21 Operating Your Cleaner
Cleaning Solutions
Solution Types
Water-based solutions are either slightly acidic or alkaline. They include
detergents, soaps and industrial cleaners designed to remove specific
soils.
Acidic water-based solutions:
remove rust, tarnish or scale. They
range from mild solutions that remove tarnish, to concentrated, inhibited
acidic solutions that remove investment plaster, milk-stone, zinc oxide
and rust from steel and cast iron as well as smut and heat-treat scale
from hardened steel.
Alkaline water-based solutions:
include carbonates, silicates and
caustics. These cause emulsifying action, which keeps soil from
redepositing on the cleaned surface, and improves cleaning action in
hard water.
Alkaline strength
Removes:
Mild
Light oils and greases, cutting oils and coolant
compounds.
Mild to strong
Heavy grease and oil, waxes, vegetable oils, inks,
wax or fat-base buffing and polishing compounds,
milk residues and carbohydrates.
Heavy-duty
Mill scale, heat-treat scale, corrosion or oxides.
CAUTION
Do not use alcohol, gasoline, bleach, mineral acids, solutions with a flash
point, semi-aqueous or combustible liquids in ultrasonic tanks, or you will
void the warranty. Only use non-flammable solutions and water-based
solutions.
