Defining Acidic Cleaner

Q. What is the definition of an acidic cleaner?

A. An acidic cleaner is defined as an aqueous cleaner that has a pH significantly below 7, typically below a pH of 5.5. Acid cleaners contain acids and often other cleaning ingredients, such as surfactants. Acid cleaners use a mechanism known as “acid stabilization” in which an acid reacts with a soil molecule to create a water soluble molecule and “acid hydrolysis” in which an acid reacts with a soil molecule and breaks it into a smaller water soluble soil. (excerpt from The Aqueous Cleaning Handbook, p. 157.)

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