What is the difference between a degreaser and a regular cleaner?

There are significant differences between degreasers and ordinary detergents in terms of chemical composition, application scenarios, cleaning effects, and safety. Although they are both used for cleaning, their scope of use and effects are different due to their different design purposes and functions. The following is a detailed analysis of the differences between degreasers and ordinary detergents from multiple dimensions.

1. Chemical composition and formula

The core difference between degreasers and ordinary cleaners lies in their chemical composition and formulation design.

- Degreasers: The main function of degreasers is to remove grease, oil, and heavy dirt, so their formulas usually contain strong solvents, surfactants, and alkaline ingredients. Common solvents include acetone, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, etc., which can quickly dissolve grease. In addition, degreasers may also contain emulsifiers to help disperse grease in water for easy rinsing. Degreasers usually have a high pH value (alkaline) to enhance their oil removal ability.

- Ordinary detergents: Ordinary detergents are relatively mild in formula and are mainly used for daily cleaning, such as removing dust, stains and light oil. Its ingredients usually include surfactants, thickeners, fragrances and preservatives. The pH value of ordinary detergents is close to neutral or weak alkaline to ensure safety for most surfaces and skin.

2. Application scenarios

Due to their different functions, the usage scenarios of degreasers and ordinary cleaners are also very different.

- Degreasers: Degreasers are mainly used in the fields of industry, machinery, and automobile maintenance to clean metal surfaces, mechanical equipment, tools, etc. For example, in automobile maintenance, degreasers are used to remove oil stains on engine parts; in industrial production, degreasers are used to clean mechanical equipment and metal parts. In addition, degreasers are also commonly used to clean heavily oily areas such as kitchen range hoods and ovens.

- General Cleaners: General cleaners are widely used for daily cleaning in homes, offices and public places, such as cleaning floors, glass, furniture, tableware, etc. Its mild formula makes it suitable for a variety of surfaces, including wood, plastic, ceramics, etc.

3. Cleaning effect

The difference in cleaning effect between degreasers and ordinary detergents is mainly reflected in their degreasing ability and scope of application.

- Degreasers: Degreasers have a very strong degreasing ability and can quickly dissolve and remove stubborn grease, oil stains and heavy dirt. For example, when dealing with oil stains on metal surfaces, degreasers can completely remove grease in a short period of time, while ordinary detergents are difficult to achieve the same effect. However, the strong ingredients in degreasers may cause damage to certain surfaces (such as paint and plastic), so they need to be used with caution.

- Ordinary detergent: Ordinary detergents have weaker degreasing ability and are more suitable for dealing with light oil stains and daily stains. Their mild formula makes them suitable for a variety of surfaces, but when facing heavy oil stains, you may need to clean them multiple times or use other tools (such as brushes) to achieve the desired effect.

4. Safety and environmental protection

There are also differences between degreasers and ordinary cleaners in terms of safety and environmental protection.

- Degreasers: Since degreasers usually contain strong solvents and alkaline ingredients, they are less safe and environmentally friendly. Prolonged contact with degreasers may cause irritation to the skin and respiratory tract, so protective gloves and masks are required when using them. In addition, the strong ingredients in degreasers may pollute the environment and need to be handled in accordance with relevant regulations.

- Ordinary detergents: Ordinary detergents are relatively mild in formula, less irritating to the skin and respiratory tract, and suitable for daily use. In addition, many ordinary detergents use environmentally friendly formulas to reduce negative impacts on the environment.

5. Cost and performance

There are also differences in the cost and performance-to-price ratio between degreasers and regular cleaners.

- Degreasers: Degreasers are usually more expensive because they contain expensive solvents and surfactants. However, due to their strong cleaning ability, a small amount of degreaser can complete a large amount of cleaning work, so they are highly cost-effective in industrial scenarios.

- Ordinary detergent: Ordinary detergent is low in cost and suitable for daily use. Due to its mild formula, it may be necessary to use a larger amount to achieve the desired cleaning effect, but the overall cost performance is still high.

6. Precautions for use

Since degreasers and ordinary cleaners have different ingredients and functions, you need to pay attention to the following when using them:

- Degreaser:

- Avoid contact with skin and eyes, wear protective equipment when using.

- Pay attention to ventilation and avoid inhalation of volatile gases.

- Avoid using on sensitive surfaces (e.g. paint, plastic) to avoid damage.

- Rinse thoroughly after use to avoid residue.

- General cleaning agents:

- Use according to the instructions and avoid overdose.

- Pay attention to the applicability of different surfaces to avoid damage to certain materials.

- Rinse thoroughly after use, especially when used on cutlery and food contact surfaces.

7. Conclusion

Although degreasers and general detergents have some overlap in function, their design purposes and application scopes are significantly different. Degreasers excel in industrial and heavy oil cleaning scenarios with their powerful degreasing ability, while general detergents have become the best choice for daily cleaning with their mild formula and wide applicability. Understanding the difference between the two will help users choose the right cleaning product based on their actual needs while ensuring safety and environmental protection.

When choosing cleaning products, it is recommended to make comprehensive considerations based on the cleaning object, stain type, and usage scenario. For heavy oil stains and industrial cleaning, degreasers are a more ideal choice; while for daily cleaning and light stains, ordinary detergents are more suitable.