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Whats your house mix

Jeff LeCours

New member
Whats everyone using for house wash mix. any great new products out there?

Do you use different chems for different surfaces? Vinyl, stucco, painted etc etc
 

plainpainter

New member
I use Bob's chems for house washing - it does the job - doesn't F' up windows if I let it dry - gets the house clean. I mix my own surfactant and TSP mix strong for paint prep. Other than that - I am done experimenting. Mike V. has that environmental cleaner he uses for 'green' cleaning - I'd be interested in that for some folks - but honestly everytime I ever tried those d-limolene products - I just stood there dumbfounded - I can't get those products to work for some reason.

Anyways - Jeff - I am going to keep it simple for '09 - stick with what works. I've focused far too long on the technicals in this business.
 

Ken Fenner

Active member
Sodium hypochlorites is about as "green" as it gets for me. If it were that destructive, the world would be in a serious pickle as it goes into 10 million washing machines around the world every single day.

For everyday vinyl cleaning I also use Simple Cherry. I still add this rocking truck wash I get locally to the mix. The surfactant package and wax in this stuff (at $16 per gallon) just ramps up the cleaning and rinsining power. I have an alternate mix that has some TSP, some sodium metasilicate, chelating and rinsing agents and an anti rust. Thats for brick, stucco and heavy soot on vinyl.
 

Jeff LeCours

New member
I use Bob's chems for house washing - it does the job - doesn't F' up windows if I let it dry - gets the house clean. I mix my own surfactant and TSP mix strong for paint prep. Other than that - I am done experimenting. Mike V. has that environmental cleaner he uses for 'green' cleaning - I'd be interested in that for some folks - but honestly everytime I ever tried those d-limolene products - I just stood there dumbfounded - I can't get those products to work for some reason.

Anyways - Jeff - I am going to keep it simple for '09 - stick with what works. I've focused far too long on the technicals in this business.


Dan I believe in keeping it simple. since I have several guys working at times and many are new guys that we have to train to do the job right the simplier the better. It helps that we do about 90+% vinyl. Plus here in the south we mainly deal with mold, mildew webs and spider droppings a little 12% and a soap and we are good to go.
 

plainpainter

New member
Sodium hypochlorites is about as "green" as it gets for me. If it were that destructive, the world would be in a serious pickle as it goes into 10 million washing machines around the world every single day.

That's been my opinion - firstly the 'green' brigade hasn't been all that great yet. Secondly - I tell them that once bleach has done it's job - it fullfills every definition of biodegrable that I can think of. And the key to any chemical is to use it in the right quantity. I also tell them about bleach in their clothes wash - I ask them if they purchase a 'green' alternative that does the same exact job? And usually they say no, then I say 'exactly!'
 

plainpainter

New member
Dan I believe in keeping it simple. since I have several guys working at times and many are new guys that we have to train to do the job right the simplier the better. It helps that we do about 90+% vinyl. Plus here in the south we mainly deal with mold, mildew webs and spider droppings a little 12% and a soap and we are good to go.

Jeff - I use to be a 'quality' guy - I've read all the posts on all the different flavors of this and that cleaner. I trust Jarrod when he told me that emulsifier + was a 'better' heavier duty cleaner than simple cherry. But I've changed my outlook totally. I am selling a service - If I was selling ultimate quality house washing - I'd be up on a ladder with a toothbrush. I am not - I am selling 'good' quality housewashing done efficiently, neat, and quick. That said - when I purchase simple cherry - I am not purchasing a house cleaner - I am purchasing ease of mind - I am purchasing the ability to continually sell my 'product' - and I am purchasing the ability to have employees and not worry about consequences.

If you were to rate 'raw' power - I am sure simple cherry wouldn't win.
If you were to rate business-building-oppurtunity - simple cherry wins hands down! IF you want to approach difficult cleaning situations - it even has the ability to be modified with F-13 from time to time. End result - I haven't met a house I couldn't get clean! Keeping it simple.
 

Doug Dahlke

Donating Member
When I started out I used Power House from Sun Brite mixed with 6% SH. I quickly switched to 12% SH but continue to use Power House because it has worked. I have some Simple Cherry that I use in roof washing mix but have not tried it on a house.

I use F-13 for gutters.
 

Henry Bockman

New member
I use Power House and SH also and I've never had any problems with it. I used to use a powder product in the past but I kept having problems with haze on the windows, even when I rinsed them really well. Power House doesn't leave me with that problem and the new lemon scent helps to cover the SH smell. I use it on gutters at a stronger ratio or gutter zap for cleaning gutters.

I've also tried the Big Truck Brite for house washing and it does a great job as well and the wax in it leaves a nice shine.
 

John Orr

UAMCC Treasurer
Whats everyone using for house wash mix. any great new products out there?

Do you use different chems for different surfaces? Vinyl, stucco, painted etc etc

Before you ask "beginner" questions, try the search feature!

Sorry, I couldn't resist. Actually, the fact that nobody said that tells me a lot about this board. Happy Holidays to all.
 

Jeff LeCours

New member
Before you ask "beginner" questions, try the search feature!

Sorry, I couldn't resist. Actually, the fact that nobody said that tells me a lot about this board. Happy Holidays to all.



LOL anybody that doesnt know John Orr I taught him everything he knows:headshakesmile-fast:headshakesmile-fast John used to tell me over and over get more GPM, man am I glad I listened to John, just wish I did it like 3 years earlier:got-hooligan:

You know I suggest sometimes for newbies to use the search function but some guys forget we all were newbies and sometimes you just need a quick question answered, with out getting beat up on the BB's. Man what an assest having BB's is for newbies. I wish I knew about them the 1st two years when I started
 

Mike Vidan

New member
We use a simple Housewash blend like Jeff does - nothing fancy - 12% and a Soap.

We do have a citic-based product available if a customer his deadset against SH. This again is more of a marketing angle than anything elses but is something that we offer.

Mildew, Mold, spiderwebs and the dreaded Muddobbers are what we deal with most of the time in the Southeast when it comes to residential work.
 

Jeff LeCours

New member
We use a simple Housewash blend like Jeff does - nothing fancy - 12% and a Soap.

We do have a citic-based product available if a customer his deadset against SH. This again is more of a marketing angle than anything elses but is something that we offer.

Mildew, Mold, spiderwebs and the dreaded Muddobbers are what we deal with most of the time in the Southeast when it comes to residential work.

Mike the citric based is it as effective as 12% & soap. Is it a longer dwell time. I have had a couple request and I used one product a long time ago and it took twice the time and had to use a little pressure. When Im doing a large complex I dont want to double my time. I have told a couple properties that I only use what I know works one I got them to understand that bleach is safe is used properly I lost 2 other bids. I actually got one of those this year after the guy last year blasted the crap out of their siding, screens and windows. He did tons of damage. They loved our job this year

If I can find and test something and it works cool
 

precisionpower

New member
Simple Cherry and 12% here also. Got some butyl/sodium hydroxide stuff I get locally for gutters. Other than those 2 chems, not much really needed for residential.

I didn't know there were any other cleaners available!:yes: Mike K. was gracious enough to give me the in's and out's of PROPER cleaning, and since then, 12% and simple cherry, and occasionally Apple Blossom Dawn are all I use.
 

precisionpower

New member
That's been my opinion - firstly the 'green' brigade hasn't been all that great yet. Secondly - I tell them that once bleach has done it's job - it fullfills every definition of biodegrable that I can think of. And the key to any chemical is to use it in the right quantity. I also tell them about bleach in their clothes wash - I ask them if they purchase a 'green' alternative that does the same exact job? And usually they say no, then I say 'exactly!'


Good stuff Dan. Biodegradable, schmiodegradable. Gasoline, vaseline, kerosene, etc. are as biodegradable as SH, but no one's running around filling up their cars with water.
 

Mike Vidan

New member
Mike the citric based is it as effective as 12% & soap. Is it a longer dwell time. I have had a couple request and I used one product a long time ago and it took twice the time and had to use a little pressure. When Im doing a large complex I dont want to double my time. I have told a couple properties that I only use what I know works one I got them to understand that bleach is safe is used properly I lost 2 other bids. I actually got one of those this year after the guy last year blasted the crap out of their siding, screens and windows. He did tons of damage. They loved our job this year

If I can find and test something and it works cool

Citric based products are not nearly as effective as SH and Soap.
 

cleanhoods

New member
I have used for years my Jenny pwer which is 1250 psi 3 gpm and a SH soapmix about 1/2 gallon to 1 gal.bleach to 1 1/2 gal.water all in my 3 gallon sprayer .Now i got my 3000 at 6 gpm good and running i will use that instead and make a mix to inject.
Marko
 

plainpainter

New member
WHat do you guys use on natural wood siding?

Depends on the wood - but most woods won't come clean with a regular house wash formula - T-111 comes to mind. In those cases you have to use restoration chemicals. And in my area often the trim is painted if the siding is natural - so something strong enough to clean up the wood is going to degloss/ruin the painted trim finish. I've stripped latex paint off with oxiclean for crying out loud. I pass on those jobs, unless they want a 'paint' prep type job in which they are going to repaint all the trim anyways.
 
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