Word	Bacteriology Definition
Antiseptic	A product that will destroy or curb germs, particularly on living tissue. Applied to products with low phenol coefficients.
Asepsis	Free from microorganisms.
Bacteria	Single cell living organisms that can only be seen with the aid of a microscope.
Bacillus	Rod shaped bacterium.
Bactericide	Refers to all products that kill bacterium.
Bacteriostatic	Product that does not necessarily destroy all infectious bacteria quickly but will retard or prevent their growth or multiplication. For the most complete, fast killing action, a germicide, disinfectant, or bactericide is indicated.
Coccus	Round shaped bacterium.
Contaminated	Areas or items that are unclean through infectious matter.
Cross infection	Infection transmitted between patients infected with different diseases. Hospital acquired.
Disinfectant	Agent that temporarily frees a surface from infectious bacteria. The same as “germicide” but disinfectant generally refers to a product employed to kill infectious bacteria on inanimate objects.
Fungi	Organisms, such as mold that reproduce by means of spores.
Fungicide	A chemical material that destroys fungi.
Germ	A microorganism capable of producing disease.
Gram negative bacteria	One of two major classifications of bacteria, as deemed by different cell composition. Difference is observable when stained according to the gram stain procedure. Gram Negative will lose the stain and take the color of the counter stain.
Gram positive bacteria	One of two major classifications of bacteria, determined by different cell waste and composition. Observable when stained according to the gram stain procedure. Gram Positive will retain the stain.
Infection	Invasion by disease causing microorganisms and the reaction of body tissue to their presence, as well as the toxins created by them.
Inorganic	Matter derived from non living material.
Microorganisms	Living organisms usually only visible through a microscope, such as bacterial (rod shaped) spiral organisms, viruses, molds, spores, and yeast.
Mold	Wooly growth produced by fungi.
Pathogen	Microorganism that can cause disease.
Sanitary	Free from agencies injurious to health.
Sanitizer	Product that reduces bacteria counts to safe levels judged by public health requirements.
Septic	Produced by pathogenic organisms.
Spore	Single cell dormant organism capable of again becoming reproductive; highly resistant to many germicides.
Staphylococcus	A “gram positive” bacteria.
Sterilization	Killing of all living cells on or in a surface or space. No living bacteria, spore, fungus, virus, yeast or any living matter can be detected in or on a sterile object or space. There is absolute absence of life in any form, dormant or active.
Yeasts	Fungi that induces alcoholic fermentation in liquid that contains sugars.
Viruses	Organisms that cause such diseases as smallpox and mumps.

Word	Carpet Definition
Anti stat	Chemical compound applied to the carpet, designed to reduce, or eliminate, static electricity.
Beater	Special equipment used to remove loose dust or dirt from carpet prior to cleaning. May refer to the beater bar on a vacuum cleaner as an agitation device.
Bleeding	A loss or transfer of color from one section of the carpet to another. This usually occurs under hot, wet conditions.
Browning	A yellow or brownish discoloration of the carpet’s face. Usually caused by impurities in cellulosic fibers such as cotton and jute, which wick up to face fibers on over wetting. Most often caused by excess alkalinity in the cleaning agent used in hot water extraction cleaning, activated alkaline residue left by previous cleaning efforts, over wetting or a combination of any of these.
Circling	Circular streaks left on the carpet after a rotary shampooing because of improper cleaning techniques employed by the operator.
Cleaning head	A lightweight tool used during extraction in a back and forth motion (spraying on the backstroke, vacuuming on the forward stroke). Contains spray nozzles, vacuum slot, and solution control valve. Sometimes called a scrub wand.
Colorfast	The ability of carpet fibers to hold uniform coloration.
Clouding	Usually caused by over wetting. Residue from previous cleanings that is not removed and left too wet will wick up the carpet fiber and cause a cloudy appearance on the surface. Customer complaint may state that carpet looked dirty after it dried.
Crocking	Loss of carpet excess color when rubbed in either a wet or dry state.
Defoamer	Surface-active agent used in cleaning to reduce foaming created by the cleaning agent.
Deodorizer	Specifically formulated to destroy, mask. or modify unpleasant odors in the carpet.
Dry rot	Disintegration of carpet backing caused by mildew.
Embedded grit	Combination of all the soils that eventually work their way down into the carpet. These are removed during restoration cleaning.
Foiled tabs	Paper or plastic squares, usually three (3) inches square to protect damp carpet fibers from damage by furniture legs, rust, etc.
Mildew	Fungus growth that can occur on carpet fibers, causing odor and fiber degeneration.
Nap finishing brush	Long handled, nylon bristle brush to set carpet pile in one direction.
Optical brightener	Optical whiteners or fluorescent whitening agents. Used in cleaning process. Under the influence of ultraviolet light, emit a visible blue white light.
Pile distortion	Loss of texture or pattern on the face of the carpet.
Pile lay	Direction taken by surface yarn during manufacture.
Pile lifter	Heavy duty, reel type vacuum used to loosen embedded soils and raise carpet pile.
Pre-spotting	Done prior to overall carpet cleaning to remove isolated stains or pre- treat traffic lane areas for ease of cleaning.
Residue	Any material left in carpet pile after cleaning or vacuuming.
Rust remover	Chemical applied to yarn surfaces for quick removal of rust or other iron related marks.
Shag rake	Rake with plastic tines used to align or lift high pile shag after cleaning to improve appearance.
Soil retardant	Agent applied to the carpet to retard or decrease the rate of soiling.
Static electricity	Electrical charge accumulated on an object. Charges often and easily transferred from one object to another by direct contact.
Synthetic fibers	Most carpet fibers being used today, in contrast to animal or vegetable fibers.

Word	General Housekeeping Definition
Abrasive cleaners	Any cleaning products that are manufactured with granular materials such as finely ground silica, volcanic ash, powder feldspar, and powdered pumice. Abrasive cleaners can be used periodically to renovate badly soiled hard floors and to remove discoloration and rust stains from lavatory porcelain.
Acid cleaners	Usually formulated to meet a specific problem. Acid cleaners include: powdered and liquid bowl cleaners to remove lime deposits from commodes and urinals, citric acid solution for damp wiping bronze trim and for non streak washing of stainless steel, as well as buffered phosphoric acid products for cleaning exterior aluminum trim. Note: Jani-King does not permit the use of acid bowl cleaners. There are a vast variety of acid free bowl cleaners available to get the job done. Avoid the use of acid cleaners.
Acoustical	Material that deadens noise and facilitates sound to be heard.
Active	A term used for that which tends to enter into a chemical reaction.
Aerosol	The means of suspending a colloidal of particles in a gas that can be released as directed.
Alkaline cleaner	Balanced powdered cleaners composed of alkaline salts such as trisodium phosphate, sodium carbonate, modified soda, and sodium metasilicate. Besides detergent properties, certain alkaline salts have water softening characteristics and are combined in the cleaning products for that purpose.
Ammonia	An alkaline gas composed of nitrogen and hydrogen dissolved in water in concentration from 5% to 10%. Some general cleaners are formulated with ammonia. It may also be added in small amounts to soap or detergent solutions to help loosen stains because of its grease cutting and slight bleaching action.
Carnauba	A hard wax obtained from the Brazilian palm tree used in the manufacture of floor wax.
Chlorine	A disinfectant (germicide) that is corrosive to most metal; a sodium or calcium hypochlorite.
Cleanability	The ease with which a surface may be returned to its original condition after application of a cleaning agent.
Combustion	The burning (oxidation) that results in heat and flame.
Compatible	Means that something is capable of being combined with another material without changing its characteristics.
Compound	A substance made from a chemical combination of more than one element.
Concentrate	A material that can be made into a solution by adding water or other substances.
Conductive	Refers to items that possess the ability to transmit electricity.
Debilitated	Feeble or weakened.
Deodorant	A product that destroys or covers up an odor or the source of an odor. A germicide performs a deodorizing function when it kills germ causing odors.
Dissolve	To mix one material in another, with or without a chemical reaction.
Excretia	Waste matter from a living organism such as urine, sweat or feces.
Feces	Waste matter of the bowel.
Flammable	Capable of setting on fire. Inflammable has the same meaning.
Humanics	The science of understanding human nature.
Inert	Having no active properties.
Inhibitors	A substance that restrains chemical reaction. In regards to cleaning products, inhibitors may restrain attack on metal surfaces or other surfaces but do not restrain attack on soil.
Insoluble	Not capable of being dissolved in a liquid.
Isolation	Separation from contact with others having a communicable disease. Placed in separate room; requires special treatment and cleaning techniques.
Mitre	The function of two bodies or sides at an equally divided angle such as a top sheet at the foot of the bed or the corner of a picture frame.
Neutralize	To destroy the active properties of an alkali or acid.
OHM	A unit of measure of electrical resistance.
Oxidation	The process of combining oxygen with another substance.
Pick	The cut or uncut loops which make the surface of certain fabrics, including carpeting.
Ply	A web, layer, fold, or thickness as in carpet or cloth; generally the number of fibers twisted together.
Residual	That which is left at the end of a process.
Resilient	Having the ability to return to the original position or shape.
Soluble	Capable of being dissolved in a liquid.
Solution	A non-settling mixture of two or more ingredients.
Solvent cleaner	Sometimes called emulsion cleaners. Products manufactured from hydrocarbons, emulsifiers, and wetting agents. They include, among other basic chemicals, carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene, methylene, chloride, kerosene. Solvent cleaners are used widely for general degreasing and a number of specific purposes, such as cleaning floors and driveways stained with lubricants.
Spontaneous combustion	Self-ignition of a substance through chemical action.
Stability	Degree that a mixed product will remain stable without separation of ingredients.
Surfactant	Word to describe synthetic detergents, wetting agents, and all other compounds which reduce the surface tension of a liquid.
Tensile strength	The resistance of material to forces of rupture, expressed in pounds per square inch.

Word	Hard Floor Definition
Acrylic floor finish	Water based floor finish that dries hard and glossy. Non discoloring and black mark resistant with long wearing qualities.
Adhesion	Refers to the ability of the floor finish to stick to the floor surface and not peel or powder off.
Blooming	White discoloration or deposit on the surface of a new concrete or magnesite floor. Excess water comes to the surface of the floor, carrying with it certain soluble salt impurities or excess magnesium chloride.
Blushing	Whitening effect that may occurs as a solvent finish dries. Recoating often restores the clear appearance.
Brittleness test	Test for floor coating in which a coating on a metal strip is bent over a 1/4 inch mandril and examination made for cracks or breaking.
Buffability	The property of a finish which allows it to be repaired and enhance the gloss through buffing or spray buffing.
Buffable finish	Floor finish whose appearance can be restored through buffing, usually a softer finish with wax content.
Build up	Condition that occurs when successive coats of a floor finish are applied over an area in which there is no wearing of the film. The build up can become darker, higher in gloss, or more difficult to remove than the coating in normal traffic areas.
Burnish	To buff a protective floor coating before it dries, resulting in a hard finish.
Carnauba	Derived from the Brazilian wax palm. First in powdered form that is melted down into molds. Used as a base in the manufacture of most wax based floor finishes. Generally, the lighter the color, the higher the quality.
Coverage	The number of square feet of surface covered by a gallon of floor finish.
Crackling	Rupture, flaw, failure, or break down of the original composition of a tile floor. Sometimes caused by poor maintenance, lack of continuous protection, and scrubbing out the binder (adhesive).
Dirt retention	Test for a floor finish. When tracked-in soil adheres to or works easily and quickly into the floor finish, the floor finish has high dirt retention. It is desirable to have low dirt retention.
Discoloration	The tendency of a wax or plastic film to darken or yellow a floor.
Feather in	To carefully blend a spot with the surrounding area. For example, to spot touch up a floor coating, where newly applied finish is “feathered in” to the adjacent area.
Film	A thin covering such as a wax coating or layer. One coat of floor finish may have small holes in it so it takes more than one coat to provide a “continuous film” or one through which liquids cannot penetrate.
Finish	Protective coating used as a topcoat. Base coats, whether the same or different material serve as sealers. The last coat is the finish.
Flexibility	Test for floor finish to determine the ability of a floor finish to be pliable, resilient, or plastic in nature. Tested by coating a flexible tile or bending over a standard mandril.
Gloss	Initial or buffed brightness or luster of a floor. Initial gloss is the gloss of a floor finish immediately upon drying. If the finish is buffed, it becomes a buffed gloss. A gloss meter can be used to measure the increase in gloss from the coating or buffing.
Non buff finish	Hard floor finish designed to give high initial gloss and which is not repairable by regular dry buffing, only spray buffing.
Pitting	Small holes that form in hard surface flooring. Concrete and terrazzo, when installed have fine pores. Cleaning with crystalline cleaners will cause these holes to become larger causing them to become more noticeable pits.
Resilient flooring	Flooring material capable of withstanding shock without permanent deformation or rupture, such as asphalt, linoleum, rubber, vinyl, vinyl asbestos, and cork.
Resistance to soil	A finish can be resistant to one or more of the following liquid soils: grease, oils, alkalis, acids, bleaches, solvents, boiling water, and soap. A treated floor should remain cleaner than an untreated floor surface exposed to the same traffic soil.
Rubber floors	Made chiefly of synthetic rubber, fillers, and mineral pigments. Vary widely in form and properties. Available in tiles or sheets with many degrees of hardness and flexibility. All contain rubber and should be treated similarly. Are non porous and resist warping and buckling. Resistant to acids, milk, alkalis, and many stains.
Sealer	Liquid composition to prevent excess absorption of finish coats into porous surfaces. Also a composition to prevent bleeding.
Semi buffable finish	Finish designed to give good initial gloss but is soft enough to allow repair by buffing or spray buffing.
Spalling	Cracking, breaking, or splintering of material due to heat; specifically concrete or terrazzo floors.
Spray buffing	Mainly a method of cleaning traffic areas of a floor to extend the period between stripping. Leaves the floor with a high gloss, particularly when a high speed machine is used. Periodically followed by a re-coat of polish.
Spread and leveling	Ability of a wax or plastic product to be applied to a floor without streaking or drying unevenly.
Streaking	Uneven spots, usually in a row, in a floor finish caused by improper application.

Word	Phenolies, Quaternary Detergents, and Iodophors Definition
Acid	Any compound of hydrogen and one or more other elements that dissociates or breaks down to produce hydrogen ions when dissolved in water. Resulting solutions are sour in taste and will cause litmus paper to turn red. Solution will neutralize hydroxides, alkalis, or bases. Acids have a pH less than seven.
Alkalis	More properly restricted to hydroxides and carbonates of sodium and potassium, but sometimes loosely applied to metals and bicarbonate and hydroxide of the ammonium radical. Caustic soda, soda ash, bicarbonate of soda, washing soda, caustic potash, and ammonia are examples. Phosphates such as trisodium and silicates such as metasilicate are commonly considered alkalis. Alkalis have the power to neutralize an acid forming salt, turn litmus paper blue and phenolphthalein red and to impart a soap feel and taste to their water solutions.
Alkali resistant	Ability of a product to withstand chemical attack by alkalis.
Alkaline cleaners	Detergent comprised wholly or in part with one or more of the alkalis. Also applies to a detergent which contains none of the alkalis but which has alkaline properties.
Alkaline salt	Compound formed by the reaction of a weak acid with a strong base. has a pH greater than seven In a water solution.
Anionic detergent	Detergent that produces negatively charged colloidal ions in solution. Soap and most general-purpose detergents are anionic. Anionics split into two parts in use dilutions and the working part carries the negative charge. Most soiled surfaces are negatively charged so that when the anionic attaches itself to the dirt particle, it is forced away from the surface being cleaned (like charges repel, opposite charges attract). When builders such as phosphates are added to anionics, the “bouncing off” effect of the dirt by electrical force is greatly increased. Most effective in neutral or alkaline solutions.
Biodegradable	Detergents that are biodegradeable can be broken down by normal bacteria found in the ground and waterways.
Buffering	A buffered solution tends to resist a change in pH when there is a change in concentration or when the solution is particularly neutralized. Some chemicals act as buffers, which tend to hold the pH constant regardless of changes in concentration or changes due to neutralization.
Builders	Complex soluble phosphates added to detergents to tie up water hardness, minerals, giving the effect of soft water and acting as a detergent aid.
Caustic	(Sodium hydroxide). Basic ingredient used in building some strong detergents. May not be desirable on some floors. Commonly used in heavy-duty strippers. Use caution when using.
Cationic detergent	Detergent that produces positively charged colloidal ions in solution. Cationics are noted for germicidal ability. Quaternary ammonium compounds are good examples of cationics. Cationics split into two parts in use dilutions and the working part carries the positive charge. The positive charge attaches itself to the negatively charged surface and is difficult to remove. This is the reason that a cationic disinfectant remains on treated laundry even after rinsing and causes the fabric to be bacteriostatic. Whenever the anionic and cationic are mixed, their powers are reduced.
Chelating agent	Combining with various ingredients to improve and change a product. A “Chelating Agent” in a detergent is designed to increase the performance efficiency of the product.
Colloidal action	The name used to describe a property of a detergent that causes soil to be suspended as an emulsion.
Detergent germicides	One step product comprised of a germicide and a detergent. May be anionic or cationic in nature.
Emulsifying agent	Ingredient added to cause two or more materials to dissolve that do not normally dissolve in each other.
Emulsion cleaner	Composition that forms an emulsion capable of dissolving or suspending oils.
Iodophor	Germicide based on combination of iodine and surface action agents (detergents). Organisms are killed by oxidation of the enzymes.
Ion	Electrically charged atom or group of atoms formed when molecules such as anionic or cationic detergents are dissolved in water.
Nionic detergent	Produces electrically neutral colloidal particles in solutions. Nionics have the unique property to be unaffected by anionics and cationics. The nionic particle is large and remains in one piece. It has no charge in use solutions. Said to be less effective in removing solid soils but are superior in removing oils, greases, and waxes. When combined with builders in finished detergents, are effective cleaners in acid and alkaline solutions. Unaffected by hard water.
pH value	Degree of acidity or alkalinity measured on a scale from 0 to 14. 0 to 7 is acid, 7 to 14 is alkaline.0 – 3 strongly acid4 – 6 moderately acid 7 neutral 8 – 10 moderately alkaline 11 – 14 strongly alkaline Water hardness and pH are not related. One cannot be predicted from the other.
Phenolic	Pertaining to or derived from phenol. Phenol is a powerful antiseptic, disinfectant germicide. Many compounds made now will exhibit similar antiseptic, disinfectant, and germicidal properties. Often referred to as synthetic phenolics. Kills by coagulating protein of a living microorganism. Is irreversible.
Phenolic germicide	Germicide that is phenolic in nature or chemically related to phenol.
Phosphates	Alkaline builders used in a detergent for their antire-disposition properties and water softening effects. Banned from use in some areas due to their implication in water pollution.
Quarternary ammonium	Kills by damaging living microorganisms so leakage through cell walls occurs. Type of organic nitrogen compound in which the molecular structure includes a central nitrogen atom joined to four organic compound groups as well as an acid radical. Exhibit germicidal and surfactant properties. Hydropholic portion of the molecule exists as a cation and sometimes causes them to be referred to as “cationics.”
Quats	Contraction for Quaternary Ammonium Compound.
Sequestering agent	Ability of an ingredient to separate different properties of water conditions. Improves cleaning abilities.
Soap	Cleaning agent made by action of alkali on fatty acids.
Toxic	Poisonous.
Use dilution test	An official A.O.A.C. test that is more severe than the older Phenol Coefficient Method for determining germicidal power. Tests the germicide at the recommended dilution on surfaces contaminated with organic matter and bacteria that duplicate actual field conditions. Test is said to be superior to the Phenol Coefficient Test.
Wetting action	That which brings a detergent solution into close contact with both soil and the surface below the soil.
Wetting agent	Detergent active materials incorporated into soap and detergent products to increase their ability to penetrate and remove soil.

Know Your Commercial Cleaning Terms

Bacteriology

Carpet

General Housekeeping

Hard Floor

Phenolies, Quaternary Detergents, and Iodophors

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