Promoting the Benefits of Properly Portioned Chemicals

The commercial cleaning industry is constantly adapting to nationwide changes. Rising operational costs and technology adoption are transforming how frontline cleaning teams maintain healthy environments. For distributors, this shift presents an opportunity to deliver value through advanced dilution control and pre-portioned chemicals.

By streamlining chemical inventory, implementing proper dispensing processes, and providing thorough training, distributors can supply their end user customers with a safer, more sustainable solution that enhances cleaning efficiency.

To address how dilution control responds to the ebbs and flows of the needs of end users, Sanitary Maintenance reached out to industry experts for feedback. With this information in hand, distributors will be prepared to properly serve their customers.

What factors are driving the current trend of dilution control in the commercial cleaning industry?
Brown—Labor challenges—such as high turnover and language barriers—make “simple-to-use” solutions attractive. End users are implementing products that can be easily used by anyone on their first day on the job.

Gilliam—Worker shortages are a big driver. Everyone is being asked to cover more space with fewer people. Dilution control—specifically mobile dilution, such as pre-measured pouches—helps frontline teams work more efficiently, reduce wasted steps, and accomplish more in the same amount of time.

Attanasio—The real question when it comes to dilution control is, “Are there wasted labor costs associated with travel time to-and-from wall-mounted dispensers?” If the answer is yes, then ready-to-dispense or ready-to-use (RTU) options are most likely going to have a bigger impact on cost control versus dilution control systems.

SC Johnson—The largest factor driving the trend of dilution control over traditional RTU is by far the cost savings potential. In many instances, concentrates can be anywhere from 10 to 100 times more cost-effective than RTU solutions—but it is important to also factor in labor and maintenance costs associated with implementing concentration systems.

Everitt—The April 2025 issue of Sanitary Maintenance published a survey of 10 hospitals. It revealed that 90 percent of the facilities had one or more malfunctioning dispensers—29 percent delivered lower-than-expected concentrations, and 14 percent delivered no detectable disinfectant at all. With concentrate packets or pods, the cleaning staff only must measure the water correctly to get an accurate dilution.

How can proper dilution control optimize cleaning processes for end users?
Everitt—Adopting End users who adopt some form of dilution control affords confidence in good cleaning performance without the stickiness of surfaces and money wasted from the over-usage of concentrate sold in jugs and buckets. Without a measuring cup on hand, cleaning staff left to their own devices will always pour too much concentrate. The metrics show less rapid re-soiling of floors and less money spent on cleaning chemicals.

Brown—Dilution control—whether wall-mounted or a mobile dispensing solution—typically offers a lower in-use cost versus RTU solutions. Proper dilution control also lowers the risk of chemical misuse or overuse, which helps teams to consistently achieve intended cleaning performance and protects them from free-pouring accidents.

Attanasio—Dilution control systems, when properly configured, are designed to provide accurate dilution of the concentrate and will always be more accurate than hand pouring chemicals.

Gilliam—Proper dilution protects surfaces, people, and productivity. Over-mixing leaves a film on surfaces which becomes sticky and slippery over time, attracting more dirt and pathogens—so crews end up working harder, not smarter. Proper dilution reduces overuse, residue, and rework.

What items are essential for the successful implementation of dilution control?
Brown—Training is important for the successful implementation of dilution control. That said, the amount of training required for some of the latest innovations in mobile dispensing is very low, meaning that operations struggling with a variety of labor challenges can benefit from the technology.

Everitt—Color-coding the cleaning chemical concentrates and pairing them with the packaging is fundamental to initial training and continued proper usage in the cleaning operation. Function-specific training cards with graphic images in conjunction with the color-coding scheme will be especially effective when the native languages of the cleaning staff go beyond English, Spanish, and French.

SC Johnson—Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards is equally critical. Dilution control implementation often involves refilling bottles, and users must be careful to only use (or refill) chemicals in properly labeled containers to avoid code violations or other potential dangers by mixing incompatible chemicals.

How can dilution control systems be tailored according to differing needs?
Gilliam—Different spaces need different tools, but not different math. Color- and job-coded dilution allows products to be matched to tasks and areas without changing the process. The consistency stays the same—whether employees are cleaning restrooms, classrooms, offices, or common areas.

SC Johnson—It is important to find the right-sized system for the facility being cleaned and the nature of the cleaning. When frontline crews are on the move or lack access to a wall-mounted dilution control system, several alternative solutions are available: dissolvable tablets, manually mixing concentrates, and mobile dispensing systems.

Everitt—The key element in tailoring dilution control to the nature of the operation is portability. The traditional wall-mounted and hard-plumbed blend centers require custodial staff to return to the stationary dispensing point for cleaning solution refills—a round trip that can be time consuming. Some dilution-control systems feature point-of-use mixing to eliminate this, so water from any faucet can be used.

How can distributors promote dilution control as a way to support sustainability initiatives?
Attanasio—Dilution control can be a great way to boost end users' green IQ. For example, a 2-liter, concentrated, all-purpose cleaner can make over 2,000 quarts of in-use solution. That removes a lot of plastic bottles from the waste process.

SC Johnson—They often require less packaging and reduce the need to transport large volumes of diluted cleaning solutions, which helps lower emissions associated with shipping. In fact, some mobile dispensing systems in the market can reduce plastic use by up to 93 percent, compared to equivalent RTU quart bottles with sprayers, and based on an average quart bottle and sprayer containing approximately 69 grams of plastic.

Gilliam—Green-certified products are a great start, but sustainability depends on using them correctly. Pre-measured dilution ensures safer chemistry isn’t wasted or over-introduced into the waste stream.

As contract cleaning continues to evolve and grow, how will manufacturers keep pace with proper chemical handling requirements?
SC Johnson—Over the past decade, we’ve seen significant advancements in dispensing technology. Manufacturers are focused on developing dilution control systems that minimize upfront investment and maintenance compared to traditional wall-mounted units. Looking ahead, expect innovation beyond dispensing methods—portable and automated solutions.

Attanasio—Space restrictions will probably continue to be an issue, so having solutions that are portable or mobile will be beneficial for end user customers.

Everitt—The advent of QR codes as a means of providing ready access to information is useful and timely. The large space on cleaning product labels that each language requires limits the number of languages provided. The correct smartphone app could give the necessary cautions and instructions in any language by scanning the product’s QR code.

Brown—I anticipate we will see more innovation in the future that offers users the simplicity of RTU and requires no direct interaction with chemicals at all, while also delivering financial and sustainability advantages of dispensing systems to management teams.

Taylor Vraney is the Assistant Editor working on Facility Cleaning Decisions, Sanitary Maintenance, and Contracting Profits magazines. She's also very active in contributing to CleanLink.com. Prior to her time in media, Taylor served as a Special Education teacher, which gives her a strong perspective on custodial operations and its role in creating healthy environments for building occupants.
Taylor currently oversees Sanitary Maintenance's Sales Leaders Award program, which gave her a quick introduction to some of the many outstanding personalities that make up this great industry. At industry events, Taylor got first-hand experience with products and equipment, and even recorded the experience to demonstrate what frontline workers experience on the daily.
Taylor handles the collection of content for the Cleaning Insider newsletter and facilitates CleanLink's monthly polling questions.
Follow Taylor on LinkedIn here.