Chemical Information About Floor Cleaners

There are many different types of floor cleaners.

Of the many flooring options, the most popular are hardwood, laminate, tile, vinyl and carpet. Cleaning products are geared to the type of flooring. Some cleaners can be used on multiple flooring types while others are specific to a particular material.

Hardwood Floor Cleaners

Common floor woods are oak, maple and walnut. One brand of cleaner uses a mixture of 95 percent deionized water and 5 percent acrylic copolymer. This cleaner is regarded as safe, with an HMIS rating of 0 on its health, flammability and reactivity scales. HMIS stands for Hazardous Materials Information System and the guide rates hazards on a scale of 0 to 4, with 4 being the most hazardous. Hardwood wax cleaners are considered more hazardous than other cleaners. Wax cleaners contain up to 90 percent mineral spirits and up to 5 percent trimethlybenzene. Their HMIS ratings for health and flammability are 2 with 0 for reactivity.

Laminate Floor Cleaners

Laminate flooring has a similar look and feel to hardwood floors. Laminate flooring is made of a composition of materials. There are many cleaners on the market that can be used for both hardwood and laminate. There are also cleaners just for laminate flooring. Do not allow water to pool on laminate floors, as this can cause long-term damage. One major brand of laminate flooring contains up to 9 percent isopropyl alcohol and 1 percent ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, with the rest of the composition being water. This product is not regarded as being extremely hazardous, as the health and flammability ratings are 1 and reactivity is 0.

Tile Cleaners

Tile flooring is popularly used in bathrooms and kitchens. Tile can be made from ceramic, porcelain or masonry. Tile cleaners are typically made for cleaning both tile and grout, tthe mortar that holds the tiles together as well as to the surface. Tile cleaners are generally more toxic than hardwood and laminate cleaners. One common type of tile and grout cleaner has 1 percent of each of the following chemicals: 2-aminoethanol, potassium hydroxide and 2-butoxyethanol. The HMIS rating for health is 3, which makes it a serious hazard.

Vinyl/Linoleum Cleaners

Vinyl and linoleum flooring is utilized in high-traffic areas and is a less expensive option compared to tile. Vinyl is a synthetic material, while linoleum is natural. For linoleum, use a damp mop to clean the surface, as opposed to chemical products. One of the reasons for this is that linoleum does not react well to acids. Vinyl can be cleaned in the same way as linoleum. However, it can take on harsher chemicals than linoleum, so there are more cleaners available. One brand of vinyl cleaner contains up to 13 percent of an acrylic polymer and up to 5 percent diethylene glycol monoethyl ether. The HMIS rating for health is 1 with flammability and reactivity ratings being 0.

Carpet Cleaners

Carpets are a popular flooring option in living areas, bedrooms and offices. Cleaning of a carpet typically entails vacumming. However, liquid stains and ground-in dirt may require steam cleaning utilizing chemical carpet cleaners. Carpet cleaners produced to eliminate urine stains utilize baterical cultures. Spot removers can contain up to 5 percent diethylene glycol monoethyl ether.

References

• Floor Cleaners
• SC Johnson: Pledge Wood Cleaner Facts
• Rug Doctor: MSDS Fact Sheet Spot & Stain Remover
• SC Johnson: MSDS Fact Sheet Pledge Tile and Vinyl Cleaner
• EFloors

Resources

• BGSU: HMIS
• Rug Doctor: OxySteam
• This Old Grout: Deep Clean MSDS Information