Efficiency and Innovation in Hard Surface Cleaning

Efficiency and Innovation in Hard Surface Cleaning Keeping a home clean is time-consuming and often exhausting. As household maintenance needs increasingly point to enhanced cleaning ease, effectiveness remains the leading consumer expectation, particularly when it comes to hard surface cleaning. For products in this segment, delivering both efficiency and effective end results simultaneously creates opportunities for innovation and differentiation. Clariant has developed Aristocare® Smart, a high-performance, multi-purpose hydrophilic polymer that addresses the challenge of making cleaning as efficient as possible. Aristocare® Smart enables product brands to leverage the latest developments in chemistry to expand their offerings. Suitable for all types of hard surface cleaner formats, this surface care innovation reduces the time and effort required to clean hydrophilic surfaces such as ceramic, glass or stainless steel, while providing new possibilities for products that deliver high-quality end results. The inclusion of the additive in formulations has been shown to improve performance in the areas of soap foam prevention, streak-free results, rapid water drainage and limescale prevention.

Smart Action Overview

Aristocare Smart is an easy-to-use, low-viscosity aqueous solution compatible with cationic, nonionic and most anionic surfactants. It is stable across a wide pH range (1-12) and in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The advanced technology achieves efficiency benefits by creating a thin protective film layer, which creates a smoother surface. In doing so, it prevents water droplets and dirt from "sticking" to the surface, meaning dirt can be removed more easily in the next cleaning. Aristocare Smart modifies surfaces to support faster and longer-lasting water drainage from the smoothed surface. Cleaning products with improved water drainage properties leave less water residue on surfaces and consequently fewer spots after drying. This new polymer allows long-term surface modification without causing limescale buildup, even after successive rinsing with tap water. Additionally, it supports homogeneous distribution of the cleaner and provides even light reflection, resulting in a streak-free and shiny surface. The section below presents in-application tests using cleaner formulations with and without the additive, demonstrating the polymer's inherent surface modification properties and its effectiveness in enhancing hard surface cleaner benefits. Base formulations used for various tests are specified in Table 1.

Effortless Soap Foam Removal

In a test conducted to demonstrate effectiveness against soap foam, 0.2% Aristocare Smart was added to bathroom cleaner 1 (Table 1). Bathroom cleaner 1 was then applied at 0.25 g to half of black ceramic tiles and tempered shower glass (Figure 1) and spread with a cloth. The same cleaner was then applied to the other half of the tiles, but this time without the polymer additive. After a 5-minute drying period, soap foam was applied (prepared in situ from a CaCl₂ solution followed by a Na-oleate solution) and then heated at 60°C for 1 hour. After the soap foam cooled to room temperature, both the ceramic tile and tempered glass were rinsed with 100 ml of water. Figure 1 clearly shows that in the area of the tile and glass cleaned with the cleaner containing Aristocare Smart polymer, significantly less soap foam remained compared to areas cleaned with polymer-free cleaner. This highlights the effectiveness of the advance in effortless soap foam removal. Subsequent testing confirmed that surfaces that had become soiled again after treatment with a cleaner containing Aristocare Smart could be cleaned with minimal effort. Soap foam could be applied 6 more times and when rinsed with water the effect remained evident. The same results are achieved even at low Aristocare Smart concentrations such as 0.05% with various bathroom cleaners.

Streak-Free Results

An evaluation of Aristocare Smart's streak-free properties was also conducted on ceramic tiles. Bathroom-specific and multi-purpose cleaners (Table 1) were applied to the tiles and left to dry. After drying, the tiles were carefully compared and assigned a visual assessment rating from 1 to 10; with 10 representing the worst amount of streaking and 1 the least amount of streaking. The results were impressive, with tiles cleaned using cleaners containing Aristocare Smart showing significantly fewer streaks (Figure 2). The multi-purpose cleaner containing 0.2% Aristocare Smart scored 2.3 points, while the polymer-free cleaner scored 8.7 points. The bathroom cleaner 2 containing 0.2% Aristocare Smart achieved 3.3 points versus 8.0 points for the polymer-free cleaner. The effect can be demonstrated at concentrations as low as 0.05% across various cleaner formats from different brands.

Rapid Water Drainage and Limescale Prevention

The procedure for testing Aristocare Smart's effect on water drainage is as follows. Bathroom cleaner 1 was applied to ceramic tiles (0.5 g of cleaner per tile) and spread with a cloth 10 times. After allowing 30 minutes drying time, the tiles were rinsed with tap water for 2 seconds (6 l/min flow rate, 13 - 15° dH) and water drainage time was monitored (Figure 3). The water drainage results from the tile rapidly cleaned with the cleaner containing 0.2% Aristocare Smart were striking, and the effect persisted through 8 additional rinses. Rapid water drainage was also observed on various surfaces including shower heads, stainless steel, shower glass and enamel. Visual assessment rating scores determine the polymer's effect on limescale control. Bathroom cleaner 1, both with and without Aristocare Smart, was applied to black ceramic tiles. This was followed by repeated hard water applications and drying time; the visual assessment rating for limescale formation was set between 1 and 5, with 1 indicating quite visible deposit traces and 5 indicating no traces (test conducted by Eurofins ATS). As in other tests, the cleaner containing Aristocare Smart proved highly effective, scoring 4.3 points versus 2.0 points for the polymer-free cleaner applied to black ceramic tiles (Figure 4).

Proof of Concept

Aristocare Smart was tested for adsorption and surface modification properties. Polymer adsorption on glass was examined using a Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation Monitoring (QCM-D) (Q-Sense E4). The effects of Aristocare Smart on targeted substrates were investigated using electrokinetic measurements (SurPASS™3, Anton Paar), contact angle measurements (Krüss DSA 1000) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) (DI Nanoscope IIIa, Digital Instruments).

Results

Aristocare Smart additive, suitable for all types of hard surface cleaner formats, has been proven to help formulations maintain longer-lasting cleaning of hydrophilic surfaces such as ceramic, glass and metals. Cleaners containing the polymer can provide effortless effectiveness in combating soiling, including soap foam and limescale buildup, and can significantly reduce spotting and streaking resulting from product and water residues.   Acknowledgements: The authors extend their thanks to Maxim Dirksen and Professor Dr. Thomas Hellweg from Bielefeld University for the atomic force microscopy measurements and to Eurofins ATS for conducting the limescale deposit prevention test.   Sanem Ağaçkanlı Technical Application Manager, Middle East and Africa Region Clariant