Dispensing Wisdom: Making Informed Choices Between Chemical Dilution Systems and Ready-To-Use

At the heart of effective facility management lies a keen understanding of the options available and the ability to choose the most fitting solutions for the operation. Each decision has a ripple effect on efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and overall functionality. Each decision plays a role in achieving optimal operational performance. Choosing the right chemical system is an example of one of these decisions. This article will examine the benefits of dilution control systems vs manual concentrate dilution or ready-to-use chemicals.

Benefits of Using a Cleaning Chemical Dispenser System

Chemical dispensers have some distinct benefits over manual dilution or RTU systems:

• Enhanced Safety: Using a cleaning chemical dispenser eliminates the need to manually handle concentrated cleaning chemicals, reducing the risk of accidental exposure and spills. This helps create a safer and healthier work environment for facility staff.
• Cost-Effectiveness: Cleaning chemical dispensers accurately dilute chemicals, ensuring the right amount is used for each cleaning task. This eliminates overuse, a common failure when manually diluting cleaning chemicals. Additionally, diluted concentrates typically cost less per gallon than ready-to-use formulas due to savings arising from reduced packaging and shipping costs.
• Improved Cleaning Efficiency: With manual dilution, there is a risk of overuse, which could damage building surfaces, or underuse, which reduces cleaning efficiency. A cleaning chemical dispensing system ensures that cleaning staff have easy access to the right products at the right dilution, leading to more efficient cleaning processes and better results.
• Improved Sustainability: Cleaning chemical dispensers are designed to reduce the environmental impact of cleaning chemicals by promoting accurate dilution and reducing packaging waste, making them a more sustainable choice for facilities. In addition to reducing landfill contents, they reduce the overall carbon footprint of your cleaning operation by eliminating fuel waste caused by shipping the additional weight of pre-diluted chemical cleaners.
• Simplified Training: Manually diluted chemicals require additional training and supervision to be used effectively. By incorporating a dilution control system, facility managers can eliminate the training requirements associated with manual dilution.
• Better Organization and Reduced Storage Requirements: Concentrated chemicals occupy less space in the janitor's closet than RTU products. By switching to concentrates, closets become less congested and better organized.

Hillyard's Dilution Control Systems

Arsenal One

The Arsenal One Cleaning Chemical Dilution Control System by Hillyard simplifies dilution control for professional cleaning. It offers a single refill style dispensed through three options, maintaining consistency and standardization. The system ensures accurate chemical dilution, preventing issues associated with manual mixing. Color and number coding across systems simplify training, and the concentrate containers have features to prevent leaks and spills. Arsenal One is cost-effective compared to ready-to-use products, providing significant savings.

There are three dispenser systems:

• Arsenal One 4D: A dedicated four-product dispenser with a compact design.
• Arsenal One QC: A quick-change multi-product dispenser with ASSE 1055B certification, a compact design with interchangeable slots.
• Arsenal One PD: A portable dispenser certified for backflow protection, offering ultimate dispensing portability. It has a quick disconnect, locking trigger, bucket clip, secure threaded connection, and an optional foaming attachment.

Hillyard offers dozens of cleaners, degreasers, and disinfectants through the Arsenal System. Click here to see the entire offering.

I-Force

The I-Force system offers high and low flow rate dilution options for efficiently filling auto scrubbers, buckets, and spray bottles, providing consistent and precise chemical batches at up to nine gallons per minute.

I-Force dispenses Hillyard's DEFCON 2.0 Industrial Cleaner Degreaser, a super-concentrated, closed-loop cleaning and degreasing system. The DEFCON system eliminates issues associated with drum packaging, such as handling hazards, spills, environmental disposal, storage challenges, and excess inventory costs.

Click here for more information about I-Force and DEFCON 2.0.

Complying with OSHA Hazard Communication

The OSHA Hazard Communication Standard is a set of guidelines and requirements designed to ensure that employers and employees are informed about the hazards of chemicals in the workplace. To comply with this standard, chemicals stored in secondary containers, like spray bottles, must be labeled with the appropriate warnings and use instructions. To aid in compliance, Hillyard offers adhesive-backed labels for each of the products in the Arsenal, I-Force, and other concentrated products. Use our online store to find the RTU label for your cleaner. Go to your cleaner's product page and look in the "Related Products" section.

Let Hillyard Help You Save

As a facility manager, finding ways to save on purchases without compromising product and service quality is always important. Hillyard offers various ways to help you save on your facility maintenance needs. Hillyard's representatives can work with you to provide savings strategies based on your specific situation. By analyzing your cleaning processes and understanding your facility's unique requirements, they can offer tailored recommendations that help you clean at the lowest total cost. Use the "I'm Interested" form below, and one of our representatives will contact you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does RTU stand for?

RTU stands for "Ready To Use." RTU cleaning products are pre-diluted and formulated to be used directly without any further dilution or mixing with water. These products are designed to provide convenience, as they eliminate the need for on-site dilution and ensure that the cleaning solution is prepared and ready for use straight from the container.

What is the difference between RTU and concentrate?

RTU products come pre-diluted and are ready to be used straight out of the container, while concentrate products are highly concentrated and must be diluted with water before use. RTU products are convenient and require minimal preparation, saving time for cleaning staff. Concentrates, on the other hand, offer cost-effectiveness and take up less storage space since they require less packaging.