China International Ceramic & Bathroom Fair, Foshan
   ■ The 42nd CeramBath (Apr. 18th-22nd, 2025)
How to Maintain and Clean Your Sanitary Ware
Time:2024.09.14 Views:
Sanitary ware is essential for both functionality and comfort in any home. They ensure hygiene, convenience and relaxation, contributing to a well-maintained and pleasant living environment. Quality sanitary ware fixtures, like faucets, showers and toilets, not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of a bathroom but also offer durability and efficiency. Regular maintenance and investment in high-quality products help prevent issues, promote health and increase the overall value of the property.
Regular cleaning and maintenance of bathroom products are crucial for extending their lifespan and ensuring optimal performance. By removing dirt, grime and buildup, you prevent damage and deterioration, which helps keep fixtures and surfaces in good working condition. This practice also promotes a hygienic environment, reducing the risk of mold and bacteria growth. Additionally, maintaining cleanliness and appearance enhances the overall aesthetic of your bathroom, contributing to a more pleasant and inviting space. Regular upkeep is key to preserving both functionality and visual appeal.
Types of dirt, such as skin fat or excrement, can be removed using alkaline chemicals (pH 7 to 14) with surfactants. Mineral-based dirt, on the other hand, dissolves better in acidic cleaners (pH 0 to 7). However, acidic and alkaline active ingredients cannot be mixed together. A chemical reaction occurs - neutralization: acid and base react together to form water and salt. This means that neither substance can clean effectively. In the past, for stubborn, heavier dirt, it was customary to: today clean with alkaline, the next day with acid. From a modern perspective, this is no longer necessary. There are now acidic hygiene cleaners with surfactants. If used regularly, they are able to emulsify, remove oily dirt (the role of the surfactant) and dissolve mineral dirt (the role of the acid).
The scale-dissolving power of the acids used differs. Material damage is also a question of the acid used. Acids such as hydrochloric acid dissolve scale very well, but can damage cement joints or chrome-plated fittings. Hydrochloric acid even reacts with stainless steel. Their use is also dangerous for cleaners. Therefore, they should be avoided in maintenance cleaning. Hydrochloric acid should only be used as a problem-solver. Phosphoric acid also has a very high scale-dissolving power and better material compatibility (especially with metals). Therefore, it is mainly used as a basic hygienic cleaner. Mineral acids such as aminosulfonic acid or methanesulfonic acid have proven their value in hygienic general cleaners. They have good scale-dissolving power, can be used in combination with surfactants and are less aggressive towards the material to be cleaned.
The above-mentioned inorganic acids are problematic from an ecological point of view, since they are not biodegradable. Salts are always present, some of which are eliminated in sewage sludge, but are also transported to surface waters and salinize them. Organic acids, on the other hand, decompose completely into water and carbon dioxide. In addition to being biodegradable, they have good scale-dissolving power, like citric acid, and do not cause much damage to the material. The calcium citrate formed after the reaction with scale is easily soluble in cold water. The cleaner benefits from this. In this case, he does not have to rework mechanically. Formic acid has a strong scale-dissolving power, but it irritates the user's skin and damages the material. Therefore, its content in sanitary cleaners should be low. Acetic acid also dissolves scale very well, but has a strong odor and reacts with copper-containing metals (such as brass) to form a toxic patina.
Organic acids, also called carboxylic acids, come from living nature. Examples of organic acids used in bathroom cleaners are: acetic acid, formic acid, citric acid, lactic acid.
Inorganic acids, come from inanimate nature. Examples of inorganic acids used in bathroom cleaners are: hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, aminosulfonic acid, methanesulfonic acid.
Mixtures of inorganic and organic acids are often used in bathroom cleaners to exploit the good properties of the individual acids. The composition of the acid is crucial both in terms of effectiveness (cleaning effect), material damage and ecology.
Whether the acid is weak or strong, the compatibility of the materials must be tested in an inconspicuous place. Likewise, joints and fittings must always be pre-soaked before use. All surfaces treated with acidic products should be rinsed clean with water.
Cleaning chemical manufacturers are increasingly focusing on sustainability issues. An example of this are so-called sticks – essentially water-soluble bags whose ingredients become the cleaning agent in the object after adding water. This saves a lot of packaging waste and thus transport volume. Particularly gentle everyday toilet cleaners, such as those based on organic acids, lactic acid and citric acid. For daily maintenance cleaning or for objects that are cleaned several times a day, they do their job while protecting materials and the environment. For fine stoneware tiles, which are often laid as floor tiles in sanitary ware areas, there are special surfactant-free acidic cleaners that remove limescale and prevent the tiles from graying, as they do not contain surfactants. For optimal cleaning results, surfactant-free cleaners should always be processed with cleaning textiles made of microfibers.
The cleaning and maintenance of the bathroom faucet should be paid more attention. There are washing products such as shampoo and shower gel in the bathroom. Once they are touched, the surface protective layer will be damaged, and the faucet will lose its luster over time. In order to maintain the aesthetic effect, you can gently wipe the faucet with a soft cloth dipped in neutral detergent, so that it can be restored to brightness, preferably once a week.
The floor drain should be cleaned regularly to keep it clean and tidy. Avoid throwing debris into the floor drain, clean impurities frequently to prevent clogging, and keep the floor drain unobstructed.
After using the shower for a period of time, some scale is likely to accumulate, causing poor water flow or turbulent water flow. For shower heads with large particles adsorbed, use a brush to clean them. For the shower head, immerse it in white vinegar and water for an hour to solve the shower. White vinegar can easily remove stains.
(1) Toilets cannot be used or stored in water environments below 0°C, otherwise the water may freeze and expand, which may squeeze the porcelain body. (In sub-zero environments, when not in use, you can close the water inlet valve and drain the water tank.)
(2) Do not pour overheated water into the toilet to avoid it from bursting.
(3) To prevent damage and leakage, please do not hit the ceramic.
(4) Do not throw newspaper, diaper pads, sanitary napkins and other items that are easy to clog into the toilet.
(5) Do not use a steel brush or strong organic solution to clean the toilet to avoid damaging the product glaze and corroding the pipes.
(6) To keep the surface of the toilet clean and the flushing function normal, please use a long-handled nylon brush and soapy water or neutral detergent to clean the pipes and flushing holes. It is recommended to clean at least once a week.
(7) Please clean the filter at least once a month to prevent the filter from clogging and causing the water tank to fill slowly or not fill, affecting normal use.
(8) Do not use chlorine-containing detergents in the water tank, otherwise it may damage the device in the water tank, causing leakage or damage to the building structure.
(1) Please rinse the faucet with clean water and wipe it dry with a soft cotton cloth. Do not use any abrasive detergents, cloths, paper towels, any acidic detergents, polishing abrasives, detergents or soaps to wipe the faucet surface.
(2) Due to the long-term residue of various detergents and shower gels used in daily life on the chrome-plated surface, the gloss of the faucet surface will deteriorate and directly affect the surface quality of the hardware. Please clean the hardware surface with a soft cloth at least once a week. It is best to use a neutral detergent.
(3) For stubborn dirt, surface scale and stains that are difficult to remove. Please use a mild liquid detergent, colorless glass cleaning liquid or non-abrasive polishing liquid to clean it. Then clean the faucet with clean water to remove all detergents and wipe it dry with a soft cotton cloth.
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