I hate power washing

[mas3372 14]

I did my first practice job today for an uncle in preperation for my scheduled jobs next week. He has a large colonial, painted yellow, mildew, mold, and black gutters. The scary thing is, he cleaned it last year. I got started by cleaning is asphalt driveway and cement steps with some hot water, tuff stuff soap and a 15 degree nozzle, did a great job. Even got mold and rust off his steps.

Then on to the house. I mixed 12% hypochlorate 2 parts with 2 parts tuff stuff. Sprayed it on with a down stream injector. Let is sit about 10 minutes and watched the mildew and mold turn brown and come to the surface. I was smiling. Threw on a 40 degree tip on my telescoping wand and started to rinse.

This is when I decided I hate power washing. Nothing happened. The mold and mildew just lauged at me. Accomplished nothing. I washed his cars and my truck and packed up for the day. Thinking I need to rethink detergents. My emulsifier should be here on monday and I am hoping this helps.

For the fun of it, I took some 12% and put it in the pump sprayer and hit a few spots of the mold and then the house shined.

Do I hate power washing? No, I love the challenge. I think it is apparent that I need to better proportion the chems and as I guessed, this is will be the hardes part of the job to get down.

Now that I have vented, does anyone have any advise. I think it is safe to assume that my mixture sparyed on at 20:1 is not enough.

Any help would be great. Thanks.

[Craig 111]

M5 X-Jet

[Mike Williamson 198]

I did my first practice job today for an uncle in preperation for my scheduled jobs next week. He has a large colonial, painted yellow, mildew, mold, and black gutters. The scary thing is, he cleaned it last year. I got started by cleaning is asphalt driveway and cement steps with some hot water, tuff stuff soap and a 15 degree nozzle, did a great job. Even got mold and rust off his steps.

Then on to the house. I mixed 12% hypochlorate 2 parts with 2 parts tuff stuff. Sprayed it on with a down stream injector. Let is sit about 10 minutes and watched the mildew and mold turn brown and come to the surface. I was smiling. Threw on a 40 degree tip on my telescoping wand and started to rinse.

This is when I decided I hate power washing. Nothing happened. The mold and mildew just lauged at me. Accomplished nothing. I washed his cars and my truck and packed up for the day. Thinking I need to rethink detergents. My emulsifier should be here on monday and I am hoping this helps.

For the fun of it, I took some 12% and put it in the pump sprayer and hit a few spots of the mold and then the house shined.

Do I hate power washing? No, I love the challenge. I think it is apparent that I need to better proportion the chems and as I guessed, this is will be the hardes part of the job to get down.

Now that I have vented, does anyone have any advise. I think it is safe to assume that my mixture sparyed on at 20:1 is not enough.

Any help would be great. Thanks.

You probably just need a better downstreamer. I use a SS model from espec and it works great.

[CCPC 26]

As Mel has suggested in another thread, and I can attest to as well, if you use a size smaller injector than the one rated for your gpm you will get much better chem draw. Often you will come across exteriors that just have far to much build up on them to match up well with an injector. For these instances, you need to consider other options that allow for a stronger concentration hitting the surface. Look into an M-5 X-jet, shurflo setup, and a good pump up sprayer. A lot of times you can clean almost the whole house fine with an injector, but there may be a few small stuborn areas these situations are best suited with the use of a pump up.

[Adrian 155]

X- JET for sure = higher concentrations and easier reach IMO. Let dwell until you see the desired effect that you are looking for. Plus sometimes all you will need for mix is some SH 12% and some cascade. Depending on size of your bucket , drum, holding tank, whatever, the mix can be 1:2 SH to H2O then add 4oz. per gal. of cascade or whatever dish and glass soap for windows and rinse clean after .... say 10-15 min. dwell time. That should do the trick. An x-jet for rinsing as well vs. 25-40 degree tip on a regular 3 ft wand (in most cases) will rinse a larger area than the tips you are using.

I love my x-jet. I pretty much only use the ladder to remove birds nest' or stuck kitties.

Good luck

[mas3372 14]

Thanks for the help.

I think I should invest in the x-jet, shur flo or m-jet. However, there are so many different views on which of the three works best. Given my situation, can anyone offer some advise I which of the three I would benefit from.

here are my intentions.

1. Speed is money, so the faster the better

2. Mostly 2 story houses, some with dormers, so 30' will be a need.

3. Would like to avoid the telescoping pole

4. Not to concerned with lugging a bucket around. I rather have a short hose with jug by my side I can just carry with me.

5. Mostly vinly and painted homes.

Any help would be great. Thanks.

[Littlefield 65]

Sounds like an x jet or m5 for sure to me. I do wood work only, so I use a Shur-flo, but I can tell you its not as quick as applying chems as an x jet.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

X-Jet M5 is the way to go.

Totally rocks. :banana:

Beth

[Jeff 232]

I use M-5 Xjet for everything I do, it gives me what ever concentration I want to mix. I have 5 M5's and we fly through condo complexes no matter how much mold & mildew there is. The adjustable M5 helps in tight areas also.

I have 35-40 ft of hose on xjet you place the bucket or drum and can get a large area

JL

[Adrian 155]

1. Speed is money, so the faster the better = xjet speeds up process a million time faster ( maybe not a million, but ALOT)

2. Mostly 2 story houses, some with dormers, so 30' will be a need.

30' from the ground w/ x-jet (or M5) = piece of cake + no ladder + speed = $

3. Would like to avoid the telescoping pole = no need with x-jet & 3 ft wand & maybe a 10 footer. Save the telescoping pole for balancing on the high wire at the circus.

4. Not to concerned with lugging a bucket around. I rather have a short hose with jug by my side I can just carry with me.

YOU WILL GET TIRED FAST CARRYING BUCKET...PLUS THE SPILLS ARE INEVITABLE= DEAD GRASS IN CUSTOMERS YARD.... TRUST ME

INVEST IN A 15 GAL. CYLINDER DRUM ( just a suggestion)

x-jet ( or M-5) come with 15' hose w/ cut off valve and proportioners THEN... take 25.00 more $$$ and get a 2- wheeler dolly + 5.00 in bungee cords to tie your bucket, drum, pale, dixie cup... whatever you draw from to the two wheeler & SAVE YOUR BACK!!!!!

5. Mostly vinly and painted homes.

The mix I suggested earlier will work fine on both finishes you mentioned.

BUT>>>>>> do small sections of PAINTED house with a shorter dwell time to see how it reacts. Don't want to learn how to paint after a house wash gone bad!!!!!!

In some geographical areas the SH12% is very expensive. So you will want to work with your mix until you get the best and most economical use out of it.

I think where I am and further south it is probably the cheapest prices in the north american continent. Do the research on pricing and work with the mix that I shared w/ you, see how it works for you, then see if you want to go the route of premixed brands that can very well be much more expensive to those just starting to get the feel of the business.

Just sharing a little of what I have learned to be true from this very site with those very ???'s and concerns. The people here will make a pro out of you in no time at all.

Good Luck

AC

[mas3372 14]

Just ordered my M-5 X-Jet. That seems to be the overall favorite. Thanks everyone for your help.

Mike

[Don L 14]

Mas3372,

I am new to biz myself,so take this with a grain of salt.I do some house washing,and on vinyl I use Parsons Sudsy ammonia(half pint to 5 gal water) alot.I am in upstate NY,deal with mold,mildew quite often,and with hot water,5/3500 machine,40 deg tip,can whack(no splash and dash,clean work) a 2 story like your speaking of,with attched garage,in 2 hrs ,or less.That is working off a ladder.(That's going to end very soon,x-jet ,or ex.wand)It will be even faster then.Looks like a paint job,shiney too.Unorthidox,but it works.No window stains,no plant/grass death..like butter.Who knows who will be laughing...but simply my 2 cents.

Git er done!Right to the bank!

[mas3372 14]

Don, Ammonia, never thought of that. never heard of it either. Does it have the same effect on mold and mildew that bleach does.

[mas3372 14]

I don't hate pressure washing anymore now that I found a little friend called the m5 x jet. Did a two story colonial today with some heavy green mold up high on the dormers. Used 12% with emulsifier plus and xjeted it on with no proportioner, dwell time about 10 minutes and rinsed it off. The house came out great and the homeowner was extremely pleased and impressed.

The total job with scrubbing the gutters took about 2 1/2 hours. If I take away the chit chat time and made better use of my time I could have done it in 1 1/2 hours. I should have scrubbed the gutters while the soap dwelled and so on.

Overall though. No extension pole or ladders and one clean house. M% X-Jet for mayor of pressure wash town.

[Mountainaire 14]

Ok, enough lurking. How do you scrub the gutters without an extension or ladder? Are you just talking about applying your cleaner and rinsing?

[COOPER 14]

I use a very concentrated detergent called Orange Nitro. I put 1 quart with 4 gal. of 12% and downstream with 0 degree and regular soap nozzle. I rinse with the M-5 X-jet ( I do not apply det. with it just rinse, I like the action it gives when rinsing) I can clean the average 2000 sq. ft. house in 1 to 1.5 hours.

The orange nitro costs $382/ drum but is the strongest detergent I have found in over 6 years of cleaning. You can mix it 1 to 1 or 2 to 1 with water and strip a deck with it, and one quart can clean a 2000 sq. ft. house.