Patio cleaning… gadget or chemical?
Discussion
dalzo said:
Is bac-50 and sodium hypochlorite safe to use on porcelain. Managed to stain a tile and want to clean them up for summer.
I’ve been trying to establish if it BAC50 is ok for composite decking. In my Googling I did see that it was OK for porcelain tiles. Still unsure on my original question whether it’s ok for composite.
Not sure on sodium hypochlorite, but that stuff does stain most things white.
As I've said on these types of threads before, white vinegar will get rid of anything organic within a few days. Safer for pets and very cheap.
Spray it on neat or diluted, in dry weather, leave for a few days and admire your handiwork. Repeat as necessary. Works especially well on wood but does the job on moss, algae etc on the ground. Won't shift leaf or rust stains though.
Spray it on neat or diluted, in dry weather, leave for a few days and admire your handiwork. Repeat as necessary. Works especially well on wood but does the job on moss, algae etc on the ground. Won't shift leaf or rust stains though.
Ham_and_Jam said:
I’ve been trying to establish if it BAC50 is ok for composite decking.
In my Googling I did see that it was OK for porcelain tiles. Still unsure on my original question whether it’s ok for composite.
Not sure on sodium hypochlorite, but that stuff does stain most things white.
Thanks for the info In my Googling I did see that it was OK for porcelain tiles. Still unsure on my original question whether it’s ok for composite.
Not sure on sodium hypochlorite, but that stuff does stain most things white.
I’ve got cuttings of composite kicking around so I’ll test it out on that and let you know!
Somebody said:
1:20
Thanks, I managed to do the drive and the white render on the back of the house on sat whilst it was dry, I mixed it a bit stronger than 20:1 but not much more.Compared to using wet & forget last year on I can see the difference already, whereas the wet & forget took weeks.
I used rubber gloves, safety glasses and a hat, I don't normally bother with PPE as usually just forget till halfway through doing whatever, but I was glad, got a few splashes on my cheeks and legs and got some canny red burnt looking splotches off it,
regarding the BAC50/patio cleaner.. suppose you was very careful to ensure you did not spray it on the grass, and only on your slabs.. if your slabs are flat/flush with your grass.. when it rains (maybe even days or weeks later) does it ruin the grass around the edges where it might run off from rain water?
I also bought 10 liters of the BAC 50 stuff this week.
We only moved here last year and I don't think the driveway had ever been sprayed, scrubbed or cleaned in the previous 9 years. I ended up spending nearly 3 days blasting dirt off with a Karcher last summer then a couple of coverings with Patio Magic. To be fair, the transformation was massive but it was clear that it still all looked a bit less good than it should.
My intention was to use the karcher and the chemicals again this summer but by coincidence a neighbour was having their driveway cleaned by a commercial company with diesel powered pressure washers and some type of chemical cleaners so I got them to give me a very quick demo on a couple of sq/m of my driveway and Wow... it was like night and day. .Maybe that's part of the sales pitch because the cleaned bit looks out of place now.
Anyhow, I've booked them to come back in a couple of weeks and do it all. They estimate a day's work for 2 blokes. I'll see about getting some pics but hopefully I'll be able to keep on top of it a bit easier when it's done.
We only moved here last year and I don't think the driveway had ever been sprayed, scrubbed or cleaned in the previous 9 years. I ended up spending nearly 3 days blasting dirt off with a Karcher last summer then a couple of coverings with Patio Magic. To be fair, the transformation was massive but it was clear that it still all looked a bit less good than it should.
My intention was to use the karcher and the chemicals again this summer but by coincidence a neighbour was having their driveway cleaned by a commercial company with diesel powered pressure washers and some type of chemical cleaners so I got them to give me a very quick demo on a couple of sq/m of my driveway and Wow... it was like night and day. .Maybe that's part of the sales pitch because the cleaned bit looks out of place now.
Anyhow, I've booked them to come back in a couple of weeks and do it all. They estimate a day's work for 2 blokes. I'll see about getting some pics but hopefully I'll be able to keep on top of it a bit easier when it's done.
renmure said:
I also bought 10 liters of the BAC 50 stuff this week.
We only moved here last year and I don't think the driveway had ever been sprayed, scrubbed or cleaned in the previous 9 years. I ended up spending nearly 3 days blasting dirt off with a Karcher last summer then a couple of coverings with Patio Magic. To be fair, the transformation was massive but it was clear that it still all looked a bit less good than it should.
My intention was to use the karcher and the chemicals again this summer but by coincidence a neighbour was having their driveway cleaned by a commercial company with diesel powered pressure washers and some type of chemical cleaners so I got them to give me a very quick demo on a couple of sq/m of my driveway and Wow... it was like night and day. .Maybe that's part of the sales pitch because the cleaned bit looks out of place now.
Anyhow, I've booked them to come back in a couple of weeks and do it all. They estimate a day's work for 2 blokes. I'll see about getting some pics but hopefully I'll be able to keep on top of it a bit easier when it's done.
Make a note of what chemicals and strength they use and let us know We only moved here last year and I don't think the driveway had ever been sprayed, scrubbed or cleaned in the previous 9 years. I ended up spending nearly 3 days blasting dirt off with a Karcher last summer then a couple of coverings with Patio Magic. To be fair, the transformation was massive but it was clear that it still all looked a bit less good than it should.
My intention was to use the karcher and the chemicals again this summer but by coincidence a neighbour was having their driveway cleaned by a commercial company with diesel powered pressure washers and some type of chemical cleaners so I got them to give me a very quick demo on a couple of sq/m of my driveway and Wow... it was like night and day. .Maybe that's part of the sales pitch because the cleaned bit looks out of place now.
Anyhow, I've booked them to come back in a couple of weeks and do it all. They estimate a day's work for 2 blokes. I'll see about getting some pics but hopefully I'll be able to keep on top of it a bit easier when it's done.
Power washing just moves the mess around. You spend hours blasting away, it destroys any mortar, everything gets covered in mud and muck. You then end up washing everything around your drive or path. Then the algee all comes back after a month or so.
Much rather just fill a watering can with BAC50, pour it over the drive, path or whatever. Rinse the watering can out and wait a day for the green to go. It will also last till winter if you do it now.
Much rather just fill a watering can with BAC50, pour it over the drive, path or whatever. Rinse the watering can out and wait a day for the green to go. It will also last till winter if you do it now.
Road2Ruin said:
DonkeyApple said:
Yup. Personally, I'd avoid chemicals and just power wash more regularly. Just bookending summer every year is suffice.
The thing I find with pressure washing, is the mortar joints soon get blasted out. Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff