Aqueous cleaning composition for cleaning substrates and method of using same

摘要

An alkaline aqueous cleaning composition for cleaning a substrate contaminated with industrial-type soil contaminants contains (i) an aqueous portion and (ii) an active-ingredient portion composed of (A) an alkalinity-providing agent and (B) a surfactant mixture containing (a) an active concentration of an ethoxylated C12-14 alkanol surfactant having an HLB value at 25° C. of from 8 to 12 and (b) an active concentration of at least one aminocarboxylic acid surfactant of the general formula R-N(H)-R', wherein R is a straight or branched chain aliphatic organic group having from 10 to 20 carbon atoms, and R' is a straight or branched chain carboxylic acid having from 1 to 7 carbon atoms. At an active-concentration ratio of surfactant (a) to surfactant (b) of about 2.5:1, the surfactants have a synergistic effect on the cleaning composition's ability to remove certain types of industrial-soil contaminants. Cleaning of the substrate with the aqueous cleaning composition involves contacting the substrate with the composition for a period of time sufficient to remove at least a substantial portion of the contaminants from the substrate.