Issues with Water Quality and Effective Use of Detergents

Water quality is a key factor in determining appropriate dilution. “Hard” water inhibits cleaning by consuming some of the chemical action of detergents. Water is rated as “hard” (i.e. higher concentrations of calcium carbonate and other minerals) at 251 ppm or higher.

Water rated as “hard” will require higher concentrations of detergents to yield effective results. Water quality information is usually available from the local water department or the biomed engineer at your facility.

ProClense™ plus and ProWash™ both contain chelating agents to bind with minerals and allow the detergent / surfactant to be more effective. Both detergents also contain agents to improve free-rinsing and reduce scaling.

Scaling may be an indication that there are more mineral components in the water.

Try increasing the dosing of detergent to a minimum of one oz. per gallon of water and observe the results. This increases the percentage of chelating agents needed to bind up calcium and other mineral elements and promote free-rinsing, thus reducing scaling.

It is commonly recommended in AAMI and other guidelines to use RO (reverse Osmosis) or DI (distilled) water for the final rinse in cart washers and instrument washers.

For more information call Certol Clinical Support: 1.800.843.3343 x 293