Actichem Stone Gel Pro 5 ltr

Product Overview

Actichem Stone Gel Pro is a buffered alkaline cream cleanser built to solve a specific problem: removing lime scale, soap scum and efflorescence from surfaces that cannot tolerate acid.

Mineral scale is normally an acid job. But acid — even mild acid — will etch and dull marble, limestone, travertine and other calcareous stone permanently, and etching cannot be cleaned off. It has to be re-honed. Stone Gel Pro uses chelation and surfactant chemistry to lift mineral salts and alkaline soiling without dropping the pH, so the scale comes off and the stone stays intact.

It is also a capable general cream cleanser for oily grime, body fats and grease on smooth surfaces in kitchens and washrooms.

Which pack size do I need?

• 500 ml (ST700.005) — benchtops, washroom detail work, van kit.
• 5 litre (ST700.05) — regular commercial stone maintenance and restoration work.

Why It Works Where Acid Cannot

The distinction is worth understanding, because it is the reason this product exists.

• Acid removes scale by dissolving it. It also dissolves the calcium carbonate that marble, limestone and travertine are made of. The damage is not a stain — it is a change in the surface texture, and no amount of further cleaning reverses it.
• Stone Gel Pro removes scale by sequestering it. The EDTA content binds calcium and magnesium ions and holds them in solution so they can be wiped or rinsed away, while the surfactant system lifts the soap and body fat that scale is usually bound up with. Nothing is dissolved out of the stone.

The trade-off is honest: it is slower than acid on heavy scale, and heavy build-up may need a second application with longer dwell. On acid-sensitive stone that trade-off is worth making every time.

Key Benefits

• The right chemistry for fine stone. Removes lime scale build-up, soap scum and efflorescence without acids or low-pH compounds that would dull or etch natural stone.
• Genuine cleaning power. Removes stubborn staining, oil, grease, body fats and grime, not just mineral deposits.
• Will not scratch, etch or mark polished marble, granite or fine stone.
• Versatile. Also polishes and removes water spotting, soap scum and grime from other smooth surfaces — chrome, enamel and glass.
• Cream body. Stays on vertical surfaces long enough to work, which matters in a shower recess.

Applications and Surface Suitability

Suitable for marble, limestone, travertine, granite, bluestone, porcelain and engineered stone. Will not mark or damage acid-sensitive surfaces.

• Shower recesses, screens and washroom surfaces where soap scum and scale build up
• Stone and engineered stone benchtops
• Kitchens and food preparation areas — with a thorough rinse afterwards
• Chrome tapware, enamel and glass
• Efflorescence on stone and masonry

Safety Information

The previous version of this page carried no safety information. Actichem's safety data sheet — version 3.1, issued 14 July 2021 — classifies Stone Gel Pro as follows.

• Signal word: WARNING
• H315 — Causes skin irritation. Skin Corrosion/Irritation Category 2.
• H317 — May cause an allergic skin reaction. Skin Sensitiser Category 1.
• H319 — Causes serious eye irritation. Eye Irritation Category 2A.
• Poisons Schedule: not applicable
• Not regulated for transport of dangerous goods
• pH 10.5 as supplied. Alkaline, not neutral.

What that means in practice

• "Safe for the stone" is not the same as "safe for you." This product is formulated to protect acid-sensitive surfaces. That is a substrate-compatibility claim. It says nothing about skin and eye contact, and this product is a skin sensitiser.
• H317 matters more than it looks. A sensitiser produces an allergic response that, once established, recurs at much lower exposures. Someone doing washroom work every day is the person most at risk. Actichem specifies overalls, a PVC apron and an eyewash unit.
• Eye protection: safety glasses with side shields, or chemical goggles. At pH 10.5 in a confined shower recess, splashes upward are the norm rather than the exception.
• Ventilation: Actichem states no special engineering controls are usually needed. That assumes an ordinary room, not a sealed bathroom with the door shut.
• Rinse food preparation surfaces thoroughly with clean water after use.

How to Use

Read and understand the safety data sheet before use. Always pre-test in an inconspicuous location for substrate sensitivity.

1. Apply Stone Gel Pro directly to the surface, or onto a damp non-scratch pad or cloth.
2. Spread evenly and agitate. On heavy scale, allow dwell time before working it — the chelation chemistry needs contact time that acid does not.
3. Work the surface with a soft nylon pad, brush or microfibre cloth. Do not use an abrasive pad on polished stone.
4. Rinse thoroughly with clean water and dry off. Residue left on a polished surface will show.
5. Heavy build-up may need a second application rather than more aggressive scrubbing.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Reaching for an acid because it is faster. One acid clean on marble or travertine costs more to put right than a hundred slower cleans.
• Using an abrasive pad on polished stone. The product is formulated not to scratch. The pad you choose can still ruin the finish.
• Not allowing dwell time on heavy scale, then concluding the product does not work. Chelation is not instant.
• Leaving it to dry on the surface. Rinse and dry off.
• Repeated bare-skin contact. H317. Sensitisation is cumulative and permanent.
• Assuming an acid-safe product is a mild product. pH 10.5.

Technical Specifications

Actichem lists the following ingredients, each at less than 10%: sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (CAS 25155-30-0), ethoxylated nonylphenol (CAS 9016-45-9), coconut diethanolamide (CAS 68603-42-9), d-limonene (CAS 5989-27-5), ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (CAS 111-76-2) and tetrasodium EDTA (CAS 64-02-8). Exact concentrations are withheld as trade secret.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will it really not etch marble?

Correct — it contains no acid, and etching of calcareous stone is an acid reaction. What it will not do is protect you from the pad you use. Match the pad to the finish and pre-test.

Why is it slower than the acid cleaner I used to use?

Because it removes scale by a different mechanism. Acid dissolves the mineral; this product binds it and lifts it. Binding needs contact time. On heavy scale, give it dwell time or apply twice rather than scrubbing harder.

Can I use it on engineered stone benchtops?

Yes. Engineered quartz is generally more chemically robust than natural marble, but the resin binder does not like strong acids or strong solvents, so a non-acid cream cleanser is a sensible choice. Rinse well.

Is it safe on food preparation surfaces?

It is suitable for use on them, provided you rinse thoroughly with clean water afterwards. It is a WARNING-classified cleaning chemical, not a food-contact-approved product, and rinsing is not optional.

What is the difference between this and Stone Soap?

Different jobs. Stone Gel Pro is a ready-to-use cream cleanser for removing scale and heavy soiling — a periodic, problem-solving product. Stone Soap is an ultra-dilute maintenance cleaner for routine cleaning of stone that is already clean. Use Stone Gel Pro to fix it, Stone Soap to keep it.

Can I use it on a sealed floor?

Pre-test. At pH 10.5 with a surfactant and solvent system, repeated use will shorten the life of a penetrating sealer. It is fine for occasional problem-solving; it is the wrong product for weekly maintenance of a sealed floor.

Does it contain any ingredients I should know about?

The formulation includes ethoxylated nonylphenol and coconut diethanolamide. Nonylphenol ethoxylates are subject to restriction in a number of overseas markets on aquatic-toxicity and endocrine grounds, and coconut diethanolamide is listed by IARC in Group 2B. Neither triggers a hazard classification at the concentrations used here, and the product's overall classification is WARNING as stated above. We have asked Actichem whether a reformulation is planned, because some clients — particularly on Green Star and government contracts — will be asked about these ingredients.

Related Products

• Actichem Stone Gel Pro 500 ml — the same product in the smaller pack. Identical classification.
• Actichem Stone Soap — the routine maintenance cleaner. Use it between Stone Gel Pro treatments.
• Actichem Stone Sealer Pro — the penetrating sealer to apply once the stone is properly clean.
• Actichem ProNeutro — neutral cleaner for sealed surfaces.

Summary

Stone Gel Pro solves the problem that catches out most operators new to stone work: the scale in front of you wants acid, and the surface under it cannot have acid. It removes lime scale, soap scum and efflorescence by chelation rather than dissolution, which means the marble, travertine or limestone survives the clean.

It is a WARNING-classified product at pH 10.5 and a skin sensitiser. Protect your eyes, avoid repeated skin contact, and rinse food surfaces properly. Used that way, it is one of the most useful products in a hard-surface kit.

Safety Data Sheet

Actichem Stone Gel Pro Safety Data Sheet — version 3.1, issued 14 July 2021

SKU: ST700.05

Not sure whether the marks on a stone surface are scale, etching or staining? Contact Carpet Cleaners Warehouse before you order — they need three different responses, and only one of them is a cleaning chemical.