Using Hypochlorite Patio Cleaners To Get Rid Of Growths On Your Outdoor Surfaces

Is your curb appeal being ruined by the mould, algae, lichen and other growths that are covering the exterior building surfaces? From the sidewalks to the patios and decking – and even the building walls, they are all susceptible to fast rates of grime building up. Whether they are slabs, concrete or shingles, there will be gradual growth of fungi and algae. This is due to the grime and water that sits on the different areas for long periods. As they accumulate, they provide suitable conditions for the growths to spread – and this will continue until the growths are actually removed using formulations like hypochlorite patio cleaners, or else the growths will have taken over the entire area. Sections that are in shaded areas are particularly problematic.

Routine Cleaning

In order to keep the growths from taking over the property, regular cleaning is required. However, this cannot be effectively achieved with conventional detergents, since they are simply not suited for the task. Hypochlorite patio cleaners like the Cleanfast Patio & Dash Wall Cleaner 5L being used as part of the power washing process will enable you to deal with the issue, while preventing more growths from quickly redeveloping – that way the results that are obtained get to last for longer.

Prepping for Paintwork

The exterior building cleaning to restore its appeal is not the only reason why hypochlorite patio cleaners are used, as well as the general pressure washing. If you want to spruce up the building with new paint, then a thorough wash will first be needed. Skipping it and painting over the dirt, debris, mould and mildew will mean that the fresh layers of paint that will be applied will not bond well with the surface. This will cause it to peel in future, ruining the final appearance, and the only recourse will be to repaint the house.

Here, we will look at how you stand to benefit from using hypochlorite patio cleaners, and the value that you get from the Cleanfast Patio & Dash Wall Cleaner 5L in particular.

Getting Rid Of Growths On Your Patio

So how do you deal with the situation? It generally comes down to hand-washing, pressure washing, or using chemicals that have been developed for the situation. Handwashing – as you manually scrub at those sections, can be tiresome, and consume loads of time.

Pressure washing on the other hand and chemical cleaning usually complement each other to get the task done. There are formulations that deliver a thorough cleaning action, where they attack the harmful growths on their own – such as the Cleanfast Patio & Dash Wall Cleaner 5L. Here, one simply applies the product to the affected areas and gives it a couple of minutes of dwelling time, where it penetrates the growths, permanently destroying them such that they won’t recur. When used together with other methods like power washing, where the water jets remove the grime that remains, you end up with a clean and elegant exterior.

For the Cleanfast Patio & Dash Wall Cleaner 5L, you get a powerful agent for the removal of the growths that are mushrooming all over the exterior building surfaces. From the footpaths and paving, to the patios, decking and other surfaces, applying it on these surfaces enables you to get rid of the mould, mildew, algae and other organic matter that had accumulated on them. In fact, it’s a popular choice for landscapers and professional pressure washing contractors, since it delivers the results fast, and the results last for longer since the treatment prevents them from redeveloping. This Irish-manufactured product is suitable for both domestic and commercial applications.

The formulation itself comes concentrated, and will need to be diluted with water using a 1:4 ratio – i.e., 1 part Cleanfast Patio & Dash Wall Cleaner 5L being mixed with 4 parts water, adding the agent to water, not vice versa. The application itself will depend on your preferred equipment and the size of the area you intend to work on, such as using a pressure pump when you’re dealing with vertical surfaces or expansive areas, and using a cotton mop for the horizontal surfaces and smaller sections. After applying the treatment, give it at least 30 minutes of dwelling time. During this period, it acts chemically on the growths, even attacking the roots themselves to ensure that they won’t regrow. The active ingredients of the Cleanfast Patio & Dash Wall Cleaner 5L have a high efficacy, doing the heavy lifting for you and reducing the amount of effort that you put into the process.

Note that you shouldn’t mix the For the Cleanfast Patio & Dash Wall Cleaner with other products except water. Remember that this is a strong agent – so it’s also recommended that you wear gloves and eye protection.

The affordable nature of this particular cleaner, as well as attributes such as the long-lasting nature of the treatment, enables you to get more bang for your buck. Moreover, since it needs to be diluted, each unit Cleanfast Patio & Dash Wall Cleaner 5L that you get will provide you with prolonged service, cutting down your establishment’s maintenance costs.

Should You Use A Pressure Washer With The Hypochlorite Patio Cleaner?

Strong formulations like the Cleanfast Patio & Dash Wall Cleaner 5L are actually developed to work on their own. The days when you had to have a pressure washer when using the patio cleaner are long gone. With the likes of the Cleanfast Patio & Dash Wall Cleaner 5L, you simply apply it onto the target surface and allow it to do its work – then the next time it rains the grime will be washed off. Now if you don’t want to wait for this, then simply hose down the surfaces, and the water will clear that grit, algae and other organic growth that will have been destroyed by the hypochlorite patio cleaner. Cases with extreme algae build-ups can call for the patio cleaner and pressure washer to be used together as well.

Efficiency of the task also comes into focus. Here, with a power washer you blast off loads of grime and debris, and leave the problematic growth to the hypochlorite patio cleaner to handle. With pressures 2,000 to 3,000 PSI, you can easily clean the sidewalks, driveways, and other concrete surfaces, since they can handle the forces involved. That way, the final amount of cleaning agent that is used or the task is reduced, so each Cleanfast Patio & Dash Wall Cleaner 5L purchased gets to serve you for longer.

What of those delicate surfaces? Unlike the paving and sidewalks, sections like the building siding should not be blasted with loads of pressure, as this puts their structural integrity at risk. Soft pressure cleaning is done here, with ranges of 500 to 1000 PSI. By relying on the cleaning action of the hypochlorite patio cleaner, less pressure can be used during the washing tasks.

So while you don’t have to use the hypochlorite patio cleaner with a power washer, working with both gets you the desired results faster.

How You Benefit From Power Washing

– For starters, it’s far less labour-intensive compared to scrubbing each section of the exterior building surfaces by hand.

These surfaces carry mounds of grime, from the dirt that is blown onto them, the hardened gunk like bird goo, all through to the moulds and other fungal growths. Spending your weekends bent over for hours scrubbing the patio is not how you want your free time being taken. Power washing takes this burden from you, where you simply point the water jets to the target space, and allow the forces involved to blast away the grime. This, coupled with the agents like Cleanfast Patio & Dash Wall Cleaner 5L that penetrate to the roots of the organic growths and basically kill them, means that you will spend much less effort dealing with future cleaning tasks.

– Time cost is also a key factor.

Washing the building’s surfaces can consume loads of time depending on how you approach it. It’s not exactly pleasing to move block by block with a brush in an attempt to scrub away the grime. On the other hand, with the ‘point-and-press’ nature of the power washing process, you will get the task done much faster. When hypochlorite patio cleaners are incorporated into the process, it still translates to a high time efficiency. This is because they require little dwell time on the surface, such as with the Cleanfast Patio & Dash Wall Cleaner 5L where you should allow it to remain for about 30 minutes for it to act on the organic growths.

– Your curb appeal gets a massive boost.

Transformation of households before and after a power cleaning process can be shocking, especially for those cases where the cleaning had been neglected for years. You want to come back to an elegant house after a busy day at work. You don’t want neighbours strolling by casting judgemental glances at the premises because of all the grime that is covering the exterior surfaces. A thorough cleaning of the surfaces will ensure that its curb appeal is accentuated.

Are you in the real estate industry? From landlords to property managers, they know all too well the importance of first looks to potential buyers and tenants. Interested persons checking out the premises will try and envision themselves living in it, and when there are soiled exteriors many of them won’t even walk through the front doors. On the other hand, a properly maintained property attracts more attention – and you even get to justify the premium you’re charging for it. It may not even be the house itself that is on the market. Neighbouring residential spaces will be affected by the state of your premises – and the last thing you want is to get into conflict with those living close by for “watering down the value of their neighbourhood”. A thorough power washing will spruce up the premises, and this is beneficial for both the property owner, and those in the surrounding areas.

There are situations – like after the winter, where the patio ends up holding in loads of dirt and debris. As you arrange for that spring cleaning to bring a whole new look and feel to your residence, ensuring that your patios are taken care of is part of the process. With power washing, you can be able to clear the debris – even that on the hard-to-reach areas, revitalizing your premises.

– Protect your family’s health

As more mould and mildew build up on your patio, there will be an increased concentration of spores and mycotoxins in the area. These can easily get blown into the indoor space through the open doors and windows, leading to a spike in cases of allergies – which are not conditions that you want your family members being exposed to. This makes hypochlorite patio cleaners including the Cleanfast Patio & Dash Wall Cleaner 5L vital additions to your premises’ cleaning and maintenance program.

Remember that the growths are also slippery, especially when wet. As more of them pop up all over the property, chances of slip and fall accidents increase. Get rid of them using powerful hypochlorite patio cleaners that will get right to the roots of the growths, ensuring that they have been actually destroyed.

Commercial Establishments Need Care Too

After all, looks here will directly affect the profits. The business premises withstands plenty of abuse, from the pollution caused by daily traffic, the grime and grease that build up on the surfaces, faecal waste from birds and other creatures around the building that harden on the sidewalks and other structures, all through to the moulds and mildew that slowly creeps their way across the exterior surfaces. Failing to have a regular cleaning program in place will result in the premature deterioration of the buildings, while ruining down your curb appeal in the process. Power washing comes in to enable you to get rid of these substances, and give your premises a fresh, new look.

Impress customers

Looks are a make-or-break factor for businesses. Customers accessing the facility will be sure to note the condition of the exteriors – from the driveways and sidewalks leading up to the business premises, the walls, to the doors and windows. They will judge the business based on the condition they have found it in. You want them to have a positive image about your company, not turn them off to your competitors due to finding it in a dishevelled state. In some cases, the business exteriors may end up looking so shoddy that the passers-by and potential customers consider it to be run down or closed – and by the time things are getting this far, an in-depth cleaning will have been long overdue. You also don’t want a case of negative reviews about the state of cleanliness of your premises ending up online, as this will be a hit on your brand.

Get things back in order by having a thorough exterior building cleaning carried out. That way, customers accessing your facility will see the level of care that you place in the different aspects of your business – giving them more confidence in your products and services.

Definitely power washing will be much more efficient due to the size and scale of the premises. Hypochlorite patio cleaners come in to deal with the algae, mould and other similar growths, so incorporating it into the process will get you longer lasting results.

Reduce your maintenance costs

The longer that the stains, grease and grime remain on the exterior surfaces the tougher they will be to remove. Allowing some growths like weeds to spread across the property actually damages the affected surfaces – causing more cracks and other kinds of structural damage to develop. Even the fungi growing on the wooden structures of the buildings feed directly on the material. Mould and mildew can permanently discolour building structures. Bird droppings, with their 3 – 4.5pH, can actually eat away at the metal, stone, wood and tar-based materials that are part of the property. This is not how you want things playing out. Even that de-icing salt that was sprinkled around during the winter can lead to acidic build-ups later on, where the runoff wears away at the metal, concrete and wood. With exterior building cleaning, you get to prevent these occurrences from putting the property at risk.

The power washing is also needed when it is time to give your business premises a new look with fresh paint, that way the new layers being applied will stick more firmly into the surface, and you will avoid cases of peeling paint. The routine power washing is basically an investment that keeps your building and its surrounding structures in top shape, preventing you from incurring heavy expenses later on due to high costs of repairs.

Bolster employee morale

Employees are more productive when they are in a workplace that is well maintained. You want to show them that you care about their health and wellbeing, by ensuring that they have a clean environment to carry out their tasks in. This extends to the building exteriors, including those sections where they go to relax during breaks. Moreover, the employees’ mood will also be impacted by the state of the curb appeal, since it is the first thing greeting them when they report to work each day. You don’t want them to start their days off unenthusiastic about their jobs. Sprucing up the workplace will have a positive effect on their morale, in turn enabling them to be more productive in their duties. Moreover, with the hypochlorite patio cleaners removing the mould, mildew and other fungi that would have been a health risk, it contributes to setting a more hygienic space for both your staff and customers.

Physical safety is also key here, especially given that trips and falls are a leading cause of time-loss injuries. High-traffic areas are particularly susceptible to this. You don’t want your staff or customers slipping on hazardous grime. Blast away those growths like algae that bring about risks of slips, and prevent them from redeveloping using a hypochlorite patio cleaner such as the Cleanfast Patio & Dash Wall Cleaner 5L.

Preparing Your House For The DIY Pressure Washing

You’ll need to start on the right footing, to protect your premises and yourself during the process.

One of the key measures you should undertake is washing down the landscaping around the home with just plain water. This is regarding the bushes, flowers, plants and even trees that are close to the house. This is because as you use the hypochlorite patio cleaner to bring down those fungi and algae growths on the walls and surrounding surfaces, some of it could end up getting to the landscaping. Remember that these cleaners are strong chemicals, and they can harm the plant life that you actually want to keep around. Watering down the plants is a preventive measure since it ensures any chemicals that land on them later on will not stick to the plants – reducing the chances of damage.

Next is dealing with the electricity. This includes turning off the electricity to any exposed wall outlets, as well as covering lighting fixtures. This is also another area where particular caution should be taken when using pressure washers and the direction in which they are aimed at, since the forces involved can shatter the glass of the fixture.

Proper safety equipment is needed for the process, especially eye protection. This is recommended when dealing with any hypochlorite patio cleaner. Regarding the ear protection, it will depend on the kind of machinery being used, as some can be very loud during operation. As you work with the pressure washer, ensure that you’re standing on stable ground. This means that using the washes when on a ladder is ill-advised. Chances of fall accidents are high.

Ensure that you have set up the pressure washer correctly. This includes using the right attachments and accessories for the particular surface you’re working on. For instance, when working on the concrete driveway as part of the exterior building washing process, use a building surface cleaner attachment – the circular dish instead of the long hose, as it makes the task safer for the landscape, as well as easier and faster. When you’re working on buildings with two or more storeys, then the pressure washing extension for the wand will be required, that way you can safely get to those higher sections of your home. Also ensure that the hypochlorite patio cleaner that you’ll be using will be safe for the walls and paint before you apply it on them. It’s recommended that you first confirm with the manufacturer that the particular model as well as the pressure that you’re using will be suitable for the house’s siding and walls.

Lastly, as you proceed with the task, be mindful of your surroundings – especially where you’re pointing the pressure washer. Don’t go point it at animals, people, or powerlines.

Go The Pro Route

Due to the risks that come with power washing, it is recommended that you hire a professional for the task. Moreover, they already have the equipment needed for the task, and know the right hypochlorite patio cleaner to use for your particular situation. It’s also way more convenient than the hassle of buckets and brushes. Sure, you can still go the DIY route – just ensure you take the appropriate safety measures during the task. This includes wearing protective gear like safety goggles, since the hypochlorite patio cleaners used for the task are potent agents, and you don’t want to put yourself at risk. Also be particularly keen on how you tune the power setting on the pressure washer, and navigate between the tough and delicate surfaces.

There are different benefits you get when you turn to professional power washing contractors. For starters, they already have the equipment and personnel needed for the task. Getting this machinery yourself would be costly, and the expenses that go into maintaining them make the machines not as feasible, especially if the power washing is not a chore that you do very frequently. Moreover, getting the machinery and using it appropriately are two different things. Due to the pressures involved, structures of the building can easily get damaged when they are hit by the powerful jets of water. One needs to regulate the pressure as they move from one surface to the next. Personal safety also comes into focus. After all, the exterior building cleaning is not just limited to the driveways and patios. There are also structures like the windows that need to be worked on – and dealing with this can be a dicey situation especially if the windows are located on the upper floors. Working with a ladder puts you at risk of accidents, and the fall can lead to different body injuries from sprains and concussions to fractures, depending on the height of the fall. You’ll notice that professional contractors use systems like telescopic waterfed pole systems, where they are able to access those high windows from the safety of the ground. It enables them to avoid the risks of falls, while simultaneously increasing the speed at which the cleaning is carried out. These systems usually work with ultra-purified water, an approach that gets the windows clean without leaving streaks or smears on the surface, adding to the high quality of results you get by relying on professionals for the exterior building cleaning.

The experienced crew handling the job are also able to point out issues on the property that could be putting the various installations at risk. That way, you can make arrangements to have the issues resolved early and avoid costly damages later on.

Hiring a pro for the task? Here are some tips to prepare before the service for things to run smoothly:

– Ensure that the openings – windows and doors – have been sealed tight

You’re already dealing with mould, algae, lichen and mildew growths on the exterior surfaces. You don’t want to transfer this problem indoors as a result of the water damage that would occur if water made its way into the house through the openings. Inspect the windows and doors, and ensure that they have been properly sealed. Also close up any holes in the premises.

– Clear obstacles

Are there items that would get in the way of the contractors? Get these out of the way. These are the likes of toys left behind, potted plants that may interfere with the task, as well as furniture items. Sure, professional contractors can manoeuvre around the obstacles – but that just ends up causing the task to take longer. It’s also common courtesy to clear the hurdles so that they can focus on the actual job of pressure washing the exterior surfaces.

With the decorative plants, if there is any of them that is at risk of getting damaged during the pressure washing process, it should be moved. The intense jets of water during the task can end up ruining them – so if it’s possible to have them relocated during the day the task is being carried out, it should be done so.

– Safety measures regarding electricity

Are there extension cords around the building? Unplug them. Any electrical outlet should also be covered, or power supply to it turned off. All that water that will be involved in the process will be hazardous if there’s also electricity being added to the mix. You don’t want jolts of electricity being witnessed during the power washing. Also, there will be the risk of the contractors tripping over extension cords that have been left lying around – so these should also be cleared.

– Making arrangements for the kids and pets

They are highly excitable and may want to play with the water jets, in spite of the many warnings that will be given to them. Make arrangements to keep the little ones out of the way, so that they won’t get injured or interfere with the work. Keeping them in the house, taking them for a walk, allowing them to hang out at the neighbours – any route can be taken. Remember that there are also pets that can get very agitated by the flurry of activities – with the sudden influx of people and machinery on the property, and cause a fracas. Make plans beforehand to avoid such incidents from occurring.

Using Hypochlorite Patio Cleaners To Get Rid Of Growths On Your Outdoor Surfaces