how to clean office trailer ?

[jimbo 14]

After cleaning a roof today, stopped by to look at an office trailer customer wants cleaned. It just looked like regular grime, however it isn't. The only thing I had with me was some "roof -receipe" IE; ( 12%SH) so i fired up the PW & x-jet just to hit it quickley & see how hard it might be to clean. At 2% hitting it, nothing happened, so switched to undilueted 12%/6% thru x-jet & still nothing moved it at all!! My helper tried a shot of WINDEX & rubbed it with a cleaning cloth & it lightened it up a tiny bit. It is somewhat dark narrow streaks (vertical streaks) which appear to be regular grime. Any ideas for best product to clean this? totaal 2350 SF. Thanks. Jimbo.

[MMI Enterprises 289]

maybe stronger with the tsp for the road grime..

[squirtgun 122]

Is it metal siding?

If it is you will need 1 of the following to remove the streaks.

Purple stuff

F-13 gutter gernade(pressure tek)

Simple green

If it's not metal I would still try one of the above.Often times the black streak are caused by an electro-static bond between the dirt and siding.Any of the above will assist in breaking that bond,but you may have to aggitate with a brush.Use them sparingly and and do not allow them to dwell long since they may and can cause damage.

P.S.

TSP will etch/remove paint,it can also etch glass,as well as,dull vinyl.Some seem to think throwing TSP out as suggestion is fine with out explaining the damage it is capable of doing.I really don't know if they do it out of ignorance or arrogance,but either way it's wrong.

[MMI Enterprises 289]

I doubt they do it out of neither your suggestion Scott but rather by way of giving a fella some credit. Credit in that a fella likely already knows most any chemical can do harm with the wrong procedures or dilution and credit in that since the fella mentioned "recipe" they likely already be using the chemical mentioned (aka-'the sauce') and have a grasp of dwell times, etc.. Facts are yes phosphates can damage and so can the three you mentioned. Sure at some point the use of some products may inspire a fella to give application and dilution disertation at great length but for most part it is not mandated here nor usually offered due to the nature of the chems we use not specifically being made for the expressed purpose of what we contemplate cleaning. Maybe the fella ought to just use trailer cleaner if he can find it.. :)My feeling is that much of what we do here on advice is open ended and demands further education or prior knowledge..i.e- "Use them sparingly and do not allow them to dwell long"..this of course is very open ended and begs for more clarification. Like one mans oz. is another mans cup or cup of tea.. :)

p.s.- Btw Scott, Can you say what's in F13?

Jim, Butyl based degreasers, such as some the purple type stuff', are not usually recommended for painted surfaces as they attack and strip. Butyl also swells and softens vinyl and rubber....I still use on some things though.

You might want to try some Armor All type car wash that is marketed to not hurt finishes.

[jimbo 14]

Kevin/Scott. Thanks for the information guys, it is much appreciated. Will try some small test-applications today & see what may work. Any/all ideas appreciated.Jimbo

[squirtgun 122]

I doubt they do it out of neither your suggestion Scott but rather by way of giving a fella some credit. Credit in that a fella likely already knows most any chemical can do harm with the wrong procedures or dilution and credit in that since the fella mentioned "recipe" they likely already be using the chemical mentioned (aka-'the sauce') and have a grasp of dwell times, etc.. Facts are yes phosphates can damage and so can the three you mentioned. Sure at some point the use of some products may inspire a fella to give application and dilution disertation at great length but for most part it is not mandated here nor usually offered due to the nature of the chems we use not specifically being made for the expressed purpose of what we contemplate cleaning. Maybe the fella ought to just use trailer cleaner if he can find it.. :)My feeling is that much of what we do here on advice is open ended and demands further education or prior knowledge..i.e- "Use them sparingly and do not allow them to dwell long"..this of course is very open ended and begs for more clarification. Like one mans oz. is another mans cup or cup of tea.. :)

p.s.- Btw Scott, Can you say what's in F13?

Jim, Butyl based degreasers, such as some the purple type stuff', are not usually recommended for painted surfaces as they attack and strip. Butyl also swells and softens vinyl and rubber....I still use on some things though.

You might want to try some Armor All type car wash that is marketed to not hurt finishes.

Well Kev..............may I call you Kev?

I'm not Bob's chemist so I'm really not privy to all the ingredients,however,I do seem to remember him mentioning potassium hydroxide,but I could be wrong.Bob has assured me that the f-13 is safe for painted metal gutters and siding.As I understand it f-13 was designed to attack the streaks and oxidation on a substrate.

[PressurePros 248]

Gotta go with Scott on this one. TSP in too high of a concentration and it doesn't take much) leaves film on glass. A butyl based cleaner is also the way I would go. I've tried F-13 and it is also a good cleaner. Chem theory takes a back door to real world experience and Scott nailed it with mentioning electrostatic bonding and probably needing brushing.

[MMI Enterprises 289]

"Chem theory takes a back door to real world experience"

What's theory got to do with the topic? Last I heard it was fact that hydroxides can and do attack paint, butyl swells and softens vinyl and rubber, and professional painters and degreasing experts of all sorts of industry been using tsp for decades if not centuries actually.

As you always like to mention Ken it is all about dilution and proper use methods. :)

My experience tells me that when grime is so rough on a painted surface to where butyl based degreasers don't succesfully disolve it at a common sense dilution and the paints adhesion is in question due to multiple coatings over the years then I am presented with two choices.... I can go stronger with it and risk damage or I can use tsp and watch it disappear in a flash and a rinse with no damage beyond that which needed to come off anyways. Hypothetically a surface so heavily oxidized and dirty that a strong dilution of something is needed to remove is not a situation where we could expect a beautiful wax job underneith to all of a sudden be exposed.

But honestly I would just use a carwash first on this project cause really truly as fas as we know a mild surfactant hasn't even yet been tried. If case be his 'recipe' is SH alone then that answers the question. Bleach don't make a good degreaser..

[squirtgun 122]

Yet another thesis on pressure washing from Mr.Wizard

[MMI Enterprises 289]

Yet another thesis on pressure washing from Mr.Wizard

I do aim my wand to please.. :)

ps.. hows that for a slogan/tag line?

[squirtgun 122]

I do aim my wand to please.. :)

ps.. hows that for a slogan/tag line?

You left coast guys always trying to point your wand where it's not wanted maybe you should make a trip to San Francisco.

[MMI Enterprises 289]

Thaz ok I'll pass...you can have at it since it on yer mind apparently.

Besides, Last I heard the magic in the air round here is blessing me with another one on the way. :)

[PressurePros 248]

Kev, congrats on the new bambino!

Now I'm gonna bust your chops. Would you mind showing me some pics of a similar project where you used TSP and it solved the issue? A gutter cleaned with TSP would go a long ways towards convincing me.

As always the right tool for the job. TSP may not be that tool. I haven't been washing houses for centuries or even decades but I have seen the problem of which Jim is speaking and I'm guessing, so has Scott. I mean c'mon man, you are fairly new to doing exterior cleaning work right? I'm not trying to offend you in any way. You are one of the people I would go to when inquiring about chem theory. But as we know, theory and application do not always jive as we expect them to. A butyl based cleaner, designed for cleaning gutters and in proper dilution will take care of the problem with minimal work.

[MMI Enterprises 289]

Ken, I'll take that as a friendly chop busting...and yup thanx for the congrats, The new one will make 4 (far as I know for sure anyways) :)

But back to topic..I really don't know what the deal though with you in refusing to understand there are indeed more than one or two tools for a job. I've already pretty much said my say on this trailer thing. I've explained I would prefure to see Jim try a car wash type product first cause in basic terms it may not be that bad. Your talking about theory and windows and gutters when, as I've conceded, we don't know what all is involved. Its a office trailer with grime. Hey if it's shiny or has many windows then don't use the tsp if ya like... :)

Far as our experience goes, I probably could guess at yours as well and claim all you say is theory.

True I haven't spent my carreer in exterior cleaning but whipty do da..lol

I bought my first 50lb sack of tsp 22 years ago for interiors and prior to that grew up watching my old man use it in his carreer as an exterior painter.

No real need to enter into appologetics for tsp on my part nor has there been much need to photograph its results. I could say however that your welcome to share up all them pics of tsp damage floating around. Just realize when I see them I will be asking what it looked like prior to cleaning, the strength used, etc...Have no idea or would not profess to know how it works on gutters.

Btw, last time I used tsp on a comparable application was last week to remove very heavy road grime/deisel soot from my shiny white trailer before painting it. Sorry I did not take a picture for you but I assure you it was still shiny as I messed up and did not mix strong enough to actually bite. It turned out really clean and white but I ended up sanding it to get some bite.

Other then that I used it in my deck mix for the recent arbor job pictured in my avitar.

[One Tough Pressure 580]

:)My feeling is that much of what we do here on advice is open ended and demands further education or prior knowledge..i.e- "Use them sparingly and do not allow them to dwell long"..this of course is very open ended and begs for more clarification.

The above holds true. In proper dilution you can get away with almost anything.

[PressurePros 248]

Some pics and/or further description of the trailer would go a long way towards picking the right cleaner.

Kev, I personally have cleaned at least 150+ houses/buildings/gutters and probably another 200 decks made of exotic hardwoods, soft species, composite and vinyl. I have been called out on over 600 estimates and have been doing residential work/advisng DIY'ers for four years on residential work. I humbly submit that I am beyond theory and draw more upon experience.

[MMI Enterprises 289]

Ken,

Thanx for the background.. Wasn't questioning it though. Remember you brung theory into this concerning my experience...Since were offering resume's.. I've personally serviced commercial office, warehouse, retail, indistrial clients in route janitorial cleaning, floor care, carpet care, and widow care for over 20 years. I humbly would think you understand what kind of experience is gained from attending to such various types of locations night in night out(150+ arrivals in a month alone). I've serviced fine dine-in establishments, daycares, paint manufactures, salons, nastiest grease joints imaginable,parts warehouses. Way too much to list let alone remember.

Use what you like and what works for you or doesn't get you in trouble is my best suggestion...

[PressurePros 248]

Kev I didn't see pressure washing listed LOL.. Now I AM just breaking your stones.

[MMI Enterprises 289]

Yes lol. no didn't mention pressure washing but it been in my blood a few year now as a tool for cleaning. Mostly that what people want is things clean and shiny. Tomorrow it will be a small concrete bird bath with the hand tools and exterior lacquer and then next week it will be 15k' of concrete floor with auto equipment and waterbase..oh the life of doing the grind....God we need help shooting the breeze here everyday don't we?..You do know most folks are so busy working they have no time for resumes.

[PressurePros 248]

Yes lol. no didn't mention pressure washing but it been in my blood a few year now as a tool for cleaning. Mostly that what people want is things clean and shiny. Tomorrow it will be a small concrete bird bath with the hand tools and exterior lacquer and then next week it will be 15k' of concrete floor with auto equipment and waterbase..oh the life of doing the grind....God we need help shooting the breeze here everyday don't we?..You do know most folks are so busy working they have no time for resumes.

The poor bastards LOL

I actually got a good amount of stuff accomplished today somehow.. sold my bucket truck too.. no more gas pig.. well one left.

[jimbo 14]

Kevin/Scott. Thanks for the information guys, it is much appreciated. Will try some small test-applications today & see what may work. Any/all ideas appreciated.Jimbo

Just a "follow-up".6-20. tried several types of cleaners, simple green, purple stuff,"right stuff", aluminum brightner, couple of de-greaser types, & NONE eventouched the stuff! All these were spot tried @ full strength. Tried some of Xterior's gutter-zap and where it hit the wall at full strength, it DID clean, but where any ran down the wall, Nothing happened. Added some joy soap to help cling, & did it the hard way (runing out of time to finish). We used hard plastic brushes on handles, diping in bucket filled with gutter-zap & scrubbed

like heck!!!!!!!!! NEVER again!!! Even that just cleaned acceptable, not outstanding work at all. Still not sure what we were fighting, but think units had been in a local beset by heavy industrial fallout. Never saw anything cling as tough!!! Customer was satisified with outcome, as they had someone

try high-pressure on it, & that didn't do anything either.! Hope I never run up on anything like it again, if so, someone else will clean it! Jimbo