Questions we are asked about soft washing – answered 03
Every week we receive a large number of questions about soft washing. And, as new contractors are coming into the business all the time, questions are often repeated.
So we thought it would be useful to put together the most frequently asked questions in this series of Trade Tips posts, for your easy reference.
Read our answers to our customer's soft washing questions by scrolling down this page.
Q: Can Lightning Cleanze be used to clean moss and algae from glass?
A: Yes, you can use Lightning Cleanze on glass.
Lightning Cleanze at 5:1-10:1 dilution is not classed by the EU, PRCD and HSE as non-corrosive or hazardous to people or our environment.
That said, it's a wise "belt & braces" precaution to rinse window frames with water, preferably pure de-ionised water, prior to and immediately after treating.
Quick tip: Ordinary tap water can be used but hard water that contains lime can leave streaks and limescale deposits.
Tap water will generally need to be removed from the glass using a squeegee, whereas de-ionised water can simply be left to dry.
If you are only cleaning the windows and frames, 10:1 dilution will usually be sufficient to do an excellent job.
Click here to watch a how-to video demonstrating glass cleaning with Lightning Cleanze. (Note that it refers to "Blackwash", which was the old name for Lightning Cleanze)
Q: My customer wants the walls of their house soft washed but they are covered in ivy. Is there anything you have that i can treat the wall with?
A: Fortunately ivy is one of the hardest of all garden weeds to kill. Even spraying it directly with either Bio Cleanze or Lightning Cleanze is unlikely to kill it, although the leaves will turn brown and your ivy-loving customer will not be pleased ...
Our suggestions:
1. Pre and post drench the ivy with fresh water as you would with all plant life prior to soft washing.
2. Spray very carefully to avoid getting chemical on the ivy.
3. Treat the wall closest to the ivy with Benz Tornado Cleanze (spray with Lightning Cleanze up to 6-12 inches from the ivy, leaving a gap that you can then treat with Tornado Cleanze, brushed on).
4. If you are treating with Bio Cleanze, leave as small a gap as possible from the ivy, using the same approach as with Lightning Cleanze and then brush Bio Cleanze into the remaining gap, up to the ivy.
5. Before treating the wall, carefully explain the situation and problems to your customer so they understand the reasons for the approach you are taking. And get their permission to continue.
Quick tip: Although it can look pretty, we would never grow ivy up the walls of a house because it can increase the possibility of structural damage by keeping the walls continually damp. Ivy also destroys the lime mortar in older properties, so for those it is a big no-no.
Q: Should I treat the decking/wood first, or stain first?
A: Treat with Bio Cleanze first, give a very light low-pressure jet wash after a week or two and then stain.
Q: When soft washing a roof, what’s the simplest way to block the down pipe? And what do you do with the run off?
A: A tennis ball can work well to block a downpipe.
The amount of run off will be minimal if you use skillful spray techniques and should not be a problem.
The small quantity of product that does run into the gutter and into the downpipes will more than likely have been largely, or even completely, broken down by organic material.
It can be further diluted with tap water prior to removing the tennis ball and allowing it to flow into the downpipe.
Quick tips:
1) The downpipe can often be diverted into a foul drain (not a surface or storm drain).
2) Alternatively, divert run-off into a container and use the contents to give a quick clean of your customer's paths.
3) Or, divert into a container and remove from the site.
A: Lighting Cleanze can be used to treat artificial grass.10:1 dilution will usually be strong enough.
Quick tip: When cleaning an adjacent patio be careful not to create accidental clean streaks on artificial grass. The simple solution to avoid this is to pre and post-drench the grass in the same way you would when working next to real grass.
We hope this information is helpful and sincerely wish you great success in your soft washing business.
Ben, Leo, Fiona, Stevie & Anthony
Click here to explore the full range of Benz softwash cleaning products
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