How to soft wash wet pour safety surfaces & keep children safe

Wet pour safety surfaces are designed to protect children from injury, so cleaning them safely is just as important as cleaning them effectively.

We are regularly asked which softwash chemical is best for cleaning playground wet pour, and how to return the surface to service safely afterwards.

Benz Lightning Cleanze applied at 10:1 to 5:1 dilution will do an excellent job on wet pour safety surfaces when used correctly.

As with all softwash work, the key is the full process: correct dilution, controlled application, sufficient dwell time, thorough rinsing and allowing the surface to dry before children are allowed back onto the area.

How should you rinse softwash chemicals from a wet pour safety surface?

A regular hose pipe or a pressure washer set to low pressure will both work well for rinsing wet pour.

If using a pressure washer, fit a fan jet nozzle, keep the pressure low and hold the lance well back from the surface. You are rinsing the chemical away, not trying to blast the surface clean.

Drench the wet pour surface with plenty of clean water until all chemical residue has been thoroughly diluted and washed away.

Let the surface fully dry before allowing children back to play. This is a sensible safety precaution and good professional practice.

How do you protect children when softwashing a wet pour safety surface?

Lightning Cleanze contains sodium hypochlorite and should always be handled in accordance with the product label and safety guidance.

Because children will be using the surface afterwards, contractors should take no chances. Keep children, pets and members of the public well away from the working area, mixing area and any chemical containers at all times.

Apply the product evenly, allow a full 60 minutes of contact time, then rinse thoroughly with clean water.

Also take the ambient temperature into account. Softwash chemicals can work more aggressively in hot weather, so avoid letting the product dry on the surface.

Once rinsed, allow the surface to dry fully before reopening the play area.

Before softwashing a children's play area – a wet pour safety surface – with Benz Lightning Cleanze

After softwashing a children's play area – a wet pour safety surface – with Benz Lightning Cleanze

Can wet pour safety surfaces be pressure washed?

Yes, but you need to be careful.

Pressure washing can remove the worst of the surface dirt, but too much pressure can damage wet pour. The surface is softer than concrete, paving or tarmac, so it needs to be treated with respect.

Pressure washing alone also will not kill the spores, which means the surface can recolonise quickly.

Trade Tip: Apply Lightning Cleanze first, allow the product to activate, then rinse using low pressure.

This approach kills most of the biological growth and allows the operator to use much lower water pressure, helping to protect the wet pour surface.

In many cases, once the chemical has done the work, the pressure washer is only needed for rinsing. Tap-water-level pressure is often enough.

Use the correct dilution, rinse thoroughly, allow the surface to dry and keep the area closed until it is safe to reopen.

We hope this information is helpful and sincerely wish you great success in your softwashing business,

Team Benz

Need more practical softwashing help?

For more advice, browse our Trade Tips library or download the free Benz Product Documentation Pack, which includes Application & Dilution Guides, SDS, PDS, RAMS, PPE and mask information, COSHH guidance, a sample contract and more.

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