Bathroom cleaner wtih Teflon

[NeoPTLD]

There are cleaning products with a DuPont Teflon additive that supposedly adds non-stock properties.

Clorox claims that;

"
Q: What is the advantage of having the Teflon® Surface Protector in the bathroom?

A: The invisible layer that is applied to the surface by Commercial Solutions® Clorox® Bathroom Cleaner with Teflon® Surface Protector acts as a protective barrier against tough bathroom grime (such as soap scum, bathtub ring, and rust/hard water stains in the toilet). Because these soils and stains don't stick to the treated surfaces, the bathroom will stay cleaner longer."

If the stain don't stick to the treated surface, how the hell does the treatment stick to the surface?

 

[PottedMeat]

I have some lubricant with particles of teflon suspended in it. The liquid evaporates and leaves the teflon behind in the joint. That sounds like a gimmick to me, since you're wiping off the cleaner after application.

 

[CycloWizard]

Teflon (really polyfluorotetraethylene) is an extremely hydrophobic material. That means it strongly repels polar and ionic molecules, which include water, dirt, and many other soil types. Cloth is also hydrophilic (attracts polar and ionic molecules), which it needs to be to pick up water. Thus, wiping will remove some of the coating, but will leave a thin layer behind. I would also speculate that a surfactant molecule could be used to enable bonding of the teflon to the glass/tile material, though without a list of ingredients in front of me, I'm not sure what it might be.

 

[gururu2]

teflon polymerizes while its curing. typically the delivering agent prevents polymerization until the solvent levels are greatly reduced. therefore the curing does not occur until the product is diluted out over a surface. polymerization results increasing the grip of the solid film onto the surface. tile and grout are ideal substrates for teflon because of the extensive surface area for which to adhere to.

 

[Throckmorton]

Isn't Teflon a carcinogen?

 

[CycloWizard]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Isn't Teflon a carcinogen?

I think there is still some debate about it, though I haven't kept up on it over the past five years or so. IIRC, the most likely culprit is an initiator acid compound rather than the PTFE itself. There are processes that can remove this in continuous production, but it would be a problem in the spray-on cleaner. That's why I suggested that it may be already polymerized and solubilized in the bottle rather than after spraying like gururu2 suggested, though I could be wrong. If someone can post the ingredients list, I might be able to give a more educated guess.

 

[ThaChemist]

Teflon becomes problematic when heated up substantially, but is pretty harmless at room temperatures from everything that I've read. Breakdown products appear at ~600F and are definitely toxic, but those temperatures are generally not achieved even in cookware - at least not when used to cook food. Of course, any elevated temperature will promote otherwise-unfeasible reactions, and the concern is that even the lower temperatures involved in cooking yield very small amounts of toxins that can be problematic with regular use. Health problems from Teflon on the bathtub? Not so much, at least according to the mechanisms we understand today.

edit: Also the reason things don't stick to Teflon is not so much the hydrophobicity (some components of dirt are hydrophobic, as are all oils), but rather the lack of van der Waals forces.

 

[The Bakery]

But I like to take REALLY hot baths =(

 

[Nathelion]

Originally posted by: The Bakery
But I like to take REALLY hot baths =(

LOL this one made me laugh

 

[DerekWilson]

Originally posted by: Nathelion

Originally posted by: The Bakery
But I like to take REALLY hot baths =(

LOL this one made me laugh

lol ... me too ...

it's also worth noting that PTFE is becoming increasingly popular as a flexible body piercing / implant material. in talking about the risks, my piercer explained that you'd have bigger issues if a part of your body ever brought the PTFE to a problematic temperature. I thought that was funny too

 

[PolymerTim]

Yeah, I think it must be safe at body temperature. Devices made primarily of PTFE have already been approved for use in the body:

http://www.goremedical.com/intervascular

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Originally posted by: CycloWizard
Teflon (really polyfluorotetraethylene) is an extremely hydrophobic material. That means it strongly repels polar and ionic molecules, which include water, dirt, and many other soil types. Cloth is also hydrophilic (attracts polar and ionic molecules), which it needs to be to pick up water. Thus, wiping will remove some of the coating, but will leave a thin layer behind. I would also speculate that a surfactant molecule could be used to enable bonding of the teflon to the glass/tile material, though without a list of ingredients in front of me, I'm not sure what it might be.

it's polytetrafluoroetheylene, you giant dummy

Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Isn't Teflon a carcinogen?

i posted my experiences in the teflon industry here a little while ago. teflon poisoning is known as "teflon fever." it attacks the nervous system, causing dizzyness, extreme hot, extreme cold, extreme vomiting, et cetera. pretty much the only way to get it is inhalation during the application process, unless you paint a lot of it on your skin. the solvents used in application are usually far worse than the teflon itself.

 

[gsellis]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Isn't Teflon a carcinogen?

Never seen a valid study to suggest it. And if Frederick vom Saal says it is, then you know it is not true.

 

[CycloWizard]

Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler
it's polytetrafluoroetheylene, you giant dummy

I can't be held responsible for anything posted in the month of March. I think I slept a total of about 30 hours in said timeframe. I've already tripled that in April to make up for it though.

 

[dkozloski]

This thread reminds me of the discussions about Teflon oil additives. DuPont's reaction was the best: "It's a beautiful theory. Too bad it doesn't work".