Hard-surface cleaner

Hard surface cleaners is a category of cleaning agents comprising mainly aqueous solutions of specialty chemicals that vary with the amount of dirt and the surface being cleaned.

All-purpose cleaners are usually concentrated solutions of surfactants and water softeners, which enhance the behavior of surfactant in hard water. Typical surfactants are alkylbenzenesulfonates, an anionic detergent, and modified fatty alcohols. A typical water softener is sodium triphosphate.

Light duty hard surface cleaners are not intended to handle heavy dirt and grease. Because these products are expected to clean without rinsing and result in a streak-free shine, they contain no salts. Typical window cleaning items consist of alcohols, either ethanol or isopropanol, and surfactants for dissolving grease. Other components include small amounts of ammonia as well as dyes and perfumes.

These are composed of organic,water-miscible solvent such as isopropyl alcohol and an alkaline detergent.Some glass cleaners also contain a fine,mid abrasive.Most glass cleaners are available as sprays or liquid.They are sprayed directly onto windows,mirrors and other glass surfaces or applied on with a soft cloth and rubbed off using a soft,lint-free duster.A glass cloth ideal for the purpose & soft water to which some methylated spirit or vinegar is added which is an inexpensive glass cleaner.

For ferrous metals, the cleaners contain chelating agents, abrasives, and surfactants. These agents include citric and phosphoric acids, which are nonaggressive. Surfactants are usually modified fatty alcohols. Silver cleaning is a specialty since silver is noble but tends to tarnish via formation of black silver sulfide, which is removable via silver-specific complexants such as thiourea.

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