Cleaning
Tips

Professional cleaning tips from the experts

Here you will find a collection of typical professional cleaning problems and our tailored product solutions.

tip gum on carpets 1

Chela tipHow to remove chewing gum from carpets?

1

It’s the scourge of institutions everywhere, with each 3p piece of gum costing around £1.50 to remove. But how do you do it on a shoestring? One clever method is to use a small bag of ice. This freezes the gum, allowing you to scrape it out of the carpet without it becoming entangled. The sooner you get to it the easier it will be.

2

For larger scale problems, you’ll need to take the professional approach. CHELA Gum Remover Thick can remove chewing or bubble gum from upholstery and carpet no matter how long it’s been there. It’s a soft gel and solvent blend that also happens to be friendly to the environment. It’s low odour and water emulsifiable.

3

For a liquid solution, try CHELA Liquid Chewing Gum Remover. It gets rid of both fresh and ingrained chewing gum, as well as stickers and scuff marks, adhesive residues and Blu-Tack, making it ideal for the education sector. It removes the problem, rather than dissolving it. This means that no sticky residue is left. It’s also very, very quick.

tip silicone 1

Chela tipHow to remove uncured silicone caulk

1

Nothing is quite as annoying as discovering that your silicone hasn’t cured, and all that hard work has gone to waste. What’s worse, you now have to get all of that caulk out before you can start again. Make sure you wear a mask and rubber gloves, get a plastic putty knife and scrape out as much of it as you can, then finish it off with denatured alcohol.

2

Alternatively, use a specially formulated product and save yourself a load of time. CHELA Digesil is a catalytic solvent that shears the Si-O bond in the silicone molecule to break it down completely. The residues can then be easily rinsed away with water to leave a clean, silicone free surface. It doesn’t corrode metals and can be used on glass.

3

For smaller jobs, we recommend that you always keep some CHELA Universal Wipes handy. These are made of fabric impregnated with a mild water-based cleaning solution. The surface lifts off and sticky residue from tools and surfaces and has been signed off as a hand cleaner under EU directive, which is why we’ve added a pleasant and clean lemony fresh smell!

case study cleaning brickwork

Chela tipHow to clean exterior bricks and masonry

1

Removing mould and other tough organic biomass from bricks is a tough job. Make sure you aren’t wearing your best clothes! Take a stiff brush and scrub the area of dried dust and debris until you are left with just the stubborn stains. Then mix some ammonia with a bucket of water, scrub the bricks with the brush then rinse.

2

If you haven’t got the time for this, try a quick application of CHELA DC64 Moss and Mildew remover. This will remove all organic matter quickly and efficiently. It is designed for heavy-duty use and works exceptionally well on bricks and masonry. Used by building contractors around the world, it’s the fastest and most effective solution.

3

If you are cleaning an old building you might encounter extra difficulty due to long-term air borne dirt caused by traffic film, fumes and other industrial pollutants. In this case try CHELA HF20. This has been specially formulated to cut through all soils without damaging the underlying surface. It works just as well on granite and sandstone.

case study food and beverage

Chela tipHow to deep clean your kitchen equipment

1

Professional kitchen equipment needs a lot of care and attention. Whether it’s the grease traps, fryers, grills or ovens you need to remove all dirt and grime, it all needs to be done on a daily basis. Most of the time, this is done using chlorinate cleaning products which are slow and hazardous to use in busy environments.

2

For a safer, quicker clean try a non-ionic blend of detergents and emulsifiers. This will give you excellent results without having to rely on glycol ethers. A daily product we recommend is CHELA Code 100 BALANCE. This cuts through even the toughest animal fats and grease. When tested to BS EN 1276:1997 it killed pathogens in under 30 seconds.

3

For a versatile alternative, we also recommend Bluestripe Degreaser. This is an aqueous, alkaline detergent system designed to remove greases, oils and ingrained soil from hard surfaces, deep fat fryers and machinery. It is a highly concentrated biocidal thay cleans and sanitizes at the same time, so you only need the one product. It is completely odourless and solvent free.

tip seat trains

Chela tipHow to stop bad odours on trains

1

Bad smells are deeply unpleasant at the best of times. Stuck on a train carriage for a long journey, they are hardly likely to leave a fond impression. To prevent this from happening try maintaining open ventilation channels in the toilet and making sure that you keep the facility clean. Alternatively, you could take a more preventative approach.

2

Malodour is caused by the presence of organic soiling. A clever way to sustain a pleasant fragrance on long journeys is to use a product like BioChela Fresh. This is a bacteria based cleaner, containing high performance bacteria that actually feed on the source of the problem. This provides the highest levels of odour control and leaves a long-lasting fragrance.

3

To ensure that all germs are completely removed, you may also want to consider a heavy duty hard surface cleaner such as Guardisan HP. This is a highly perfumed product containing specialist odour lock technology. It is low hazard for use and will deactivate HIV, MRSA, C.Diff and Hepatitis B&C. It will work on all surfaces including glass.

tip grafitti

Chela tipHow to remove graffiti from walls

1

Removing graffiti from walls is a messy process. You’ll need good detergent, a hardy wire brush and some handy rubber-gloves. Be aware that it is virtually impossible to remove all traces of graffiti from porous walls and the harder you scrub with the wire brush the more damage you will be doing to the surface. This is why most people choose to paint over it instead.

2

Fed up with scrubbing? Try and find a good high-quality graffiti removing liquid like ERAZE HD. It works well on smooth as well as porous surfaces and can be simply sprayed, wiped or brushed on so that the offending graffiti can be gently removed. You can use it on paint and powder coated surfaces, metal, glass, masonry, brick and concrete.

3

Don’t want to do that again? Why not take a look at EliteGuard G1, our unique high-performance protection system designed to provide graffiti protection across porous surfaces. Applying EliteGuard G1 gives a high level of protection, making your walls extremely easy to clean and maintain. It even protects against weathering and general soiling too. Bonus!

tip seat covers 2

Chela tipHow to remove drinks stains from seat covers

1

Removing drink stains from your seats can be a tough process. The simplest way to do it is to combine a cup and a half of water with some household detergent such as washing up liquid and blot the affected area with a cloth or sponge. You then soak up the washing up liquid with another sponge and keep repeating this process until the stain has been completely removed.

2

There is, however, a much easier and quicker way. Especially when you are responsible for a large number of seats that are in constant use. Chela Dry-Foam Shampoo does the same job using an instant high-foam to prevent over-wetting of the fabric. It is pleasant to use and economical in dilution. It’ll also leave no sticky residue and is fully biodegradable.

3

However, we like to think that the best type of cure is prevention. Chela Guardian Fabric Protector is an aqueous, high-performance polymer protective coating that offers maximum protection against water and oil based stains, including general dirt, oil, grease, coffee, food, tea and many other stains and soils. Easy and simple to use: simply spray on.