As the name implies, alkaline builders increase the pH or the alkalinity of a cleaning product. Note that alkalinity and pH are related but not the same. Most alkaline builders buffer or stabilize the pH. They keep if from changing much when a product is diluted with water or when it reacts with oils and grease and other types of soil. There are many alkaline builders and several of them are commonly used ingredients in our industry. Many of them are phosphates in one form or another.
