August 11, 2021

Is it a good idea to pre-heat softwash biocides?

Benz Lightning Cleanze for soft washing black lichen on a concrete slab patio and paths


A customer who was used to using steam and hot water cleaning systems, asked us, "Can you heat your biocides  – Bio Cleanze, Lightning Cleanze and Perma Cleanze – to around 60 degrees, or will this deteriorate the chemical?"

We replied: We don't use hot water delivery systems because we've found them to be unnecessary when our soft washing products are applied according to the instructions and in temperatures above 7-8 degrees.

Our experience is that the time and expense involved in pre-heating is generally not worth it because our products do an excellent job without. (The header photo attests to this, a very challenging job where we removed heavy black lichen that had been allowed to grow into the patio for several years)

In exceptionally cold conditions pre-heating may be useful, but then only to around 20-25 degrees (room temperature).

We suggest not warming biocides beyond 20-25 degrees because their chemical structure will degrade. The chemical changes will impact on our application data (dilution rates for example) which would then need to be re-evaluated.

Also, chemicals generally become more reactive when heated, so bear this in mind from a health and safety point of view.

Quick tip: Biocides tend to work more optimally at higher ambient temperatures. At lower temperatures, down to around 8 degrees, they still work but will take a longer to activate. So taking into account the expected ambient temperature is an important factor when pricing a new contract and planning work schedules. 

 

We hope this information is helpful and sincerely wish you great success in your soft washing business,

Ben, Leo, Fiona, Stevie & Anthony

 

Benz Softwash Bio Cleanze DDAC biocide & Benz Softwash Lightning Cleanze SH sodium hypochlorite biocide