Do you know the best time of year to soft wash concrete paths, drives & patios?

January 05, 2022 2 Comments

Benz clean & maintain softwash treatment systems are fantastic for cleaning and then keeping the treated concrete paths, drives and patios permanently clean all year. 

Surfaces treated by soft washing, or post-treated after power washing, will stay clean far longer than is possible through other cleaning methods, because soft washing kills the algae spores that power washing alone cannot kill. 

Quick tip: Concrete exposed to high pressure jetting can easily have the surface layer removed ("Whirl-away" machines can do this as well). This shows up as faster than normal weathering.

To avoid damaging your customer's concrete, set your power washer to relatively low pressure, use a fan jet, and hold the head some distance away from the surface.

Dealing with algae "flare-up" on concrete paths, drives & patios

One of the nuances of soft washing when maintaining previously cleaned horizontal surfaces, concrete paths and patios in particular, and keeping them clean all year round,  is knowing how to deal with the occasional flare up of green algae.

A flare-up of green algae can look seriously dramatic, so your customers need to have the situation explained to them in advance, so they know what to expect and don't start thinking that you've done a bad job.

In the video below Ben shows a couple of examples, outlines the reasons why algae flare-up happens, and explains how to best manage your customers expectations.

Problems that can arise when soft washing horizontal surfaces

1. Green algae re-appears only a few months after treating a concrete horizontal surface such as a path or patio.
   
   
2. Dilution strength is limited to 50:1 on surfaces used by children and animals (compared to up to 20:1 that is possible on roofs and walls), which reduces the time that residual protection against re-colonisation can last.
   
   
3. Because of frequent dilution by rain, and therefore the reduced ability of the surface to drain and dry, residual protection against re-colonisation will be relatively limited compared to a roof or wall that is able to drain and dry quickly.

Solutions to the above problems 

1. Tell your customer in advance (when quoting) that there may be a flare-up of green algae after only a few months, often in November, but this will only be only light.
   
   
2. Tell your customer that you can return to treat the flare-up with Benz Bio Cleanze for a nominal fee, or build this into your original quote and position as a free re-treatment.
   
   
3. Offer your customer a "Clean & Maintain" ongoing programme to keep their property permanently clean.

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

Ben, Leo, Fiona, Stevie & Anthony

Click here to explore all Benz softwash cleaning chemicals & equipment

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