The Science Behind Professional Cleaning

Is cleaning really just about scrubbing and spraying? Nope — there’s serious science behind the shine!

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Imagine you just hired a person to come clean for you. What are your expectations for the job they’ll do? I wouldn’t blame you if you imagined them doing the chores you need

help with rather than doing technical work—that is what most people believe. But what if I told you that cleaning is the work of chemists? Sounds a little bit of a stretch, huh?

Well, let’s talk about that wine or coffee stain you tried everything to get out of the carpet to no avail then.

You know that dry, bitter aftertaste when you take a sip of tea, coffee, or wine? That taste comes from tannins; water-soluble polyphenolic acid compounds (the fancy name for plant-based chemicals) that are often found in various plant species across the world. They are large molecules that bind readily with proteins, cellulose, starches, and minerals. These resulting substances are insoluble (don't break down in water) and resistant to decomposition (United States Department of Agriculture, n.d.).

When coffee, tea, or other beverages with tannins are spilled onto carpet, the heat of the beverage “opens up” the fiber and allows it to penetrate, at times penetrating through any fabric protection in the carpet (Staff, 2008). The combination of these two factors is what makes even the most tried and true cleaning hacks fail.

How about nicotine stans on virtually anything?

When nicotine in cigarette smoke interacts with nitrous acid, a common molecule in indoor (and outdoor) air, it leaves behind a residue of three compounds, two of which (known by the acronyms NNK and NNN) are known carcinogens. This trio of tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) creates thirdhand smoke and can persist in a home for months or even years, jeopardizing the health of those living there (Berman, 2022). Household cleaners like vinegar and baking soda, paired with a magic eraser might clean the surface residue but do not break down the TSNAs.

If nothing else, everyone knows someone who mixed chemicals and had to evacuate the room while it aired out.

See my point?

Cleaners are chemists and the best of them know what substance neutralizes what, what chemicals to absolutely not use on what surfaces, and the best techniques to use to make it look too easy to be technical. In fact, the International Sanitation Supply Association (ISSA) and the International Janitorial Cleaning Services Association (IJCSA) both offer industry leading training and certification courses that are OSHA approved to ensure that the cleaning industry as a whole stay up to date on the technical work of being chemists. Yep, that’s right, we have a cool kids club.

So, would you consider a person who trains in understanding the chemical make up of substances to remove them using appropriate techniques to be ‘just a cleaner’, or would their years of experience, training, and certifications be enough to classify them as technicians?

Imagine your cleaner from the beginning of this post again, this person probably knows how to deal with the compounds I described and then some. Professional cleaning never has been something just anyone does—those are chores.

1. If anyone could do it then the statistic wouldn’t be that 95% of cleaning and janitorial businesses fail within the first year (International Janitorial Cleaning Services Association, 2025).

   
   

2. If it was easy, we wouldn’t have to restore new client’s faith in the capabilities of cleaning service vendors after being burned either.

   
   

Just as shade tree mechanics are to ASE certified automotive technicians, cleaners are to certified cleaning technicians.

With that being said, this is our message to our industry:

To dignify our industry, we have to invest in knowledge. To create pricing stability within our industry, pay livable wages, and stop the exploitation of minorities, we must raise service standards to match the prices. Cleaners are worthy of the same respect as technicians—you’ve got the wrong clientele if they don’t agree.

Click the links to find out more about the ISSA or IJCSA (DCS LLC is not sponsored by or being paid to promote either entity).

Otherwise, check out our post "Unlock the Secrets of Cleaning: Know Your Mess Inside Out!" for a quick look at common substances and their solutions!

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Sources:

Berman, R. (2022, August 25). “Thirdhand smoke” may last longer than you think and damage your health. Medicalnewstoday.com; Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/thirdhand-smoke-cigarettes-may-last-longer-than-you-think-damage-health#Should-we-worry-about-thirdhand-smoke

International Janitorial Cleaning Services Association. (2025). The Cold Facts On Starting A Cleaning Or Janitorial Service. Ijcsa.org. https://ijcsa.org/The-Cold-Facts-On-Starting-A-Cleaning-Or-Janitorial-Service

Staff, C. (2008, February 21). How to remove tough tannin stains. Cleanfax. https://cleanfax.com/how-to-remove-tough-tannin-stains/

United States Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). Tannins. Www.fs.usda.gov. https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/ethnobotany/tannins.shtml