# Using soap while pressure Washing



## JoseyWales

I have to admit I've never used the soap dispenser on my pressure washer while washing down my houses before painting......

Sell me on the advantages.

What's your enviro-safe soap mixture of choice?


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## aaron61

Bleach & soap Always.In Florida anyway


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## vermontpainter

Smells better? :blink:


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## Workaholic

Bleach and soap here too.


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## JoseyWales

vermontpainter said:


> Smells better? :blink:


Never had a problem EVER with my exteriors..They all still look damn good 10+ years later too...I live in a dry climate and mold is never an issue...A good rinsing is all they usually need.


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## vermontpainter

JoseyWales said:


> Never had a problem EVER with my exteriors..They all still look damn good 10+ years later too...I live in a dry climate and mold is never an issue...A good rinsing is all they usually need.


You probably shouldn't change a thing.


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## BreatheEasyHP

Bleach for mildewed areas, soap for dirty spots. Unless hand-washing, absolutely no TSP! Get Phosphate free soaps for pressure-washing. Phosphates are persistent in the environment and find their ways into waterways and increase algae growth, which can have an extremely serious long term effect on the local environment. 

Some people are worried about chlorine. While using it, it's important to keep it off yourself, be in a ventilated area, and wear a respirator if using it for extended periods of time or not diluted. It degrades quickly, so is not a serious environmental toxin. For plants, soaking them before and after using chlorine around them effectively dilutes the chlorine so that it won't harm the plant.


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## PressurePros

Advantages are:

- No ladders
- Truly killing mold versus blasting off the visible growth
- Ability to wash with low pressure
- Way more profitable and efficient.

What came with your machine may be an upstream injector (if it is plumbed in before the pump). Throw it away as chems eat packings and rings and look into down-streaming.

Bleach, a detergent builder, and a good housewashing soap (with chelaters, rust inhibitors and water softeners) does the trick. Once your setup and dial in chems, a house the size below will take you about an hour.


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## vermontpainter

Man I wish I got more vinyl jobs. Those are so totally fun.


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## JoseyWales

PressurePros said:


> Advantages are:
> 
> - No ladders
> - Truly killing mold versus blasting off the visible growth
> - Ability to wash with low pressure
> - Way more profitable and efficient.
> 
> What came with your machine may be an upstream injector (if it is plumbed in before the pump). Throw it away as chems eat packings and rings and look into down-streaming.
> 
> Bleach, a detergent builder, and a good housewashing soap (with chelaters, rust inhibitors and water softeners) does the trick. Once your setup and dial in chems, a house the size below will take you about an hour.


Yeah its a siphon type hose for the soap...

I didn't know about the packings/rings...Don't they have any safe "green" soaps that are not corrosive to the packings/rings?

I don't have a low pressure set-up but I guess I could get one of those low pressure tips and apply the soap with a garden pump style sprayer and then scrub with an auto brush...Luckily it's just a garage and shed...Obviously you let the chemicals do the scrubbing and use an extension of some type for the high parts..I'll have to look at the archives in here for that set-up in the future.


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## straight_lines

PressurePros said:


> Advantages are:
> 
> - No ladders
> - Truly killing mold versus blasting off the visible growth
> - Ability to wash with low pressure
> - Way more profitable and efficient.
> 
> What came with your machine may be an upstream injector (if it is plumbed in before the pump). Throw it away as chems eat packings and rings and look into down-streaming.
> 
> Bleach, a detergent builder, and a good housewashing soap (with chelaters, rust inhibitors and water softeners) does the trick. Once your setup and dial in chems, a house the size below will take you about an hour.


 Imma come up and work with you for a month and steel your trade seekrets. :jester:


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## PressurePros

JoseyWales said:


> Yeah its a siphon type hose for the soap...
> 
> I didn't know about the packings/rings...Don't they have any safe "green" soaps that are not corrosive to the packings/rings?
> 
> I don't have a low pressure set-up but I guess I could get one of those low pressure tips and apply the soap with a garden pump style sprayer and then scrub with an auto brush...Luckily it's just a garage and shed...Obviously you let the chemicals do the scrubbing and use an extension of some type for the high parts..I'll have to look at the archives in here for that set-up in the future.


 No brushing or extension wands  Its all about using the right nozzles.


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## BreatheEasyHP

PressurePros said:


> Advantages are:
> 
> 
> Bleach, a detergent builder, and a good housewashing soap (with chelaters, rust inhibitors and water softeners) does the trick. Once your setup and dial in chems, a house the size below will take you about an hour.


Would you name a couple products, please?


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## PressurePros

Emulsifier Plus, Simple Cherry, some guys use dish detergent.

JW, the enviro-safe part is more in the user than the product. Just like any tool, good or bad results depend on the person using it. IMO, you need bleach in a housewash. Is bleach enviro safe? In one dilution we drink it. In another its used to separate pulp from wood. In between is house washing strength


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## 6126

I use TSP and bleach. Throw in a bottle of sish soap and it will cling to the wall longer while soaking into the dirt and mildew. When it comes to properly washing a house, a good example would be to take your truck to the local car wash and simply use the high pressure wand on rinse with no soap. See how the truck comes out. Try washing with soap and it will come cleaner, but still wont be 100% clean. Soap, scrub and rinse? I feel its the same on an exterior. How clean do you want them?


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## PressurePros

Woodland said:


> I use TSP and bleach. Throw in a bottle of sish soap and it will cling to the wall longer while soaking into the dirt and mildew. When it comes to properly washing a house, a good example would be to take your truck to the local car wash and simply use the high pressure wand on rinse with no soap. See how the truck comes out. Try washing with soap and it will come cleaner, but still wont be 100% clean. Soap, scrub and rinse? I feel its the same on an exterior. How clean do you want them?


Vehicle surfaces are different but the right cleaners do make a difference. TSP is okay, sodium metsilicate is far superior as it has scrubbing action (its also phosphtae free, less problems with windows and soil). I have had home owners white glove siding from an upper window because they didn't believe it was getting that clean. Oxidation is a different story. That you may have to scrub to remove. I turn those types of jobs down because they are potential disaster.


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## Roof Cleaning

We have been using TSP for years with great success with our bleach.
Tried some hang tight the other day my buddy gave me and loved it.

Emulsifier Plus is the bomb, been a long time since I used it....even has a eucalyptus scent with it.


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## Martinez

JoseyWales said:


> I have to admit I've never used the soap dispenser on my pressure washer while washing down my houses before painting......
> 
> Sell me on the advantages.
> 
> What's your enviro-safe soap mixture of choice?


 Pool clorox is what we use to kill algae and water to pressure wash it off. Don't waist your time with soap.


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## ProBrush

*ladders?*



PressurePros said:


> Advantages are:
> 
> - No ladders
> - Truly killing mold versus blasting off the visible growth
> - Ability to wash with low pressure
> - Way more profitable and efficient.
> 
> I thought that you don't wash from the ground because you don't want to get water in, behind the siding. Am I wrong?


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## dubinpainting

get a 50 gallon drum put 5 gallons of pool shock in it and fill the rest with water. put one end of a short hose in the top of the drum and connect the other end to a pool pump. Have another hose 100ft connected to the other end of the pump. Two hoses, two connections to the pool pump. Ones pumping water from the drum to the pump the other is washing the house. No loud sound, no gasoline, you can reach four stories with no ladders, safe quick and easy! :thumbsup:

Just make sure you rinse off plants thoroughly after.


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## Slopmeyer

How could you have never washed homes with soap or bleach??? Just squirting water at it isn't gonna do much at all. Sure you'll get the easy stuff off, but your leaving behind alot of scurge. Always use some chem's. Cleaner house and easier job for you.


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## bmoorecl

Well,I have to say I clean A HOUSE WITH LIQUILD GAIN AND BIO OUTDOOR COLOX.
iT CAME OUT GREAT,AND LASTED A LONG TIME.JUST KEEP TH GROUND WET.


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## Damon T

PressurePros said:


> Vehicle surfaces are different but the right cleaners do make a difference. TSP is okay, sodium metsilicate is far superior as it has scrubbing action (its also phosphtae free, less problems with windows and soil). I have had home owners white glove siding from an upper window because they didn't believe it was getting that clean. Oxidation is a different story. That you may have to scrub to remove. I turn those types of jobs down because they are potential disaster.


Hey Ken
How does sodium hydroxide differ from sodium meta silicate in cleaning exteriors?


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## 6126

Bleach and TSP


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## S.LUCAS PAINTS

tsp-clorox-simple green ,best mix....add sum degreaser if real bad


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## Painter-Aaron

When everyone is saying soap and bleach? Are you mixing the two together? What is the ratio? 

And do you dilute it at all prior? 


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## Jmayspaint

Painter-Aaron said:


> When everyone is saying soap and bleach? Are you mixing the two together? What is the ratio?
> 
> And do you dilute it at all prior?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using PaintTalk.com



The soap helps the bleach cling to the surface and have a longer working time, plus its easier to see when the chems start coming out if there is a little soap in the mix. 

I put maybe a 1/4 cup soap per gallon of bleach. I do not need to dilute the bleach prior to down streaming. The mix comes out about right using straight bleach (8%). My buddy has a different set up and he puts one gallon of water with 4 gallons bleach to stream with.


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## Painter-Aaron

Jmayspaint said:


> The soap helps the bleach cling to the surface and have a longer working time, plus its easier to see when the chems start coming out if there is a little soap in the mix.
> 
> I put maybe a 1/4 cup soap per gallon of bleach. I do not need to dilute the bleach prior to down streaming. The mix comes out about right using straight bleach (8%). My buddy has a different set up and he puts one gallon of water with 4 gallons bleach to stream with.



Okay. I just picked up some cheap bleach and I got dawn. I'll try that out today. Thank you 


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## Scannell Painting

Lot of different replies here. I follow Ken with Pressure Pros on advice & he is dead on with his suggestions. Just completed a roof, housewash & deck all covered with mold & moss, turned out perfect


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## bmoorecl

I use outdoor bleach,tide,20 mule team borax,for boost.That outdoor bleach,to me, clean th surface,after raising,it seem to stay active on the surface.I have clean some houses.It just keep killing the mildew.for a long time.


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## straight_lines

Maybe 1000 psi used today when cleaning this deck. Not possible without chems. We applied several times and let it dwell for over an hour.


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## Damon T

Painter-Aaron said:


> Okay. I just picked up some cheap bleach and I got dawn. I'll try that out today. Thank you
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using PaintTalk.com



Dawn says not to mix with bleach. I tried it once. Foamed up a lot. 
Tsp substitute is good. I ordered a gallon of Elemonator from pressure Tek. I like it. 


Sent from my blah blah blah


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## PressurePros

straight_lines said:


> Maybe 1000 psi used today when cleaning this deck. Not possible without chems. We applied several times and let it dwell for over an hour.


If I could point out a couple things that may help you in the future, even at 1000 psi, you can get stop and start marks that can show up prominently when you stain. The best practice is to follow a board to its end. There is also still a good amount of mold left in those washed boards. On that deck I go would with a 6% solution of bleach mixed with stripper. The stripper will soften the growth and let the bleach dive deeper as well as keep some color in the wood so it didn't dry the color of a toothpick.


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## Painter-Aaron

Damon T said:


> Dawn says not to mix with bleach. I tried it once. Foamed up a lot.
> Tsp substitute is good. I ordered a gallon of Elemonator from pressure Tek. I like it.
> 
> 
> Sent from my blah blah blah



I was reading up on that but it didn't say do not mix with bleach on it. It worked pretty good. ( as I was told anyways ). Do you just do the liquid tsp without the phosphate? 

Has anyone tried the simple green? 


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## straight_lines

PressurePros said:


> If I could point out a couple things that may help you in the future, even at 1000 psi, you can get stop and start marks that can show up prominently when you stain. The best practice is to follow a board to its end. There is also still a good amount of mold left in those washed boards. On that deck I go would with a 6% solution of bleach mixed with stripper. The stripper will soften the growth and let the bleach dive deeper as well as keep some color in the wood so it didn't dry the color of a toothpick.


Its the low rinse tip on the four way that pressure tek sells. I am assuming around 1000 psi, it could be lower.

I did use stripper, but not mixed together we applied it first let it dwell for about 20 minutes, and then applied bleach. Its the worst deck I have ever cleaned. I didn't think we could get it looking this good, and suggested replacing the decking to the owner. Its a rental and decks don't have any value. 

We have done a full resto on the house, and I will be replacing 7 of these 16 footers Tuesday.


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## PressurePros

Yeah, I have done a few that look like that and they are tough. Bleach is almost imbedded in the wood. The dry pic (left side) looks great.


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## straight_lines

I thought it came out great. It was one of those unbelievable cleanings, house was really bad too.


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## Gough

Painter-Aaron said:


> I was reading up on that but it didn't say do not mix with bleach on it. It worked pretty good. ( as I was told anyways ). Do you just do the liquid tsp without the phosphate?
> 
> Has anyone tried the simple green?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using PaintTalk.com


We normally don't powerwash and there's rarely mildew on the houses we paint. We typically spray on a Simple a Green solution, hit with truck brushes, and rinse.


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## journeymanPainter

straight_lines said:


> Its the low rinse tip on the four way that pressure tek sells. I am assuming around 1000 psi, it could be lower.
> 
> I did use stripper, but not mixed together we applied it first let it dwell for about 20 minutes, and then applied bleach. Its the worst deck I have ever cleaned. I didn't think we could get it looking this good, and suggested replacing the decking to the owner. Its a rental and decks don't have any value.
> 
> We have done a full resto on the house, and I will be replacing 7 of these 16 footers Tuesday.


I think you need to turn the pressure down, look what you did to those boards

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