A layman’s term for sodium hypochlorite is bleach. This is the industry standard for pressure washing and soft washing. This is the substance that kills all the organic dark growth on homes, driveways, and fences. It is a sodium salt of hypochlorous acid. It is the oldest form of chlorine-based bleach. Some people think it is harmful to the house or vegetation but the answer is not all or nothing. Is water healthy for humans to drink? Yes, if it is the right amount. If a person drinks ten gallons of water a day, they will have health problems due to a chemical imbalance. Similarly, it is the amount of sodium hypochlorite that would make it safe or unsafe.
Every surface requires a different amount of bleach.
We make sure we use 1.5 percent or less sodium hypochlorite diluted with H2O when soft washing a metal roof. Not only that, we cool the metal roof first with water to prepare it for spraying with sodium hypochlorite. Brick would be 3.5 percent and a house siding would also be different. The difference in whether or not this corrosive substance is harmful to anything is the amount used and the preparation.
Prep for vegetation keeps the plants safe
As far as vegetation, our company makes sure we irrigate the plants with water before and after to protect them from high concentrations of sodium hypochlorite. Sometimes we irrigate in the middle as well depending on how much vegetation surrounds the house. It is all about the percentage. The more the bleach is diluted, the less harmful it is. Sodium hypochlorite is the best age-old cleaning inorganic chemical compound to clean the exterior of a home.
Using a non-chemical substance does not make it right.
Some people want to use some more “gentle” cleaning solutions like eco-friendly detergent. Detergent is a man-made derivative. After having played around with such products, it is just that: playing. It does not do the job. Sodium hypochlorite is exactly for killing unwanted organics. Many people do not realize there are plenty of chemicals they use on a day-to-day basis in their private homes, so having reservations about cleaning with the tried and tested chemicals on their house exterior is basically denouncing using soap inside the home on their own bodies. Soap also has chemicals. If it puts some minds at rest, it is biodegradable. It breaks down into carbon and water in less than a month. To give it some perspective, when it dries, salt is left behind.
The quality of the company is the most important factor in the safe job of soft washing a home. We make sure we prep the house and use the right amounts of bleach. More information about bleach is here. Contact us today for a free consultation.