alkaline, water-based cleaners – What are high-alkaline, water-based cleaners and are they hazardous?
The cleaning principle of these products is that the alkaline (high pH) strips the oil from the substrate (surface) and floats it on top of the water, thus allowing re-deposition of oil on the substrate (resulting in poor rinsibility.) Other problems with this cleaning mechanism are that higher alkalinity creates health and safety issues (i.e., chemical burns, choking vapors, the need for costly protective equipment, disposal difficulties, etc.
