Rope Cleaning with Bleach Wash? - Certified SoftWash Roof Cleaning

Danny Cronauer · SoftWash Systems Certified

Bleach wash application

Doug Rucker · UAMCC Officer

Yes you sure can

Laurie Benjamin · Lead Tech Certified

LLoo.. just replied in the plant post

Doug Rucker · UAMCC Officer

The job I did yesterday, I cleaned the pump out with BW and then used it to spray Plant Wash, works great. I have never gotten the hose end sprayer to work with Plant Wash.

Danny Cronauer · SoftWash Systems Certified

Doug Rucker wrote:
The job I did yesterday, I cleaned the pump out with BW and then used it to spray Plant Wash, works great. I have never gotten the hose end sprayer to work with Plant Wash.

Its useless, and takes much more time, well I am glad you guys answered both of those more me, I guess the next question is what ratio are we talking for Bleach wash. How much BW for the container?

Doug Rucker · UAMCC Officer

I do 16 ounces to a five gallon pail of water

Danny Cronauer · SoftWash Systems Certified

So Doug after finishing the house wash with SH, you drop into a 5 gal with 16oz of BW. Then drop into 5 gal of plant wash (16oz) and hit all the plants?

Ryan Freidline · SoftWash Systems Certified Applicator

While we're on the subject: Can a soft wash system skid be set to pull from a pail of bleach wash only? You can inject the green wash, with my custom water tank I should be able to valve into the pump close the chem valves and inject BW? Yes?

Doug Rucker · UAMCC Officer

Apex Roof Cleaning Wilkes-Barre PA wrote:
So Doug after finishing the house wash with SH, you drop into a 5 gal with 16oz of BW. Then drop into 5 gal of plant wash (16oz) and hit all the plants?

No. First I pump a 5 gallon pail of water through the system, then I start pumping another 5 gallon pail, right when the 2nd pail gets to about 1/4 from the bottom, I throw in a splash (about 4 ounces) of BW, and let that little amount run through the pump, with the little bit of water and the BW, it really helps my pumps to last longer as the BW is not as diluted as much as if I added the 4 ounces to the full 5 gallons of water. I am not concerned with getting or leaving the BW in the lines, I just want it to go through the pump. Once a week I make up a 5 gallon pail with 6 ounces of BW, and spray the truck top to bottom side to side.

After that is done I simply put my siphon hose into my pail of already mixed Plant Wash, 16 ounces to a five gallon pail and pspay the roots of the plants. I really haven't had much success with it protecting the foliage, so I try not waste it on that.

I have used the PW and thrown it dry onto some dead grass around the downspouts areas, water it in, and the grass come back in a couple days, so IMO using it dry and watering it in would work too. ALso revived a couple lazy close to dead plants at my home using it like that.

AC Lockyer · Administrator

Thanks for jumping on this Doug.

AC

Doug Rucker · UAMCC Officer

No problem. Getting low on BW this week and thought, Aww I don;t need that stuff I can save money and not get it, then as I got lower and lower I realized I can't go without it, it;s like an addiction, you gotta have it. So I called Paul yesterday and another 5 is on the way.

Danny Cronauer · SoftWash Systems Certified

Can't wait to try out this new method, the end hose sprayer has been killing me.

Mark Fermoyle · Lead Tech Certified

I got my first pail of PW and used a Miracle Grow hose-end sprayer. Mixed it according to the instructions and had not problems. Only thing is, how do you know when it's done? We sprayed and sprayed and sprayed and the jar was still light purple. There was definately purple coming out of the nozzle, so we know it WAS mixing and being applied. Do you keep going until the jar is clear or what?? I decided to take what was left in the jar and pour it out at the base of one of the downspouts.

I may make up a gallon jug of PW mixing it like the directions say: (fill the container up to the top with dry PW, fill with water, then add more dry PW until you're at the top again) Then shake, shake, shake. I'm thinking I could pour that solution into a hose-end sprayer with a pick-up tube and then spray until that jar is empty.

Would that work????

AC Lockyer · Administrator

Yes that will.

AC

Ryan Freidline · SoftWash Systems Certified Applicator

While we're on the subject: Can a soft wash system skid be set to pull from a pail of bleach wash only? You can inject the green wash, with my custom water tank I should be able to valve into the pump close the chem valves and inject BW? Yes?

AC Lockyer · Administrator

yes and you can just load it up into your new buffer tank as well. Why dont you shoot some pix of the new buffer tank?

AC

Danny Cronauer · SoftWash Systems Certified

I was also going to ask this question, being able to inject can make life much easier, I don't know need a whole cradle skid, but I am curious about the injection systems.

Ryan Freidline · SoftWash Systems Certified Applicator

AC Lockyer wrote:
yes and you can just load it up into your new buffer tank as well. Why dont you shoot some pix of the new buffer tank?

AC

Sorry AC, I will make it a priority! What would you reccommend the bpm for bleach wash? Same as green Wash, @ 60?

Michael Derose · SoftWash Systems Certified Applicator

Ryan your website is really well laid out. How is it performing for you? Sorry off topic.

AC Lockyer · Administrator

Ryan wrote:
AC Lockyer wrote:
yes and you can just load it up into your new buffer tank as well. Why dont you shoot some pix of the new buffer tank?

AC
Sorry AC, I will make it a priority! What would you reccommend the bpm for bleach wash? Same as green Wash, @ 60?

Maybe more? Depends on how soapy / waxy you like it.

AC

AC Lockyer · Administrator

michael derose wrote:
Ryan your website is really well laid out. How is it performing for you? Sorry off topic.

Ya but he needs to drop one association logo from it...lol

AC

Ryan Freidline · SoftWash Systems Certified Applicator

michael derose wrote:
Ryan your website is really well laid out. How is it performing for you? Sorry off topic.

Excellent. Thanks to reach Local. Keith Bruce designed the site, and Sitewhirks hosts it.

Ryan Freidline · SoftWash Systems Certified Applicator

AC Lockyer wrote:
michael derose wrote:
Ryan your website is really well laid out. How is it performing for you? Sorry off topic.
Ya but he needs to drop one association logo from it...lol
AC

Ya know ....I really should AC.....add it to the list of "to do's"

Ryan Freidline · SoftWash Systems Certified Applicator

AC Lockyer wrote:
Ryan wrote:
AC Lockyer wrote:
yes and you can just load it up into your new buffer tank as well. Why dont you shoot some pix of the new buffer tank?

AC
Sorry AC, I will make it a priority! What would you reccommend the bpm for bleach wash? Same as green Wash, @ 60?
Maybe more? Depends on how soapy / waxy you like it.
AC

OK great, i"ll be testing that out.

AC Lockyer · Administrator

Ryan wrote:
michael derose wrote:
Ryan your website is really well laid out. How is it performing for you? Sorry off topic.
Excellent. Thanks to reach Local. Keith Bruce designed the site, and Sitewhirks hosts it.

I love Reach Local!

AC

Mark Fermoyle · Lead Tech Certified

Hey guys,

I mixed (pre-mixed) my plant wash the way I had described above to be able to use it with a regular hose end sprayer with the "pick-up tube", but had a difficult time getting all the granules to dissolve into the solution, even after a couple of days. Is this supposed to happen? Wonder if I should try to crushe the remainder of the granules or simply strain it through a seive so that I don't need to worry about the tube getting clogged. Should I have pre-mixed with really hot water instead of garden hose water. What do y'all think????

Mark

AC Lockyer · Administrator

Mark,

Try heating the water more will disolve.

AC

Bill McMahon · SoftWash Systems Authorized Professional

I used a rope and harness on a steep pitch roof cleaning. The rope got soaked in mix so after the job I mixed 8oz of bleach wash in a 5 gallon bucket and then submerged the rope to neutralize. I let it soak in the bucket for 24 hours but when I pulled it out, a drip got on my shirt and wouldn't you know, bleach spot. I thought the BW would neutralize the SH?

AC Lockyer · Administrator

wmcmahonjr wrote:
I used a rope and harness on a steep pitch roof cleaning. The rope got soaked in mix so after the job I mixed 8oz of bleach wash in a 5 gallon bucket and then submerged the rope to neutralize. I let it soak in the bucket for 24 hours but when I pulled it out, a drip got on my shirt and wouldn't you know, bleach spot. I thought the BW would neutralize the SH?

It will but the rope soaked up SH and didnt release it. You would need to use a rope washer to penetrate the ropes fibers to get it all out. That is why the safety rope manufacturers make rope washers. The ropes hold chems.

AC

Chris Madden · Lead Tech Certified

AC Lockyer wrote:
wmcmahonjr wrote:
I used a rope and harness on a steep pitch roof cleaning. The rope got soaked in mix so after the job I mixed 8oz of bleach wash in a 5 gallon bucket and then submerged the rope to neutralize. I let it soak in the bucket for 24 hours but when I pulled it out, a drip got on my shirt and wouldn't you know, bleach spot. I thought the BW would neutralize the SH?
It will but the rope soaked up SH and didnt release it. You would need to use a rope washer to penetrate the ropes fibers to get it all out. That is why the safety rope manufacturers make rope washers. The ropes hold chems.
AC

+1

Rope will suck up the SH like a sponge. When you placed the rope in a bucket of water and Bleach Wash

there was no pressure to displace the SH out of the rope. The rope was already at it's max absorption

(the rope was full).

Think of it like an air tank and a tire on your truck. If you have 20psi in your truck tire, and you have

an air tank that has 40psi the tank will fill the tire (move air from tank to tire) till the pressure equals out.

If the truck tire and the air tank both have 20psi nothing will happen as the pressures are already equal

and there will be no movement of air. This same concept applies to the SH soaked rope and a bucket of

Bleach wash solution.

Rope should Always be cleaned to the Manufacturers specifications only. A rope washer uses pressurized

water to flush and remove/displace contaminants from rope. (push SH out of the core and the outer shell or strands)

I believe everyone that uses ropes that get exposed to SH should use a rope washer to "Push" the SH out

and flush with clean water. Hand washing will Not displace the SH and the contaminants will remain in the rope and continue

to break down the fibers more and more as time goes by.

Here is a link to a rope washer made by CMC. :

ROPE WASHER:

HAND ROPE WASHING VIDEO:

AC Lockyer · Administrator

Thanks Chris. Maybe we should move all of the rope washing to its own thread so we can have a better record?

AC

Bill McMahon · SoftWash Systems Authorized Professional

Thank you. Makes perfect sense. I had never heard of a rope washer before. You learn something new everyday in this business and on this forum.

Chris Madden · Lead Tech Certified

Rope Cleaning with Bleach Wash?