What cleaning solution to use?

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1

I’m a 10 year window cleaner but a newbie to power washing. My friend who has a power washing company swears by a 1:1 bleach to water solution and nothing else. He says he’s tried other products, but half and half cuts mold on siding best. I’ve heard others say 1:1 is too strong, you should use 1:3 or 1:4. Which dilution is best?

Also, there is a huge array of solutions and chemicals out there. Simple Cherry, Simple Green… it’s simply bewildering. Any thoughts on what should be in a basic chemical tool box for a newbie pressure washer?

Also, what do you guys do to protect plants and vegetation? Plastic sheeting? Soak it down before and after with lots of water? How do you charge for those extra services?

BTW, which is it? Power washing or pressure washing? Gotta get the lingo down.

Thanks for an awesome forum, WCR.

2

Welcome to the forum,

I guess the dilution question depends on the concentration of Sodium Hypochlorite, the active ingredient in bleach. Most guys on here probably use 12.5% SH, which is going to be about twice as strong as store bought bleach. I use an x-jet others prefer downstreaming so they don’t have to carry a bucket around with them. In my bucket I’ll usually use about 3 gal 12.5% SH, 2 gal water, and a surfactant such as simple cherry or dawn soap. The x-jet further dilutes that mixture.

If you’re doing driveways too, its a good idea to get a degreaser for oil spots and a rust stain remover.

Most plants soaking before and after should be sufficient, delicate plants cover with plastic also.

Either one Power washing, Pressure washing I don’t think there is a difference

3

No offense to anyone on here, I don’t think bleach is a good idea ever. It is not a pressure washing chemical and is bad for lungs, the yard, the skin or anything else. There are approved products that work just as well

4

You can call it whatever you want, I would suggest watering down the yard bushes etc and think it depends on the surface but I think simple green works great

5

Mark, what do you use for cleaning mold from siding? I’ve never found anything that works as well as bleach.

6

I would like to know too, I want to promote green but not if it doesn’t do as good a job, or adds a substantial amount of time

7

I vote Pressure washing, ironic huh. Now, I think of Power washing as more of a nick name for it, and Pressure washing as being more specific. But its the same as Window Washing versus Window Cleaning.

8

[B]Pressure Washing Cleaning Solution Recipe[/B]

2 gallons of fresh 12.5% sodium hypochlorite
3 gallons of water
16 ounces (2 cups) of Simple Cherry powder

The sodium hypochlorite must be new or “fresh” because its strength breaks down quickly in storage.

Pre-mix the Simple Cherry in one of the gallons of water to aid dissolving. Add the sodium hypochlorite and remaining water. For really bad mold/mildew, increase the strength of the cleaning solution by using three gallons of sodium hypochlorite and two gallons of water.

[B]Determining the Amount of Cleaning Solution Applied[/B]

If you want know the exact amount of solution you are applying, fill up a 5-gallon bucket with water, and time how long it takes you to empty that bucket with your downstream injector. Then, compare that elapsed time with the gallons-per-minute (GPM) rating of the pressure washer. Once you know exactly what percentage you’re pulling through the injector, you can calculate your ratio of cleaners to mix into the 5-gallon bucket for proper cleaning.

[U]Example[/U]
Let’s say you have a 5 GPM pressure washer, and it takes 15 minutes to empty a 5-gallon bucket of cleaning solution. The total amount of liquid applied to the house is determined as follows:

[U]5 gallons [/U]x 15 minutes = 75 gallons
minute

Since five of those gallons were solution, 70 gallons must have been water. Next, determine the ratio of water to cleaning solution.

[U]70 gallons [/U]= 14 or a 14:1 ratio
5 gallons

[U] 5 gallons [/U]= .06666… or approximately 7%
75 gallons

Thus, the ratio of water to cleaning solution was 14:1. Looking at this another way, approximately 7% of the liquid applied was cleaning solution.

If it takes less than 15 minutes to empty your bucket, then the ratio is higher than 14:1; if it takes longer, then the ratio is less than 14:1. The formula above will help you determine the ratio for your pressure washer/injector/tip combination.

[U]Notes[/U]
The keys to getting a decent downstreaming ratio are a good injector, a high GPM gun, and a short downstreaming intake hose.

While these calculations are helpful, they will only provide an approximate calculation of your cleaning solution strength because you don’t actually know the real strength of your “12.5%” sodium hypochlorite due to its relatively short shelf-life.

As a general rule of thumb, you want the mold and algae to disappear after about 5-7 minutes of dwell time. Any slower than this indicates that your mix is probably too weak (add more sodium hypochlorite); any faster means it’s too strong (add more water to your downstreaming bucket).

9

Good info. Thanks

10

There is a difference between window washing and window cleaning. With window washing it’s a basic wipe & swipe. It gets all surface dirt off but doesn’t really clean the glass.

Window cleaning however, means scraping the glass, getting off the bug stuff and the imbedded dirt. The glass won’t having anything on it for the rain to cling to and stays cleaner longer.

11

I’ve decided to stop using bleach also. It is to much hassle and doesnt get actual dirt/grime off the house, just removes mold. I know people will disagree with me big time on this one but I use a local product that is environmentally friendly, and I also use extensions and literally scrub the siding. Finding the right brush is crucial, but the results are WAY better than just blasting a house with bleach and TSP. Thats just what works for me though, and that way I dont have to worry about plant life and overspray and getting it on myself. Im new to doing house washes. but i’ve found what works for me.

12

can a pump sprayer be used w/ simple cherry & bleach mix?

13

Where do i get SH?
Thanks.

14

you would have to dilute it more. you have to consider that when you are applying bleach, its usually around 6%. when you downstream or apply with an x jet or whatever you use. you are siphoning your solution into a stream of water which dilutes it. it wouldnt make it on the house straight.

15

some people go to swimming pool supply stores. i go to a local chemical distributor

16

Who do you use, we are in Mass as well and having trouble finding someone who can deliver what we need.

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17

i pick up directly from worcester chemical. price per gallon is the same if you buy 5 gallons or 50 gallons, which is $3.15 per gallon. you put a deposit on whichever container you get. the deposit on a 50 gal drum (dont remember the price) is less than on a 5 gallon container ($5). doesnt really matter to me. if i’m gonna be in the area, i just throw all of the empties in my truck and return them, and pick up more. i get all kinds of good stuff from them. oxalic acid, sodium percarbonate…

i’m not positive if they deliver. i think theres another distribution company right around the corner from them too. worc chem is located at 100 webster st.

18

Thanks a lot WWS

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19

No problem

20

Will the bleach harm a deck or
wooden fence?

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