Safe acidic hard surface cleaner

Abstract

An acidic aqueous cleaner, preferably in emulsion or microemulsion form, which is of a pH in the range of one to four and is useful for cleaning hard surfaced items, such as bathtubs, sinks, tiles and porcelains and even some such items which are not acid resistant, such as those of a European enamel known as zirconium white enamel, comprises synthetic organic detergent, such as a mixture of anionic and nonionic detergents, e.g., sodium paraffin sulfonate, higher fatty alcohol ethoxylate sulfate and higher fatty alcohol or phenol ethoxylate, organic acids, e.g., mixture of succinic, glutaric and adipic acids, phosphonic acid, e.g., aminotris-(methylenephosphonic acid) and phosphoric acid in an aqueous medium. The acidic cleaner is useful to remove soap scum, lime scale and grease from surfaces of the mentioned items without adversely affecting such surfaces, and removals of the scum, scale and grease are easy, being effected by applying the microemulsion to the surface to be cleaned, followed by wiping it off. Although the cleaned surfaces may be rinsed, that is often not necessary and the surfaces will be left clean and shiny after wiping, even without rinsing, or with minimal rinsing. In the described emulsions, the organic acid components effectively remove soap scum and lime scale, the detergents remove greasy soils and promote effective contact between the acid and the surfaces to be treated, and the combination of phosphoric and phosphonic acids prevent acidic attack by the organic acid(s) on the European enamel surface being cleaned.