Powders vs. Liquids: One of the main choices when picking a cleaning product is the form. In this informational post, we cover many of the differences between the powder and liquid forms of cleaners.

DeVere offers a wide range of products in our attempt to please all customers. One subcategory that each of our products falls into is powders vs. liquids. Some products even have the same purpose, but one is a powder and the other is a liquid.

Powder chemical products typically have the following advantages:

• Ultra concentrated: Shipping these products do not require shipping water.
• Environmentally-friendly packaging: From fiber drums to boxes, these products tend to require less plastic packaging.
• Variety of use possibilities: You can pour powders directly on surfaces (e.g. Degrease Powder or Blacktop & Concrete Cleaner) or diluted in water before use (all DeVere powdered cleaners).
• Easy handling: Products like Security Floor Sanitizer can simply be scooped out of drums and transported to the point of use.  The handling does not require a sealed transfer container or pumps.

Liquid chemical products typically have the following advantages:

• Available concentrated or ready to use: We can make these products available as a concentrate for dilution with water or ready to use as a cleaner, disinfectant, or sanitizer.
• Easily dispensed: Use any DeVere’s dispensers, pipelines, or pumps to dose, transfer, and/or meter liquid chemicals.

Below is a list of some examples of our products that have both liquid and powder versions with the differences.

Chlor Foam vs. Chlor Foam Powder

These industrial, high-foam built alkaline detergents are designed for challenging foam and manual cleaning applications where high foam characteristics are desirable. They have similar uses and chemistry, but slightly different methods of application. Diluting powders and liquids is slightly different. You should use 1-2 oz. of Chlor Foam per gallon of water, while you should use Chlor Foam Powder at 0.5-2% concentration in water, so the measurements are a bit different.

Machine Dishwashing Liquid vs. Machine Dishwashing Powder

These are probably the most different out of any liquid/powder pair. You should only use Machine Dishwashing Liquid in industrial settings, while you could use Machine Dishwashing Powder (MDP) in residential, commercial, or industrial dishwashers. MDP contains a small amount of chlorine to remove protein-based stains. MDP is available in capsules for automatic dispensing in industrial dishwashers, but also can come in pails for manually putting the powder in the dishwasher. Finally, the Machine Dishwashing Liquid can be used with Anti-Corrosion Additive to make it safe to use on aluminum and other soft metals.

Boost Laundry Detergent vs. Boost Powder Laundry Detergent

These are fairly similar and mostly go back to the general points mentioned above. Boost Laundry Detergent and Boost Powder Laundry Detergent are moderately-foaming laundry detergents that can be used for industrial, commercial, and residential applications. The liquid is available in a wider range of product sizes. Liquids will not always have more available sizes, but product size and how much you need is something to consider.

If you have any questions about powders vs. liquids, please visit the store pages above for more specific information about each individual product, or contact us with any questions.