--- title: "Commercial Cleaning Glossary — San Diego" description: "Plain-English definitions of commercial cleaning terms — soft washing, hot-water pressure washing, EPA wastewater recovery, IICRC, EPA List N, sodium hypochlorite, surfactants, stormwater BMPs, and more. Built for property managers and facility leads." canonical: https://www.commercialcleaningsd.com/glossary/ --- COMMERCIAL CLEANING GLOSSARY # Commercial Cleaning Glossary Industry terms decoded without jargon — what they mean, when they matter, and how they apply to property managers and facility operators. ## Jump to a letter * [B](#dir-B) * [C](#dir-C) * [E](#dir-E) * [G](#dir-G) * [H](#dir-H) * [I](#dir-I) * [L](#dir-L) * [M](#dir-M) * [N](#dir-N) * [O](#dir-O) * [P](#dir-P) * [Q](#dir-Q) * [S](#dir-S) * [T](#dir-T) * [U](#dir-U) * [W](#dir-W) ## Glossary terms A to Z ## B * [ Surfaces & Materials Berber Carpet Loop-pile carpet construction common in commercial spaces. Durable and stain-resistant, but the loop structure traps soil and complicates extraction cleaning. ](/glossary/berber-carpet/) ## C * [ Certifications & Standards California CSLB License — C-61/D-38 Sanitation Systems CSLB California Contractors State License Board licensing classification for commercial cleaning, pressure washing, and sanitation contractors. Required above the $500 project-cost threshold. ](/glossary/cslb-c-61-d-38/) * [ Environmental & Compliance CARB-Compliant CARB Meeting California Air Resources Board volatile organic compound (VOC) emission limits for consumer and commercial cleaning products. Required for any chemistry sold or used in California. ](/glossary/carb-compliant/) ## E * [ Surfaces & Materials Engineered vs Solid Hardwood Engineered hardwood is layered: a wood veneer over a plywood or HDF core. Solid hardwood is one piece of wood through-and-through. The difference matters for moisture tolerance during cleaning. ](/glossary/engineered-vs-solid-hardwood/) * [ Chemistry & Products Enzyme Cleaners Biological cleaning agents that use enzymes to break down organic contamination — urine, feces, blood, food spills — at the molecular level. The right answer for pet and organic odor. ](/glossary/enzyme-cleaners/) * [ Chemistry & Products EPA List N EPA's official list of disinfectants approved for use against SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging pathogens. The list every commercial sanitization product should be cross-referenced against. ](/glossary/epa-list-n/) * [ Surfaces & Materials EPDM Roof Membrane EPDM Ethylene propylene diene monomer — the original single-ply commercial roof membrane. Black rubber, adhesive or tape-seamed, durable, and still common on older commercial buildings. ](/glossary/epdm-roof-membrane/) ## G * [ Environmental & Compliance Greywater Lightly-contaminated wastewater from showers, sinks, and laundry — distinct from blackwater (sewage) and process water (industrial). Has its own plumbing code and reuse rules in California. ](/glossary/greywater/) ## H * [ Methods & Equipment Hot-Water Extraction HWE Carpet cleaning method that injects hot water and detergent into the pile, then immediately vacuums it back out. The industry standard for commercial deep cleans. ](/glossary/hot-water-extraction/) ## I * [ Certifications & Standards Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification IICRC The non-profit standards-setting body for the cleaning, inspection, and restoration industries. Publishes the technical standards that define what 'professional' means in carpet and water-damage work. ](/glossary/iicrc/) * [ Certifications & Standards ISSA Cleaning Industry Management Standard CIMS Management-system certification for commercial cleaning organizations from ISSA, the trade association for the global cleaning industry. Audits operational maturity, not field technique. ](/glossary/issa-cims/) ## L * [ Environmental & Compliance LEED Cleaning Credits LEED EBOM Procurement and operations credits in the LEED for Existing Buildings rating system that recognize green cleaning programs, product purchasing, and equipment choices. ](/glossary/leed-cleaning-credits/) ## M * [ Chemistry & Products MAXIM Carpet Protectant Fluorochemical-based carpet protectant from Bridgepoint Systems. Applied after a deep clean to make the fibers more resistant to staining, soiling, and wet-out for 6-12 months. ](/glossary/maxim-carpet-protectant/) ## N * [ Certifications & Standards National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors NORMI Professional association and certification body for mold inspection and remediation. Trains inspectors and remediators on ANSI/IICRC S520-aligned procedures. ](/glossary/normi/) * [ Environmental & Compliance NPDES Permit NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System — the federal Clean Water Act permitting program that regulates discharges to U.S. surface waters, including municipal storm drains. ](/glossary/npdes-permit/) ## O * [ Certifications & Standards OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standard 29 CFR 1910.1030 The federal OSHA regulation governing occupational exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials. Applies to cleaning crews responding to medical, biohazard, or trauma scenes. ](/glossary/osha-bloodborne-pathogen-standard/) ## P * [ Methods & Equipment Pressure Washing PSI Ratings PSI Pressure rating of a pressure washer in pounds per square inch. Commercial work runs 3,000-4,000 PSI; consumer rigs are 1,500-2,500\. PSI is half the equation — GPM is the other half. ](/glossary/pressure-washing-psi-ratings/) ## Q * [ Chemistry & Products Quaternary Ammonium Compounds Quats A family of cationic surfactant disinfectants — common in food-service sanitizers, hospital wipes, and general-purpose surface disinfection. Effective against most bacteria and many viruses. ](/glossary/quaternary-ammonium-compounds/) ## S * [ Certifications & Standards Safety Data Sheet SDS Standardized 16-section document describing hazards, handling, and emergency procedures for every chemical product on a job site. Required by OSHA Hazard Communication Standard. ](/glossary/sds/) * [ Chemistry & Products Sodium Hypochlorite NaOCl The chlorine-based oxidizer that's the active ingredient in household bleach. The standard chemistry for soft washing and a common sanitization disinfectant. ](/glossary/sodium-hypochlorite/) * [ Methods & Equipment Soft Washing Low-pressure exterior cleaning that relies on chemistry — typically sodium hypochlorite and surfactants — instead of high pressure to remove biological growth and stains. ](/glossary/soft-washing/) * [ Methods & Equipment SOLA-TECS C c1000 German-made water-driven solar panel cleaning rig with a 700-RPM brush roller on a telescope lance. Cleans glass-safe without chemicals. ](/glossary/sola-tecs-c-c1000/) * [ Surfaces & Materials Spalling Concrete Surface flaking, chipping, or scaling on concrete caused by water intrusion, freeze-thaw, salt damage, or rebar corrosion. Pressure washing can expose existing spalling but doesn't usually cause it. ](/glossary/spalling-concrete/) * [ Environmental & Compliance Stormwater Best Management Practices BMPs The set of physical and procedural controls used to keep pollutants out of the storm drain system. Required under municipal stormwater permits and the federal Clean Water Act. ](/glossary/stormwater-bmps/) * [ Chemistry & Products Surfactants Surface-active agents — the 'soap' part of any cleaning solution. They lower water's surface tension so it can wet, penetrate, and lift contamination. ](/glossary/surfactants/) ## T * [ Surfaces & Materials Tile Grout Porosity The degree to which grout absorbs liquid and contamination. Cement-based grout is porous by default; sealing reduces but doesn't eliminate absorption. ](/glossary/tile-grout-porosity/) * [ Surfaces & Materials TPO Roof Membrane TPO Thermoplastic polyolefin — a single-ply white commercial roof membrane that's reflective, heat-welded at seams, and the most common low-slope commercial roof in California today. ](/glossary/tpo-roof-membrane/) * [ Methods & Equipment Truck-Mounted vs Portable Extractors Two configurations of carpet extraction equipment. Truck-mounts are bigger, hotter, and more powerful; portables are smaller and go where trucks can't reach. ](/glossary/truck-mounted-vs-portable-extractors/) ## U * [ Methods & Equipment ULV Fogging ULV Ultra-low-volume fogging — a sanitization method that atomizes disinfectant into a fine aerosol so it coats every surface in a room, including overhead and behind-equipment areas. ](/glossary/ulv-fogging/) ## W * [ Environmental & Compliance Water Reclamation Recovering pressure-washing runoff at the work site instead of letting it flow to a storm drain. The compliance answer for stormwater-sensitive jobs in California. ](/glossary/water-reclamation/) ## Term you don't see covered? Ask us — we'll add it. The glossary is shaped by what real clients actually need defined. 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