Abrasive cleaners are designed to remove relatively heavy amounts of soil. The degree of abrasiveness of products varies; fine particles are less abrasive, and course particles are more abrasive.
Available in both powdered and liquid form, they contain a kind of built-in elbow grease which helps to cut down on the hard scrubbing required to remove soil. In fact, tools like scouring pads are also included in this category. The abrasive action of these cleaners is provided by a variety of ingredients. Small particles of minerals like silica, pumice or feldspar, or a network of fine steel wool, copper, nylon or a matrix of plastic or melamine is involved.
Caution: Over time, the overuse of some abrasive cleaners can remove the glaze or coating from surfaces. Dry Abrasives: Powdered Cleansers Long established among household cleaners, the cleaning and polishing action of powdered cleansers is provided by fine particles of common minerals such as calcite, feldspar, quartz and silica.
Powdered cleansers also contain small amounts of surfactants for removing oily soils such as the greasy film found in sinks after dishwashing. When removal of food, beverage or mold stains is needed, a bleaching agent is usually present.
If removal of rust stains is a feature of the product, oxalic acid or sodium hydrosulphite is usually present. Wet Abrasives: Liquid Cleansers Liquid cleansers are a suspension of solid abrasive particles in a thick liquid matrix.
