The Wonders of Citrus

By Donald W. Terry, Sr.

Reprinted from the Bane-Clene® Cleaning Digest®

September/October 2000, Volume 30, Number 5, Pages 29 - 30

Bone Scrape

   A number of years ago, the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) was asked to find uses for by-products left over from processing orange and other citrus juices. The department found that the by-product d-limonene could be used as an effective solvent, often replacing petroleum solvents in many applications.

   d-Limonene is the major component of the oil extracted from citrus rind. When citrus fruits are juiced, the oil is pressed out of the rind. This oil is separated from the juice, and distilled to recover certain flavor and fragrance compounds. The bulk of the oil is left behind and collected and is food grade d-limonene. After the juicing process, the peels are conveyed to a steam extractor. This extracts more of the oil from the peel. When the steam is condensed, a layer of oil floats on the surface of the condensed water. This is technical grade d-limonene.

   In the past decade, the use of d-limonene has expanded tremendously. Much of the product goes into industrial uses, but the largest growth segment has been in cleaning products. d-limonene is a very versatile chemical that can be used in a wide variety of applications.

   From a personal safety standpoint, d-limonene is a much safer product than most other solvents. It is much less toxic than mineral spirits. d-Limonene has been classified as a slight skin irritant, but it is not carcinogenic or mutagenic. d-Limonene does not contain any ozone depleting chemicals, but is currently regulated as a VOC (volatile organic compound). The VOC status of the product is being evaluated for possible exclusion. d-Limonene is listed as a non-toxic chemical in TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act) and is not regulated by the Clean Air Act.

   d-Limonene evaporates very slowly, unlike many other solvents, which can create problems if improperly used. Additionally, because it is a natural product, availability (and cost) can vary tremendously depending on crop failures, etc.

   d-Limonene is used in two Bane-Clene spotters: Citrus APS™ and Gel-Solv®, as well as several Chemspec and Pro’s Choice / CTI spotters distributed by Bane-Clene.

   Citrus APS is a 100% active ready-to-use non-chlorinated spotter containing d-limonene and wetting agents. Citrus Spotter is designed for removing solvent soluble soils such as adhesives, crayon, shoe polish, tar, grease, oil, polish, wax, fat, chewing gum, ink, cosmetics, and fresh paint while leaving a pleasant fragrance. This product can be repackaged into available 8-ounce spray bottles and sold to consumers—an excellent add-on item for extra profits! Always rinse the treated area after using Citrus APS.

   While now made by several producers, Bane-Clene developed the first gelled spotter, Gel-Solv. Gel-Solv is a blend of d-limonene with a thickening agent and Emulon®. Gel-Solv is thickened to allow you to apply directly to the spot without worrying over spreading the material or delamination. Gel-Solv is especially effective in removing ballpoint ink, crayon, and lipstick. Do not store Gel-Solv where it will get hot. When hot, Gel-Solv becomes very thin. Also, because it is so thick, we advise that we use it out of a small labeled bottle with a pour cap.

   Details on how to use Gel-Solv and Citrus APS are in the Bane-Clene Spotting Guide Manual for Professional Cleaners and in Don Terry’s manual, "The Chemistry of Making and Maintaining Rugs and Carpets". Here are some examples from the Spotting Guide for these products.

   If not removed when fresh, yellow stain from asphalt and tar from parking lots and driveways, is nearly impossible to completely remove without delaminating the carpet. For small areas, blot with Saf-T-Solv™, absorb, apply Gel-Solv, scrape up, thoroughly blot with Saf-T-Solv™, absorb, and thoroughly extract. For large areas, prespray with TLS® 2000 Heavy-Duty Prespray / Traffic Lane Spotter or Citrus APS, agitate, and extract at high temperature followed with a Brown Out® flush. Advise the customer to use adequate (12 foot minimum) walk off mats, which are exchanged or cleaned weekly. Blue and light gray carpets particularly show yellowing and should not be used where asphalt or oil track-in is a potential problem. For dried road tar, be sure to cut the tar into small pieces first using a pair of duckbill napping shears before treating.

   For adhesive residue left over from such items as tape, wet fibers with Citrus APS, agitate, allow about 10 minutes dwell time, blot with Saf-T-Solv, dry blot, thoroughly extract. If any residue remains, blot with acetone.

   For water-based glues, blot with Citrus APS and extract. If any remains, blot with alcohol or acetone.

   Paste shoe polish is little more than colored wax (like a crayon or candle). The colors come from pigments dispersed in the wax such as carbon black (soot) for black. Scrape off excess; absorb with heated iron onto dry towel. Apply Gel-Solv and leave 15 minutes to soften and dissolve. Scrape up and thoroughly blot with Saf-T-Solv. Thoroughly extract. If any stain remains, use the Stain Magic® system.

   A dog chewing up a ballpoint pen makes for quite a mess. The problem with removing ballpoint ink with a volatile dry solvent or alcohol is that the dissolved ink rapidly spreads out and down to the backing and pad, making a minor problem quite severe. Additionally, you will go through a number of towels and have quite a mess on your hands. Apply a bead of the Gel-Solv to the area to be treated. Leave on the area 15-20 minutes. Just outside the area, force the edge of a bone scraper all the way to the backing, turn it edgewise, and scrape up the gel from the backing up. Wipe the gel onto a Turkish Towel and continue scraping until nearly all the gel has been removed. Blot with Saf-T-Solv to remove the remaining gel and soil. Extract. NOTE: Leaving out the use of the Saf-T-Solv will lead to resoiling and even delamination after traffic has been allowed back on the carpet. Or use the new product, Ink Out®.

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