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HOA vinyl fence cleaning here in Tampa, FL

David Besse

New member
HOA vinyl fence cleaning that we finished up here in Tampa, FL a few days ago.

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David Besse

New member
I soft washed it first, followed by power washing. I let the soft wash dwell for about 3-4mins. The soft wash mix was 40gal (12gal SH / 28gal water + 48oz of greenwash & roof snot)
 

Joseph Rogers

New member
Currently just trying to wrap my head around everything you guys do, so that I can add PW services to my current business. Can you give me a link to an example of a pump used for softwashing?
 

Javier Nevarez

New member
I also am a lil confused as to what exactly is "soft washing"...i have heard it mentioned quite a bit in the research ive done but usually its followed by PW'ing terminology that im not very well acquainted with just yet. Can someone shed a lil bit of light my way as to what this actually reffers to and how its done?
 

David Besse

New member
@ Joseph - What most people use are diaphragm pumps.. delavan, shurflo, udor to name a few. They are either air-operated or 12-volt electric driven. Try out Roof Cleaning Institue of America/ http://roof-cleaning-institute.activeboard.com There are lots of great info on pumps on that forum.

@ Javier - From what I’ve learned over the years, "soft wash or soft washing" is a cleaning method using pressure of no more than 300psi, give or take. For example, in Roof Cleaning I use a 5.0gpm delavan pump to apply my 'roof cleaning mix' by spraying on a chemical solution to help/ad in killing off the living organisms, aka roof algae. Another way we use "soft wash/washing" for power washing is the same method as roof cleaning, but reducing the chemical mix formula, by help lossing the grime and dirty, followed with power washing the surface without high pressure. Charging your tip size helps reduce the pressure also!
 
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Bill Booz

UAMCC Board of Directors
Yep, it's just a way to wash without high pressure. Many actually do it with no pressure washer at all. Generally it is a chlorine releasing solution of some kind used in these process. I still recomend having a pressure washer, as soft-washing will not do it all, and a high gpm unit will make all the difference in rinsing.

I have used aod pumps, and find them best for owner operators, they require a gas powered air compressor to use. We now use all shur-flo 12v pumps as they are really easy to troubleshoot in the field.
 

Joseph Rogers

New member
Thank you, Bill. Who sells these, so that I can look at pricing and such?

Also, you'd commented on a thread I started a couple months ago called "potential build" and I didn't catch it until yesterday. I think I provided you with the info you were asking for, and my apologies for the delay.
 

Bill Booz

UAMCC Board of Directors
No Problem, I will look at that post now. You can get Shurflo's just about anywhere, marine stores, online etc. We use the 4gpm blaster washdown pump
 

Javier Nevarez

New member
Thanx for the info Bill!...so i guess my next question would be, is soft wash/washing used primarily for roof cleaning or is it an effective method throughout other areas of powerwashing?...if it is, how so?
 

Doug Rucker

UAMCC Board of Directors
@ Joseph - What most people use are diaphragm pumps.. delavan, shurflo, udor to name a few. They are either air-operated or 12-volt electric driven. Try out Roof Cleaning Institue of America/ http://roof-cleaning-institute.activeboard.com There are lots of great info on pumps on that forum.

@ Javier - From what I’ve learned over the years, "soft wash or soft washing" is a cleaning method using pressure of no more than 300psi, give or take. For example, in Roof Cleaning I use a 5.0gpm delavan pump to apply my 'roof cleaning mix' by spraying on a chemical solution to help/ad in killing off the living organisms, aka roof algae. Another way we use "soft wash/washing" for power washing is the same method as roof cleaning, but reducing the chemical mix formula, by help lossing the grime and dirty, followed with power washing the surface without high pressure. Charging your tip size helps reduce the pressure also!

AC Locker or Chris Tucker has been in the industry much longer then I have, and they would know the true meaning of “soft wash/washing!"


Soft Washing is basically cleaning a surface without using high pressure. A pressure washer can be used so long as the pressure you are using is not going to damage the surface. Thats why I use an adjustable wand anytime I clean anything with my Pressure Washer. There are some surfaces that you cant clean using only an electric or aod pump.
 

Joseph Rogers

New member
Soft Washing is basically cleaning a surface without using high pressure. A pressure washer can be used so long as the pressure you are using is not going to damage the surface. Thats why I use an adjustable wand anytime I clean anything with my Pressure Washer. There are some surfaces that you cant clean using only an electric or aod pump.

This is something I wish to understand better, as well. My only experience with PW'ing is when I worked with a local guy for about 2 weeks last year. He had a 2 150 gallon tanks. One he'd mix bleach in (1:10), and the other was rinse water. Little valve would allow him to switch back and forth between the tanks, and run from the same PW machine.

You guys are talking about having just a small, electric, pump that puts out a stream that will reach how high? Then rinsing with a high GPM machine. I hear you talking about downstreaming, and using a chemical nozzle to allow the downstreaming to work. This is, essentially, what he was doing by pre-mixing and running through the PW, right? Only difference is that downstreaming is a last step injection system, and you don't have chems running through your pump.

What surfaces are not viable options for soft-washing? Brick? Concrete?
 

Doug Rucker

UAMCC Board of Directors
Depending on wind Joseph a dedicated pump can reach between 20-40 feet depending on the PSI and GPM of the pump.

Some surfaces can just be rinsed with a garden hose, but if you need to get cob web infestations, dirt dobbers, and other hard to remove stains, then a pressure washer will need to be used. But using an adjustable wand will allow you to lower your pressure and remove many of these without using high pressure.

Yes, sounds like your guy was down streaming through a large tank, not sure why he needed a separate tank to rinse with. This can be achieved simply by changing the nozzles and eliminating having to go back and forth to the truck to switch the tanks.

Yes, in down streaming there are no chems going through the pump.
 

Joseph Rogers

New member
Will you tell me more about how this wand reduces pressure? You told me once that it's an unloader nozzle, but how, exactly, is pressure reduced? I'm not sure I understand the mechanism.
 

Doug Rucker

UAMCC Board of Directors
An adjustable wand, also called dual lance wand, will have a motorcycle style grip on it that you can turn w your hand. It's main purpose is for drawing chemical when you down streaming so you dont have to change tips. It has two "barrels" (like a double barrel shot gun)for lack of a better term, and one of the barrells has a low pressure chem tip in that is fixed. The other is used for your high pressure tips. When you turn the grip it will lessen the pressure and draw chem through that barrel. There is a certain point that you can turn and still use lower pressure with out drawing the chem.

Now if you are not downs streaming, then when you turn it you are just lowering your pressure at the gun.

I dont remember anything about an unloader nozzle, not sure what that is.

I will make a video and post here for all to see.
 
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