Hard-surface cleaner#Scouring agents

Abrasives are used to clean the bathroom and kitchen with adherent impurities. Abrasives consist mainly of quartz flour or marble powder and surfactants. Abrasives are available in powder form or as an aqueous emulsion in the trade.

Ingredients and effect

For fixed abrasive powders smallest grains serve (particle size less than 0.05 mm) of pumice, (lime, chalk), calcium carbonate, kaolinite, quartz, soapstone or ( talc) as a polishing agent for surfaces.

In addition to the solid polishing grains with a weight fraction of about 95% contains a solid abrasive Surfactants (1-5% ), builders, alkalis ( sodium 0.5-2 %), perfume, and sometimes also a bleaching agent (peroxide or hypochlorite ).

Liquid abrasive aqueous suspensions containing from - milder for surfaces - marble dust and an emulsifier selected from acrylic acid.

The effect consists in the mechanical abrasion of the soil. Abrasives are available as scouring powder or scouring. The average grain size of the polishing agent must not exceed 0.05 mm, as it would otherwise scratch the surface.

Abrasives are generally suitable for surfaces where a low abrasion does not hurt as non-shiny metal or stone. However, surfaces such as glass, enamel, porcelain and sanitary tiles, when using hard abrasives are rough and take as a result all the more reinforced dirt. Plastics ( plexiglass, PVC tiles) can be easily scratched by abrasives.

Scouring powder

Among the scouring powders are different substances without additional cleaning agents such as Vienna lime ( pulverized dolomite) and mixed powder as the name brand ATA, IMI and Vim. Very fine-grained abrasive powder may be used as a polishing agent.

The scouring powder ATA is marketed since 1920 by Henkel.

Scouring

Abrasives in liquid form also included abrasive ingredients such as calcium carbonate, in addition usually still inter alia surfactants, preservatives, dyes, fragrances and perfumes.

Alternatives

Heavy dirt in pots on stove plates can also be removed with steel wool in combination with a detergent.