A multitude of chemicals are used to clean all kind of surfaces. This article covers the main categories these products fall into and how they achieve their intended purpose. These solutions remove contaminants from surfaces in a few different ways. Water acts as a natural detergent when used on a surface as it removes particles by either absorbing them or washing them away but when a surface is stained; water alone does not suffice so chemicals are added to clean the surface using different techniques.

Abrasives

Some chemicals simply make a cleaning solution more course than water which allows more of the contaminant to be drawn away from the surface. The higher the speed of the abrasive solution, the more of the contaminant is removed.

Surfactants

This is a property of chemicals commonly used in detergent. It drastically reduces the surface tension of water and is able to break down solid particles and suspend them in the water.

Emulsifiers

These cleaning chemicals cut through and suspend dirt in a solution which can then simply be washed or vacuumed away.

Oxidants

These cleaning chemicals break down organic materials by attracting the oxygen from them. Once broken down they no longer stick to the surface and can be thoroughly cleared away using a vacuum.

Enzymes

These are bacteria that digest protein, fats and carbohydrates. This technique is commonly used in fabric softeners.

Acid/Alkali

If the surface is able to resist the corrosion of a higher or lower PH than neutral, these cleaning chemicals can break down any particles which are not part of the surface material. The resulting waste can then be simply washed away.

Dry Cleaning

Not all cleaning chemicals are supplied in the form of a liquid or contain water. Dry cleaning chemicals are supplied in the form of a solvent which may be a liquid solid or gas but do not contain water. This enables the surface material to dry much more quickly. This technique is often used for delicate fabrics or high traffic, carpeted areas which cannot be allowed a long time to dry.

Many modern cleaning chemical solutions combine these properties to make the most effective cleaning solution for a particular task.