Power Washing and Roof Cleaning Forum

Roof Cleaning Virginia · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Non SH based house wash?

tjteed · Approved Exterior Cleaner

We just use GreenWash without the bleach and a soft brush if necessary or extremely weak SH. Why are you asking, have you run into someone with chemical sensitivity?

SprayWash · Approved Exterior Cleaner

jomax works, but I think it has SH in it.

Art O · Approved Exterior Cleaner

I think Everspec sells some different stuff

Roof Cleaning Virginia · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Thanks Art. A little spendy, but it's an option I guess. Here's a list of their products and MSDS www.envirospec.com/MSDS.htm

Tim - no chemical sensitivity issues per se' other than the occasional blue ribbon koi pond with $3000 imported fish. (Serious!) We're about to go after the house washing market here hard, and I simply want a genuinely bio-friendly option for those that request or require it.

Doug Rucker · Vender

I have used both of these with good results...

www.newagain.net/House-Wash.html

absolutechemical.com/house-gutter-products.html (the citrus gutter and house cleaner)

Art O · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Soap WareHouse has some exterior soaps also www.soapwarehouse.biz/exterior6.html

tjteed · Approved Exterior Cleaner

I do a lot of expensive homes around Philly and those concerns really never came up from the homeowner. We have worked around Koi ponds but never that close, and usually it might only be one side. If that was the case we would just spray and scrub with GreenWash without SH. We would carry some of the ? chemical that removes chlorine from fish tanks just in case some SH gets in water. I do like that citrus cleaner from Absolute and it works great on gutters. It does make sense to offer a SH free option though, and I will give it some thought.

Roof Cleaning Virginia · Approved Exterior Cleaner

tjteed wrote:
I do a lot of expensive homes around Philly and those concerns really never came up from the homeowner. We have worked around Koi ponds but never that close, and usually it might only be one side. If that was the case we would just spray and scrub with GreenWash without SH. We would carry some of the ? chemical that removes chlorine from fish tanks just in case some SH gets in water. I do like that citrus cleaner from Absolute and it works great on gutters. It does make sense to offer a SH free option though, and I will give it some thought.

The chemical that I think you're referring to is sodium thiosulphate. Or you can pay 100x more for DeChlor at the local pet shop We always pre-treat the koi and goldfish ponds as a precaution. (I have a pond as well, so we discuss it and get the client's permission first) The fish ponds are easy enough to overcome, but the whole bio-friendly option could be just that, an option. Let me know what you come up with and I'll do the same.

John Aloisio · Approved Exterior Cleaner

I agree that you have to be careful around ponds. We cover them if they are in misting area and we have treated them as well, with no issues. When you bring up a more bio-friendly option.....I actually think SH is one of the most friendly options. It pretty much degrades into the soil as salt. I think the types of detergents/surfactant really has the most to do with bio-friendliness. One of the main things is that they are phosphate free. Phosphates can take years to degrade and can also effect the drinking water of a well.

Maverick Contracting · Approved Exterior Cleaner

anytime a customer has concerns about chlorine I just point out it is the most eviormently friendly option when used correctly.
It is used in schools, hospitals, workplaces, in your water and in the salt that your body needs.

What matters is who is applying it and their level of knowledge and experience.

Michael Hickey · Approved Exterior Cleaner

We use a citrus based cleaner for fascia & soffit but it is toxic to aquatic life so be careful if you are thinking of using something similar.
What do you pretreat ponds with Ted and how do you do it.

BlueRidge · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Maverick Contracting wrote:
anytime a customer has concerns about chlorine I just point out it is the most eviormently friendly option when used correctly.
It is used in schools, hospitals, workplaces, in your water and in the salt that your body needs.

What matters is who is applying it and their level of knowledge and experience.

This is the best answer! The whole green is still a big question. The pressure washer vs soft wash is proven. Without question, soft wash with sodium hypochlorite works when in the right hands. The solution for house was is so mild there is nothing that works better than a simple SH/soap solution.

Roof Cleaning Virginia · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Adam - overcoming the SH concern during the sales cycle is not the issue, as we do that all of the time (we specialize in roof cleaning and go through a BUNCH of SH). This is more about streamlining the marketing and appealing to an additional subset of the client base; The front end if you will.

John - your point about phosphates is spot on. I'll research alternatives accordingly. Thanks!

Michael - we pre-treat with any of the consumer grade de-chlor products from the Pet Stores. Our clients are familiar with those products whereas raw sodium thiosulphate would likely raise some concerns. (I know it would with we me and my pond.) Dose heavily, simply as a precaution. It's well worth the $10 or so per pond that it costs us. Pre-treat the pond during the initial set up so that the de-chlor has time to circulate evenly. Cover/tarp as you would ordinarily. An ounce of prevention as they say....

Michael Hickey · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Thanks Ted for the info.

Andrew · Member

Have i got this wrong. the sh is not the problem as its a gas and once exposed to the air it breaks down fast but the bio degradable surfactants on the other hand are very poisonous to aquatic life and last for at least 28 days.
This is my understanding
Thanks
Andrew

Maverick Contracting · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Sodium Hypochlorite is essentially chlorine and table salt. It is the salt that runs off that does the most damage to plant and animals. Chlorine gas evaporates fast but the salt runs off into ponds or the ground and if plants are thirsty they will absorb the saline killing them so a good soaking prior will keep them from uptaking the saline water

John Aloisio · Approved Exterior Cleaner

Andrew,

yes the soaps if high in phosphates are very dangerous to the aquatic life, but so is the chlorine. It will raise the PH level of the water well above what fish can live in.

The plants do not like the salts in SH. The main ingredient in Round Up is sodium based salts, which will poison vegetation.

Maverick Contracting · Approved Exterior Cleaner

As for JO MAX it requires bleach added but as others pointed out phosphates and other salts will be harmful, maybe implementing a reclaim or other barrier system may work

Power Washing and Roof Cleaning Forum

Ted Saunders

Founder, American-ProTech

Ted Saunders

Founder, American-ProTech

Ted Saunders

Founder, American-ProTech

Ted Saunders

Founder, American-ProTech