When you are looking for the “best house wash mix” you are really seeking the best concentration of bleach to use on a particular job. Additives and water will certainly help, but bleach is the primary agent. Let’s look at a practical way to determine the best house wash mix for a particular job.
You may be looking for a single silver-bullet ratio as the answer, but this is not realistic. There is no best house wash mix that is appropriate all the time. Why not? Because the variables that go into what I call the “Cleaning Equation” won’t permit it.
Elements that go into the cleaning equation for any particular job include such things as air temperature, surface temperature, water temperature, solar radiation level, age of the bleach, concentration of the bleach solution, density of the biologicals we are trying to remove, dirt contamination, and water hardness. Professional wash contractors that have been around the block a time or two know that each of these “invisible” elements have an enormous effect on the cleaning equation.
When it comes to using bleach in the building/house wash process – the most practical way to determine if you’re using the most appropriate concentration is to apply the 5-7 minute dwell time rule. Regardless of whether you’re using a soft wash or a power wash application system, the 5-7 minutes dwell time rule still applies.
Once you apply the bleach solution to the structure’s surface, if the mold and mildew is gone after 5-7 minutes of dwell time, then the dilution is appropriate. If the mold and mildew disappear immediately, then the bleach solution is too strong. If the mold and mildew are not gone after seven minutes of dwell time, then the bleach solution is too weak.
Once you have determined the bleach concentration, you should add 1-5 ounces of Fresh Wash. When added to a sodium hypochlorite based cleaning solution Fresh Wash augments cleaning results by:
- Allowing surface tension to be broken on the cleaning surface
- Allowing deeper penetration of sodium hypochlorite based cleaning products into stains
- Allowing bleaching reaction to happen at a lower overall bleach concentration
- Allowing cleaning products to dwell (hang) longer on horizontal surfaces
It also includes rinsing agents that help fight hard water spotting, and features a masking / cover scent.
House Wash Mix*
5 Gallon Downstreaming Mix
| Water | 12.5% SH | Fresh Wash | |
| Light | 3 gal | 2 gal | 5 oz |
| Medium | 2 – 2.5 gal | 2.5 – 3 gal | 5 oz |
| Strong | 1.5 – 0 gal | 3.5 – 5 gal | 6 oz |
X-Jet, M-Jet
| Water | 12.5% SH | Fresh Wash | |
| Light | 4 gal | 1 gal | 5 oz |
| Medium | 3.5 gal | 1.5 gal | 5oz |
| Strong | 2 – 3 gal | 2 – 3 gal | 6oz |
50 Gallon Batch Mix
| Water | 12.5% SH | Fresh Wash | |
| Light | 46 gal | 4 gal | 6 oz |
| Medium | 45 gal | 5 gal | 8 oz |
| Strong | 44 gal | 6 gal | 10 oz |
*Rusults may differ due to varriations in equipment used.
Roof Cleaning Mix
30 Gallon Mix
| Water | 12.5% SH | Fresh Wash | |
| Light | 23 gal | 7 gal | 18 oz |
| Medium | 21 gal | 9 gal | 21 oz |
| Strong | 19 gal | 11 gal | 24 oz |
40 Gallon Mix
| Water | 12.5% SH | Fresh Wash | |
| Light | 30 gal | 10 gal | 24 oz |
| Medium | 28 gal | 12 gal | 28 oz |
| Strong | 26 gal | 14 gal | 32 oz |
50 Gallons
| Water | 12.5% SH | Fresh Wash | |
| Light | 38 gal | 12 gal | 30 oz |
| Medium | 35 gal | 15 gal | 35 oz |
| Strong | 32 gal | 18 gal | 40 oz |
60 Gallons
| Water | 12.5% SH | Fresh Wash | |
| Light | 46 gal | 14 gal | 36 oz |
| Medium | 42 gal | 18 gal | 42oz |
| Strong | 38 gal | 22 gal | 48 oz |
70 Gallons
| Water | 12.5% SH | Fresh Wash | |
| Light | 53 gal | 17 gal | 42 oz |
| Medium | 49 gal | 21 gal | 49 oz |
| Strong | 45 gal | 25 gal | 56 oz |
80 Gallons
| Water | 12.5% SH | Fresh Wash | |
| Light | 60 gal | 20 gal | 48 oz |
| Medium | 56 gal | 24 gal | 56 oz |
| Strong | 51 gal | 29 gal | 64oz |
90 Gallons
| Water | 12.5% SH | Fresh Wash | |
| Light | 68 gal | 22 gal | 54 oz |
| Medium | 63 gal | 27 gal | 63 oz |
| Strong | 58 gal | 32 gal | 72 oz |
100 Gallons
| Water | 12.5% SH | Fresh Wash | |
| Light | 76 gal | 24 gal | 60 oz |
| Medium | 70 gal | 30 gal | 70 oz |
| Strong | 64 gal | 36 gal | 80 oz |
If you are washing vertical surfaces, you should add 1/2 to 2 ounce of EZ Cling. EZ Cling is formulated to maximize detergent adhesion and increase dwell time. It also slows drying. EZ Cling is non-hazardous, sodium hypochlorite stable, and will not dilute your mix.
Understanding the elements that go into the cleaning equation provide the professional wash contactor with an enormous advantage over his or her competitors because it provides practical guidelines for determining the most appropriate bleach concentration to work safely, effectively and efficiently.
