For many people, discussions of chemistry are not only confusing; such conversations are actually scary. Too many individuals do not appreciate just how valuable a basic understanding of chemistry can be to their efforts as a cleaning or restoration professional. However, the value of a general knowledge of what chemicals are and how they work does not mean that someone has to wear a white lab coat and stand around bubbling glass beakers in a laboratory. To that end, the goal of this series of articles is to help the restoration and cleaning professional understand the basics about the various products used during their projects so they can: