Benz Softwash Systems

Benz Softwash supply softwash chemicals to the professional softwash cleaning trade

"CLEAN & MAINTAIN" PROFESSIONAL SOFTWASH SYSTEMS

 

Watch the short (1 minute) video below for a quick and simple explanation of softwashing

What are the Benz "Clean & Maintain" Professional Softwash Systems?

The essence of Benz "Clean & Maintain" Professional Softwash Systems is to first sterilise and clean the unwanted organic material – sometimes referred to as biofilm – from exterior surfaces. Benz Lightning Cleanze is often used to achieve this as it offers the rapid cleaning results most customers want.

We then protect the surfaces from re-colonisation by biological growths, through applying a residual biocide – Benz Bio Cleanze. This penetrates deeper into the surface, killing any remaining spores, and continues to be active through time.

Bio Cleanze can be applied immediately after treatment with Lightning Cleanze, or as part of a ongoing maintenance programme.

Lightning Cleanze is a "first clean" treatment that also sterilises the surface from the unwanted biological growths. 

It can be used as a stand-alone soft wash solution or in conjunction with power washing and/or Bio Cleanze.

 

Lightning Cleanze is the only approved sodium hypochlorite softwash biocide

 

Bio Cleanze continues to have a cleaning effect through time and can be used as a stand-alone first clean product in it's own right in appropriate circumstances.

In the context of the Benz "Clean & Maintain" Professional Softwash Systems Bio Cleanze is applied as a post-cleaning treatment that soaks deep into exterior surfaces.

It can be applied following pre-cleaning with Lightning Cleanze or power washing, giving the same residual biocide protection in both cases.

Benz "Clean & Maintain" Professional Softwash Systems can be used on any exterior hard surface such as:

  • Rendered walls of houses (dry dash, pebble dash, coloured render including K Rend and Weber).
  • Industrial buildings (including Kingspan cladding).
  • Painted surfaces.
  • Stone.
  • Tarmac.
  • Concrete.
  • Timber structures (decking, sheds, fencing, boats). The active ingredient in Bio Cleanze is a highly effective wood preservative).

Using two powerful and complementary biocides – with light power washing when necessary – cleaning contractors can now meet their customer's expectations for softwashing.

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Your choice of "Clean & Maintain" softwash systems

Benz "Clean & Maintain" Professional Softwash Systems have flexibility and choice built in – which means they give you options to suit your customer's individual needs and finances:

1) Rapid softwashing plus good protection against re-colonisation

Lightning Cleanze + Bio Cleanze

For customers who want the most fastest and longest lasting clean.

2) Rapid softwashing only

Lightning Cleanze only.
Chosen for example, by someone selling their property who wants it to look the best when being viewed.

This approach works well when:

  • An "rapidly clean" effect is required, which is what the majority of customers want and expect.
  • The surface is contaminated with red/green/yellow algae – and/or the black staining that can otherwise be difficult to remove.
  • The surface is soft, such as sandstone or limestone – which cannot be power washed without increasing the weathering effect and causing damage.
  • Roofs – including all forms of tiles and slate (although our experience is that treating with Bio Cleanze only can often be the best choice for porous roof surfaces).
  • The surface to be cleaned is hard, smooth, and non-porous such as UPVC, steel tanks and piping, and painted surfaces.

3) Slower softwashing plus some protection against re-colonisation – at a lower price

Bio Cleanze only.
This option can be used when colonisation is red, green or very light black. The customer must be willing to wait some time for results. The residual biocidal protection will be relatively limited as the active ingredient in Bio Cleanze will have been partially, or even completely, broken down by organic matter and the biological growths. Therefore a second treatment after a few weeks may be required to offer longer-term residual biocide protection.

Quick tip: It can be a good idea for the contractor to draw up a written contract, signed by the customer, to ensure their agreement to wait up to 6-12 months for the full cleaning effect to be seen. Memories can be unreliable ...

From then on, a maintenance schedule, offering repeat treatments of Bio Cleanze every 6-36 months, is an excellent service to offer your customers. (we do not advocate asking customers to sign a maintenance contract as this can put them off)

This approach works particularly well when

  • The customer wants to save money and is willing to wait some time to see the full cleaning effect.
  • The surface staining is mostly from red or green algae.
  • Some elevations have black staining and the others are red/green. As it's not essential to use Lightning Cleanze on all the surfaces this brings down the cost to the customer.
  • The job consists of large areas of concrete (car parks, etc) of medium soiling, and when the customer is willing to wait. It offers minimal risks to public and is very cost-effective.
  • Used for ongoing maintenance programmes, offering residual biocide protection against re-colonisation when applied every 6-36 months*. If caught in time the algae will not have time to build up and cause a problem. So customers can enjoy their property being perpetually clean, completely eliminating the need for repeat power washing.

    * The length of time a surface will remain clear from infestation depends upon multiple variable factors such as the porosity of the surface, ambient temperature, presence of organic matter such as leaves and grass cuttings, and the general local environment (eg presence of overhanging trees, hedges, shaded areas, etc).


4) Light pressure washing followed by softwashing with Benz Biocidal Wash

Post-treating with Bio Cleanze soft wash biocide achieves long-lasting results that cannot be achieved through power washing alone.

This is because pressure / power washing does not kill the spores, which rapidly re-colonise and lead to the customer's property rapidly looking "dirty" again.


This approach works well for:

  • Heavy soiling on horizontal surfaces.
  • Cobblelock with heavy weed and moss growth.
  • Shaded areas that will not be exposed to heavy weather and so may not self-cleanse fully using Bio Cleanze alone.

 

More and more pressure washing companies are adding softwashing to their services to gain an edge over their competition

 

 

5) Power / pressure washing alone without post-treatment with Benz Bio Cleanze

  • Not recommended


Btw: Benz Softwash Ltd were the first to originate and develop the principle of using of two complementary biocides in our "Clean & Maintain" softwash system. We put in hundreds of hours researching, testing and refining our products and specialised application systems.

Because of our years of experience and knowledge we are now in the best possible position to help our customers establish highly profitable softwashing businesses.

 

USE BENZ "CLEAN & MAINTAIN" PROFESSIONAL SOFTWASH SYSTEMS

 

Click the links below for more in-depth technical info about:

 

Using Benz Professional Softwash Systems to build your softwash business

If you already run a cleaning or gardening business adding a softwashing service could take your company to the next level of profitability.

And if you want to start a brand new business, then softwashing using Benz "Clean & Maintain" Professional Softwash Systems could be just what you've been looking for.

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Softwashing Health & Safety

Customers and members of public, including children and pets, must be excluded by barriers and signs from areas being treated with softwash cleaning chemicals.
Keep adults, children and animals away from areas treated with Bio Cleanze (max 40:1 dilution if the suface will be walked on by children or animals) until the surface has dried.

Areas treated with Benz Lightning Cleanze will be safe once the surfaces have been fully rinsed and run-off disposed of safely.

Always erect physical barriers on private and public paths and walkways that are being treated, or are next to property being treated, and place hazard warning signs in appropriate places. And place at least one team member as a "lookout" to ensure the public do not enter the working area. Ensure both operators and the public are kept safe from spray drift and the possibility of contact with softwash chemicals.
Operators should always wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and adhere to all safe working practices.

Click the links below to explore our technical information pages


Environment & Drains

It is important to protect our environment by keeping "run-off" to a minimum.
Run-off can be kept to minimum by using Benz Softwash Spray Nozzles along with skillful spray and brush control techniques. If some run-off to surface drains would be unavoidable, block the drains and/or gutter downpipes until application has been concluded. Then either remove the run-off from site or direct into a foul drain.
Permission should be obtained from the relevant local water authority to discharge diluted softwash chemical run-off into drains.


Correctly applied, Benz Bio Cleanze and Benz Lightning Cleanze have no detrimental effect on plant life*

* When applied skillfully and carefully, within correct H&S guidelines, and by following our advice for the care and protection of plant life on the product labelling and on this website, neither Bio Cleanze nor Lightning Cleanze will harm plant life.

Click here to learn more about softwashing via Benz Trade Tips softwashing how-to posts

The Benz Softwash range of softwash cleaning products

 

Click Here to explore our illustrated softwash cleaning products

Benz Softwash Bio Cleanze DDAC biocide & Benz Softwash Lightning Cleanze SH sodium hypochlorite biocide

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FREE ONLINE SOFTWASH TRAINING
"CLEAN & MAINTAIN" PROFESSIONAL SOFTWASH SYSTEMS
SOFTWASHING "HOW-TO" MANUAL

Soft washing wall render to clean algae, mold, fungi, moss and lichenClear and easy to read – with loads of photographs showing the principles of softwashing in action. This fully illustrated paperback explains the practical how-to of softwashing in a straightforward way that's easy to understand.

The practical knowledge contained within its pages comes from several years trial and error experience.

Would you like to learn a simple step-by-step approach to softwashing?

CLICK HERE TO GET FULL INFO

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© 2019 Benz Softwash Ltd.