Shelf Life of House Wash Mix

[rick77 14]

I mixed up a couple of 5 gallon containers of my house wash mix last night for the job I was going to do today. I got side-tracked and didn't get to power wash at all today.

Will my mix still be good tomorrow? It will be two days old so I'm wondering if it will have lost it's strength. My mix is (2 gallons of 10 % sodium hypochlorite, 8 oz of Simple Cherry, 4 oz of F-13, and 3 gallons of water).

Is it OK to mix your chems (a day) in advance or should I always mix them just prior to doing the job?

I use the X-Jet in case that matters.

Thanks!

[814jeffw 71]

It will be fine. The only time to worry is when you have incompatible products mixed together.

Jeff

[rick77 14]

It will be fine. The only time to worry is when you have incompatible products mixed together.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff! That's god news!

[Gutter Squad 14]

I've asked Bob at PressureTek how long a Simple Cherry mix was good for - if I remember correctly, he stated that it will begin degrading after eight hours. However, I use a mix just like yours (in the stantard ratios, though - 3.5 gal SHC, 1.5 gal H2O, 4 oz F-13, and about 12 oz Simple Cherry) and have been able to use it two days later with no real problem.

[rick77 14]

I've asked Bob at PressureTek how long a Simple Cherry mix was good for - if I remember correctly, he stated that it will begin degrading after eight hours. However, I use a mix just like yours (in the stantard ratios, though - 3.5 gal SHC, 1.5 gal H2O, 4 oz F-13, and about 12 oz Simple Cherry) and have been able to use it two days later with no real problem.

Aqua Force, is your SHC 6% or 12 % in that "standard ratio"?

My present mix contains 2 gallons of 10% SHC but I think I'm going to just use 3 gallons of 6% in my next batch and see how that works for me.

[Gutter Squad 14]

I use 12.5% - pretty good, fresh stuff. I get it directly from the chemical manufacturer (luckily for me, they are only 12 minutes away).

I downstream now, but previously have used the X-jet. When I was using the X-jet, I used the mix off PressureTek with good results (2 Gallons 12.5% chlorine, 3 gallons water & 10oz of Simple Cherry).

What is the GPM on your pressure washer & are you using the X-jet open or with a proportioner? If you have a unit at or over 4 GPM, you almost need to be putting just straight 6% + Simple Cherry in the bucket in order to hit the house with a high enough concentration of SHC. The mix off PressureTek ends up being about 5% in the bucket.

[rick77 14]

I use 12.5% - pretty good, fresh stuff. I get it directly from the chemical manufacturer (luckily for me, they are only 12 minutes away).

I downstream now, but previously have used the X-jet. When I was using the X-jet, I used the mix off PressureTek with good results (2 Gallons 12.5% chlorine, 3 gallons water & 10oz of Simple Cherry).

What is the GPM on your pressure washer & are you using the X-jet open or with a proportioner? If you have a unit at or over 4 GPM, you almost need to be putting just straight 6% + Simple Cherry in the bucket in order to hit the house with a high enough concentration of SHC. The mix off PressureTek ends up being about 5% in the bucket.

Gutter Squad, my machine is 4 gallons per minute. I'm using the X-Jet M5. When I did my house last week I started out without the proportioners and shot out almost 5 gallons of mix on the first side. I then decided to put in the red proportioner. I could tell the mix was pretty weak but it did a pretty decent job anyway.

I did a large 2 story house today with the 2 day old mix of Simple Cherry, 4 oz of F-13, 2 gallons of SHC 10%, and 3 gallons of water. I used the red proportioner this time as well. The house turned out great but I had to apply the soap mix several times on the 2nd story window sills that were covered with green mold looking stuff. The homeowner was blown away with the results so I was happy as well.

This mix may have degraded a little but I feel that it may have been on the weak side to start with. I think you're right about the straight 6% and Simple Cherry mix. By the time it mixes with the water through the

X-Jet it gets pretty diluted.

I'm hoping I can find a nearby source for 12.5 % SHC. The closest I know of is 50 miles away. I'll keep looking.

Thanks for your helpful input!

[C&S Property Services 24]

Guys,

I will have to say I would only mix it right before the job now. I made a house wash mix last year and let it sit overnight as I wanted to leave out early and thought this would save me some time. What I got the next morning was SNOWBALLS. The mix had crystallized into what looked like snowballs. Some were small and some were large. I thought someone was messing around as a joke and called all the guys in. We all got a kick out of it.

I did talk to Bob (PressureTek) and he told me that it can happen (if I remember right) if the temperatures are below a certain temp, etc... So I would suggest calling him if you are using his products. BTW the mix I was using at that time was not SC but was another product.