Bleach Dilema

[Degraffreed 21]

Hi to all.

I have a bleach deliema that I need a quick response on. I have moved to Indiana from Georgia and have yet to locate a 10-12% distributor. Thanks Barry for that lead in Warsaw.

I had to go to the local dollar store and purchase 10 -3qt of 6% bleach. I thought they were gallon jugs, until I started to fill my 5 gallon bucket and noticed that I had emptied 7 of the jugs into it.

I know that 6% 50-50 will place about 2% of the solution on the surface.Could I just add more 6% and less water to the mixture?

Question. Until I can locate the 12% distrubutor, What would you guys mixture consist of in order to get a good solution of a housewash mix.

I use an M5 and by adding less water to the mixture will this help in kill the mildew?

Or what would your housewash mix consist of.

I use citraclean as my detergent. Need answer ASAP before 11:00 on Sunday. Doing another residential.

[PressurePros 249]

On a 5.5 gpm using an X-Jet I would go 3 parts 6% to 1 part water. You're probably going to end up around 2% or so hitting the house (little more or a little less depending on your flow rate) Use a good house wash detergent and add a little TSP to the mix to energize the bleach.

[Mathew Johnson 123]

Where can you buy TSP

[plainpainter 217]

LOL Ken - I have been downstreaming 6% bleach at 10:1 I guess all the TSP and nonylphenol has been saving my butt - I'll go to the hardware store and pick up 10% and try side by side with the same detergents. Sorry to hijack the thread - but about the TSP, go to your hardware store or local paint store - the latter always has the good stuff packaged by Savogran or something - other TSP's are sodium metasilicate in disguise which I am not so sure isn't a bad thing, but I am a traditionalist and have stuck with TSP for now.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

TSP is now sold as a TSP 'substitute'. I hear it works all the same though.

Instead of relying on the bleach to do the job, increasing the caustic range by adding TSP or even a degreaser like simple green can boost bleach's abilities. This among others you can find in a local hardware stores like Ames, HD, lowes etc...

Hope this helps.

Rod!~

[Jimmy M 14]

two gallons of 6% to 3 gallons of water and half of cup of dawn through old x jet wiyh no proportioner worked great for me when I washed with x jet.

[PressurePros 249]

I did an experiment last week with the old "squirt of Dawn". The comparison to using a proper detergentwas not even in the same league. What brought on the comparison was siding that I wasn't sure was oxidized and going to give up paint to a caustic. I used half a bottle of Dawn and about 2% sod. hypo. hitting house. It looked like it came clean in most areas but there were some stubborn spots so I switched over and downstreamed my housewash concentrate onto that spot. Voila.. much mor dirt emulsified and rinsed away. So much so that when we came back to that side after cleaning a porch we had to rewash the whole thing with "real" detergent.

My opnion is.. if you are going to charge $100/hr plus for housewashing at least spend the extra few dollars per house and give the customer the value they are paying for. This also wasn't a fluke experiment. Many times during experimentation with my current housewash I had to increase the strength of the concentrate to get it to really work. Car wash or "Dawn" was always present so the mitigating factor is definitely the right caustic.

[Thad 135]

TSP is now sold as a TSP 'substitute'. I hear it works all the same though.

/quote]

The 'substitute' is sodium metasillicate.

[plainpainter 217]

So even with as much as 2% bleach hitting the house - it still came down to using the correct caustic detergent - so I bet with my own mix, I should probably experiment with adding more detergent vs. getting stronger bleach, because I still had some 'stubborn' spots that needed brushing and reapplication.

right now my mix is when it hits the house after downstreaming:

0.6% sodium hypochlorite

2.28% TSP

0.456% Nonylphenol Poly(oxyethylene)

Question is Ken, how do you get 2% onto a house especially thru a 10:1 downstreamer? Even with 12% that's 1.2% that makes it onto the house.

[PressurePros 249]

I get 6:1 through my downstreamer, Dan. Your mix of hypochlorite is way too low. Try upping it and you won't be scrubbing as much. Up your TSP too much and you are going to be buffing out etched glass.

[Mike Sullivan 15]

I like to downstream with a high draw 20% General 5-8gpm injector, 2.5 gallons of 12% Bleach and 8oz. of Emulsifier Plus in premixed 2.5 gallons of water to make 5 gallons of House wash. Emulsifier Plus has TSP on the MSDS. For painted houses that are really nasty I up the bleach and use Brown Derby truck wash or Emulsifier Plus with a cup of Sodium Hydroxide or Metasilicate added.

Mike Sullivan

www.pressurewashingpro.com

[plainpainter 217]

So Mike you are getting 1.2% bleach onto the house - and that works well for you? I could get that on my downstreamer that's 10:1 if I used straight 12% with my detergents added in w/o any water.

[Mike Sullivan 15]

Yes, 1.2-1.5% works well most of the time for vinyl or mildly dirty painted surfaces. Really bad painted houses you will need close to 2%. It pays to have a good injector and 12% bleach.

How big is your machine? A bigger machine will draw more chemical. I have a AR RKV 5.5gpm 4000psi on a 20 Hp Honda. I run my General 5-8gpm injector in between 2 sections of 100 foot hose. I noticed some guys are running small injectors on larger gpm pumps and can draw up to 200ft, but that puts strain on the pump. Wears it out faster.

http://pressuretek.com/injectors.html

GP is General brand I believe.

[Jimmy M 14]

I did an experiment last week with the old "squirt of Dawn". The comparison to using a proper detergentwas not even in the same league. What brought on the comparison was siding that I wasn't sure was oxidized and going to give up paint to a caustic. I used half a bottle of Dawn and about 2% sod. hypo. hitting house. It looked like it came clean in most areas but there were some stubborn spots so I switched over and downstreamed my housewash concentrate onto that spot. Voila.. much mor dirt emulsified and rinsed away. So much so that when we came back to that side after cleaning a porch we had to rewash the whole thing with "real" detergent.

My opnion is.. if you are going to charge $100/hr plus for housewashing at least spend the extra few dollars per house and give the customer the value they are paying for. This also wasn't a fluke experiment. Many times during experimentation with my current housewash I had to increase the strength of the concentrate to get it to really work. Car wash or "Dawn" was always present so the mitigating factor is definitely the right caustic.

Ken, I know some of the guys here use some of the overpriced housewash soaps,but I think housewashing in the south is a little different than in the northern states.We are only washing away mildew,spider webs and surface dust or pollen. We are not dealing with the pollutants and carbon staining. I have tried the stuff to see if it would help with gutters and I still had to brush them.I only use the dawn as a surfactant to make the bleach cling. The only added effect it has in my opinion is the windows sparkle after using dawn as do my drinking glasses after using dawn on them. Occasionally I do have situations where I need alittle extra punch, but I have the juice for them when I need it. Rest assured that my customers are getting there monies worth when I'm finished.

[Ron Strickland 14]

A sure fire way to clean a house is to mix 1/2 gallon of 12.5% Sodium Hypochlorite (Pool Bleach) to 4.5 gallons water and detergent. Apply with an X-Jet with no proportioner. It is a tried and proven process that Xterior has been using for 30 years.

[Degraffreed 21]

Ron, Is your stated mix correct?.... 1/2 gallon of 12% to 4.5 gal of h20. Seems like there is no need for the 12% bleach with that much h20. Seems as though it is useless in the mix. The bleach is diluted to 0%?

[PLD 14]

A sure fire way to clean a house is to mix 1/2 gallon of 12.5% Sodium Hypochlorite (Pool Bleach) to 4.5 gallons water and detergent. Apply with an X-Jet with no proportioner. It is a tried and proven process that Xterior has been using for 30 years.

0.4% bleach? I love the xjet, but that mixture sounds like too little chems, too much work.

[aquabob 14]

my ratio is 12:1 bleach with detergent, every 12 gals water 1 gal bleach, has worked well.

[Barry M 73]

What works for one guy might not work for another. But for me, those last to mixes seem very weak. I need at least 1.5% hitting the wall.

[GymRat 14]

I normally mix 1 gallon of citracleen to 4 gallons of 12% and some foamer for downstreaming. Will TSP juice up this mix for better cleaning on real bad houses, and if so, what is the reccomended amount to add to my mix without possible harm to windows or siding?

[Degraffreed 21]

Hey, all.

I was in a bind this weekend with 4 housewashes. Only had about 4 gallons of 12% on board that I brought from GA. I ran out of 12% and hit the nearest Dollar Store and purchase about 10 gallons, (the labels says 3qt), anyhow I mixed 4 of these 3qts, to 1 gallon of Citraclean and 2 gallons of h20.

Work FANTASTIC and it cleaned just as good as the 12%. Now my question is this.

By me cutting down on the h20 in the mix, did this really place about 2% on the surface? By the way I use an M5, no proportioners.

[PLD 14]

That's 1% for a 5.5 machine or 1.15% for a 4gpm machine. Perfect fine for housewashing. I have done the same in a pinch more then once.

[BREEN 14]

Ulrich Chemical Is Where I Get Mine. It Is On The East Side Of Indy.on Post Road, It Is The Only Place I Can Find It Here! I Don't Use Tsp So I Don't Know If They Have It Or Not. I Also Get My Ox There. Hope This Helps...

[carolinaresidential 14]

I just purchased an original x-jet and am going to start using it. My question is, for you experienced x-jetters, what is my mix ratio. I use 12.5% and Simple Cherry. Any help is GREATLY appreciated. I notice most of you use no proportioner.

[Keth 15]

This from the PressureTek site......

X-Jet or M-Jet: 2 Gallons 12.5% chlorine, 3 gallons water & 10oz of Simple Cherry.

[Degraffreed 21]

What is simple cherry? Is this the new housewash mix from Pressure Tex? Anyone has any experience on how good it work. Bobs the man though. Very helpfull Vendor.