floor the previous night had put extra cleaning chemical in his mop water, figuring it would give him a better shine. Sure, the floor looked great, but the floor became slippery. The result could have been disastrous had someone gotten hurt from slipping and falling.

When preparing your cleaning chemicals, be sure to follow the manufacturer's directions. Check dilution ratios and use a dilution ration chart if manually mixing chemical. Chemical portion paks or proportioning systems are highly recommended because they help to ensure you do not over-use chemicals.

Something else you can do to avoid using too much cleaning chemical is to avoid overspraying. It is better to spray a small amount of chemical onto your cleaning cloth rather than spraying directly onto the surface you're cleaning. Some people tend to spray more than is needed, plus overspray can be harmful to the surfaces surrounding the item you're cleaning (for example, walls or papers in the area).

Use these simple tips to keep from using too much cleaning chemical and you'll keep yourself out of hot water from damaging surfaces, and will save yourself money in the long run!

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Steve Hanson helps owners of small cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through his online community at TheJanitorialStore.com. Read inspirational cleaning success stories at http://www.cleaning-success.com, and sign up for weekly cleaning tips at http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com.