The Care and Cleaning of Stainless
Basics of Cleaning
The essential functions of cleaning are to bring the cleaning agent into intimate contact with the soil,
to displace the soil from the surface, to disperse the soil in the cleaning solution and to prevent
redepositing the soil back onto the surface.
The various functions performed in the cleaning activity with the aid of cleaning agents are as
follows:
1) Dispersion -- the action in which groups of particles are suspended in the cleaning
solution.
2) Dissolving -- certain types of soil become water soluble through detergent action. They
are then washed away during subsequent rinsing steps.
3) Emusification -- fats are broken up and suspended in the solution.
4) Peptization -- formation of colloidal solutions from partially soluble materials.
5) Saponification -- action of alkalis in cleaners resulting in water soluble soaps.
6) Suspension -- through the action of surface active agents, soil particles are suspended
in detergent solutions and removed during rinsing.
7) Rinsability -- removal of soils and cleaning agents so that surfaces will drain dry and
clean.
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