Problems and How to Solve Them
Problem Solvers - FAQ's
How do I get grease marks off my carpets?
To clean just a spot or mark from your carpet or rug SAS 20 is your best solution. If there is any excess residue on the mark scrape or blot it away. Spray SAS 20 onto the oily mark and leave to work for a few minutes. Blot (dab don’t rub) with a clean cloth, paper or sponge. Repeat process until mark is virtually invisible then leave to dry. Once completely dry hoover or brush away.
if you have a wet extraction carpet cleaning machine this will give you a deep and lasting clean. If you don’t have one have you thought about hiring one? Some of the bigger DIY stores will offer a hire service as well as the normal hire shops. For any tough stains pre-treat with SAS 20 first then use Aquaclean (available in 1L, 5L's) in your machine’s water diluted at 1:50 which is ideal for a deep clean – or 1:100 for maintenance cleaning . Allow the water to be nice and hot from the tap. Then use the floor tool in a scrubbing manner working across the stain and carpeting in a systematic way.
What can I use to kill the most germs?
We have a wide range of solutions that will kill 99.999% of all bacteria to strict BSEN certified standards. The most popular multi purpose products are Swipe which has a pleasant fragrange and suitable for non food areas, also Trio 100 which is food safe which is ideal for toilet and washroom areas.
For fabrics we suggest Prochem's Microsan.
How do I get grout off cleaning new wall tiles?
New tiling can be very tricky to clean, whether it’s ceramic, mosaic or porcelain. This is usually because a film of grout has been left across all of the tiles background.
Now here’s a tip you’re not likely to find on any other chemical solutions site: the best thing to use on new wall tiles is no chemical at all!
All you need is plenty of elbow grease and a good window scraper (something that has a stanley blade or similar is best). This is because once you introduce chemical and therefore water back to the dried grout, you are effectively activating it again making it extremely sticky once more.
Use a large piece of window cleaning scrim and buff like mad, turn the scrim regularly and shake it out. This will put a great shine and finish to your tiles. After you have removed the main film of grout you can use the scraper for tougher parts and any lumps that remain.
Is is a similar proceedure for floor tiles.
How do I get glue off something?
The clue is in the name!
The best way to remove adhesive, silicone, UVA or anything else that’s been glued and has left a sticky residue is….. Tar & Glue Remover!
Use the chemical to soften the adhesive by pouring on if on a flat horizontal surface or rubbing onto surfaces which are vertical or tricky to access. Leave to work for around 10 minutes then the sticky stuff should be ready to be gently rubbed away. A floor scraper may help for heavy build ups.
As the name suggests this will also effectively remove tar and bitumen from most surfaces. Another more freindly solvent cleaner is Citra XC based on natural solvents, avaialble in trigger spray or 5 litre
How do I clean my car hood?
Our answer here is based on the assumption that the cabrio roof in question is a fabric one.
For the fabric roofed vehicle Citrosol is an effective roof cleaner for convertibles. It is an effective degreaser and being a citrus solution will also remove moss and algae which can gather on these components.
The cleaner should be diluted (around 1 part Citrosol to 10 parts water) and brushed onto the cabriolet roof before being jet washed or hosed off. We recommend cleaning the roof first and then washing the rest of the vehicle with something such as Protecta Wash or Arctic Foam which are hand washing solutions for your car.
How do I remove pet urine smells?
The bacteria needs to removed rather than just masking the smell. This will ensure a complete job and stop the smell from returning.
Use a powerful anti bacterial agent such as Supafresh. Allow the solution a good amount of contact time to soak in and kill all the bacteria first. Find something to soak up the liquid excess and remove as much as possible.
Now use O-Fresh odour destroyer to complete the job and add a fresh candy fragrance to the room.
How can I clean my shiny floor without leaving streaks?
This can be very difficult to achieve with traditional products particularly if you have a dark wood or black tiled floor.
Simply use AP10 in your mop bucket for a superb streak free finish on your hard floor every time. This a great product for just about any hard floor including Amtico, vinyl, laminate or tiles. AP10 has self levelling agents built in so that the solution doesn’t get left in pockets or lines which cause the streaks. Instead the chemical levels out uniformly across the floor so that it dries perfectly.
Why not get a new Vileda Ultra Speed Mini flat mop system? These modern mops use less liquid and are more effictive at picking up the dirt and liquid.
How do I remove nicotine & grease stains from surfaces?
The solution we recommended for this is ICC, it will get at the stains off without damaging the surfaces. However, as with most professional cleaning agents it’s important not to leave the solution soaking too long or let it dry out, especially if it is a highly polished floor.
If you have a soot deposit, from fire damage for example, you may find Prochem's Ultrapac Renovate a good alternative. Another good all rounder is Citra XC
How do I remove an oil stain from my drive?
We have the solution whatever your style of driveway is; block paving, concrete slabs or asphalt.
Using Blu+ the oil, diesel, petrol or grease can be effectively removed. Make a strong solution up in a bucket or similar, we’d suggest trying around 10 parts water to 1 part for starters.
Using a stiff brush (deck scrubbing brushes are ideal) apply the solution to the stain and agitate the area with the brush. Now leave it to soak for around 15 minutes, but as always don’t allow the area to dry out (put more chemical down if required). Now agitate the patch again. Using an electric power (or fuel power if you’re lucky enough!) jet wash wash the area and if not all of the stain has gone at this stage the vast majority of it will have done. So if you still have a shadow or halo of the stain showing repeat the above until it’s indiscernible.
This is also mild enough to use on oil stains in carpets too! Subject to trying a test area first.
How do I clean stainless steel?
Stainless steel gives a sexy looking finish to almost anything but is a notoriously difficult surface to clean.
Dazzle is the product that provides a quick and easy solution to this cleaning bugbear.
Whilst Dazzle contains cleaning agents, heavy build up of grease, oil or grime etc should be removed prior to polishing as too much dirt on the surface will cause problems for achieving a streak free finish. If in a kitchen something such as Unisolve or Foam Cleaner Spray is ideal for degreasing the surface prior to polishing with Dazzle.
Once you have a relatively clean surface spray the Dazzle, ready to use, mustn’t be diluted, directly onto the surface and wipe the surface with a clean cloth going with the grain of the steel. Finish off by using another clean cloth, a microfibre is best to give the surface a final polish.
For lighter or regular cleaning you can use Sparkle Glass Cleaner.
What’s best for cleaning marks off door kick plates and skirting boards?
A really effective solution for cleaning door kick plates is Sparkle. Great for 2 reasons as not only does it break down the rubber scuff marks always found on doors, but it also leaves a great shiny streak and smear free finish.
Simply spray on, concentrate rubbing away the marks first of all and then polish to a fine finish.
For plastic plates this is the only solution you will need. For others such as brass, aluminium or other metallic plates Sparkle is a great daily and maintenance cleaner although periodically you may need to use a metal specific cleaner to restore the plate particularly if the regular cleaning has been left for too long.
Marks on painted skirting boards can be easily removed by using a Vileda Miraclean magic mark remover or a Magic Eraser
What products are good for cleaning sun beds?
If you have a sun bed you’ll want a chemical that not only cleans, but is a good sanitizer and also importantly in these instances smells nice!
Whether a professional solarium or you have a private sunning unit at home Swipe is a convenient solution. Coming in a ready to use 750ml trigger spray this smells fantastic and will clean to a very high standard, so high it has a BS EN 1276 certificate which means it will wipe out even the nastiest of bacteria’s such as MRSA and many more (99.999% of all bacteria). Simply spray your sun bed and wipe away with peace of mind.
If you need something more cost effective we have O-Zest and O-Rose concentrated disinfectant cleaners.
These too are BS EN certified to the same standards of hygienic cleaning power although only available in 5 Litre tubs.
Require large paper rolls for wiping down the sun beds? No problem we have a wide range available.
What are the best products for cleaning my patio?
Without a doubt the best solution here is Citrosol. Its citrus based so is ticks all the ecological and green boxes. Yet is an extremely effective degreaser and being citrus based is also slightly acidic which is ideal for removing moss and the like from your patio.
Obviously this is the best product for drives, tarmac, concrete slabs, paths and block paving too. Simply dilute to around 1 part water 10 parts chemical and brush onto the ground. Leave to soak for around 10 to 15 minutes then use your jet wash or hose pipe for a final rinse to reveal clean and bright groundwork.
Citrosol will break down the oil stains but is also very versatile for other tasks, garden furniture, UPVC frames, garden furniture, even your alloy wheels!
Don’t forget that if you’re going to pressure wash your block paving you’ll need some Kiln Dried Sand too. Once your paving has dried out completely you’ll need to brush the kiln dried sand into the crevices between each block to prevent future movement of the blocks. This Sand is available from most good DIY stores and builders merchants.
How do I control legionella?
The threat of Legionnaires Disease is something that is at the forefront of any public building manager’s mind, particularly care homes and the like; it is also worth knowing a few simple steps for reducing the risk at home or indeed any building.
The elderly, or anyone with a weakened immune systems, are particularly vulnerable to the disease. Shower heads and tap fittings are the worst culprits for breeding the bacteria.
1. Descale; as with anything before sanitising can be effective the surface needs to be clean and free of scale. Simply soak the shower heads and tap fittings in a solution of ATC to rapidly clean and remove all scale. ATC will not affect the chrome or stainless steel like other acidic products.
2. Sanitise: Now that the fittings are clean disinfect and sanitise them using Trio 100 which is proven to eliminate Legionella. Dilute Trio 100 at just 1% (10ml to make 1 litre diluted) and leave the units to soak for 30 minutes. Now they can be rinsed and reassembled safe in the knowledge that any trace of Legionnaires Disease has been wiped out.
How do I clean up after fire damage
The effects of a fire in the home or at a place of work can be devistating and the clean up required after can be daugnting. However with the right chemicals and equipment, the clean up can be done and the resulting fire damage, cleaned away. Prochem A217 Ultrapac Renovate is designed to clean up soot, carbon, grease, smoke and ingrained soil. It can applied by a sprayer, sponge or floor machine.