Faber Alkaline Cleaner Review
In surface care, different kinds of dirt and stain problems are encountered. Greasy dirt ruining the appeal of your tiles, oxidation marks that clash with the color and tone of the stone slabs, algae residue that leaves patches all over the surface – such kinds of grime can be problematic. Removing them calls for tough formulations, but you also need to balance this with the safety requirements of the surface being worked on. After all, you don’t want a situation where the tiles get corroded in the process of the cleaning. It’s an intricate balancing act, and one where the Faber Alkaline Cleaner performs as expected. This is a concentrated detergent from Faber, that has a myriad of uses, as we’ll see below:
Benefits Of The Faber Alkaline Cleaner
- High-powered cleaning action
When it comes to deep cleaning to get rid of organic residues and greasy dirt, then that’s right up the alley of the Faber Alkaline Cleaner. This water-based detergent breaks down such kinds of grime, enabling them to be cleared from the surfaces being worked on. It is also effective against oxidation marks, and you can even use it for stripping old layers of wax such as during restoration jobs.
Troubled by efflorescence?? The chalky white residues on the surface are as a result of the moisture rising through the structure, carrying dissolved salts. Once this moisture gets to the surface, it evaporates, leaving behind crystals of the salt. Those unsightly patches ruin the aesthetics of the affected tiles or stone slabs – but you can remove them with the Faber Alkaline Cleaner.
The tough-cleaning delivered by the Faber Alkaline Cleaner makes it effective in removing suction cup marks that are on ceramic surfaces. These are the likes of those marks that are left behind during industrial processes, in order to clear the blemishes on these surfaces.
This detergent has been specifically formulated for use on cotto and terracotta surfaces. However, you can also use it on other alkaline-resistant installations to deal with greasy soiling. The Faber Alkaline Cleaner is safe for use on glazed ceramics, porcelain stoneware, all through to marble agglomerates. The product features a 10-15m²/L rate of application, and this will vary based on how the dilution is carried out, as well as the particular type of material being worked on.
Some issues to note when washing surfaces with the Faber Alkaline Cleaner include:
- Don’t mix the detergent with other chemicals. The only product that can be used complementary with it is the Faber Solvent stripper, when you’re “double-wax stripping”. We’ll cover this shortly.
- For recently laid or grouted installations, you should wait until they have completely cured before washing the surface with the surface detergent. This should be at least two days.
How To Use The Faber Alkaline Cleaner
Surface preparation
The first step is clearing the bulk of the residue from the surface. This includes the loose debris and coarse dirt that has been left behind after the construction works were carried out. Such material can easily be cleared with a broom or vacuum, depending on the kind of the particulate matter in question. This is to enable the cleaning action of the detergent to focus on the stubborn grime that remains, instead of the surface getting all muddy when the dust and dirt get wet.
Some pointers here:
- You should ensure that the surface has dried completely before using the Faber Alkaline Cleaner on it.
- Protect any adjacent areas that you don’t want coming into contact with the alkaline detergent.
- Since temperature is a key factor in the effectiveness of the product, ensure that the surface of the area being worked on is between 5 and 40°C.
- Carry out a spot test on an unexposed area to check the suitability of this detergent for the particular type of surface you’re working on – especially if it has not been expressly stated as one of the materials that the alkaline detergent can be used on.
Application
This can take different approaches, including:
- Ordinary cleaning – Where you’re using the Faber Alkaline Cleaner alone
Follow these steps:
- Dilute the Faber Alkaline Cleaner. Here, mix 1 part of the detergent with 4 parts water.
- In case you’re using the detergent to get rid of suction cup marks, you can dilute it 1:1 with water, or even go ahead and use it undiluted if the marks are particularly troublesome.
- Work the solution onto the surface. Different equipment can be used, with the most common being cloths, mops and single disc machines.
- Give the detergent 5-10 minutes to work on the residue, where it chemically breaks it down – though you can still continue providing mechanical action by scrubbing the spot with the desired cleaning tool.
- Clear away the residue and use lots of clean water to rinse the area.
In case there are spots that have remained, the process can be repeated – with the solution being more concentrated if needed.
The floor will be ready to use after the washing process is completed, so you can open up the area to foot traffic.
- Double wax stripping
Here the Faber Alkaline Cleaner is used together with the solvent stripper.
Just as the previous approach, start by preparing the surface, clearing away any loose debris that is around. For the application itself, the following steps are taken:
- The solvent stripper is poured onto the target surface. It’s used undiluted.
- Use the preferred cleaning tool to work the stripper onto the floor, then give it 5-10 minutes.
- Pay particular attention to the grout. Here, continue wiping it to increase the efficacy of the solvent stripper.
- Proceed to treat the surface with the Faber Alkaline Cleaner (diluted with a 1:4 ratio).
- Use the broom or a single disc machine to work the product over the surface.
- Clear away the residue and rinse the floor.
- Allow it to dry.
Once done with the cleaning, wash the tools used with water.
