🧪 How to Make Soft Wash for Soft Washing (Expert Mixing Guide)

By Mark Cave May 12, 2025

🧪 How to Make Soft Wash for Soft Washing (Expert Mixing Guide)

Soft washing is a revolutionary cleaning method that relies on low-pressure water combined with powerful cleaning solutions to safely remove grime, algae, mildew, and other contaminants from surfaces like roofs, render, and driveways. But a question professionals and DIYers frequently ask is: “How do I make the right soft wash mix?” 🤔

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the formula for creating an effective soft wash solution using the right soft washing chemicals, surfactants, and dilution techniques. This isn’t just about throwing together some chemicals it’s about chemical synergy and application safety.

Generic Mixes Lead to Poor Results

Many new soft washers either over-dilute their mix or apply chemicals that aren’t strong enough to clean effectively. This not only wastes time and money it can damage surfaces or leave jobs half-done. Worse yet, getting the chemistry wrong can make the mix unsafe or illegal to use. 😱

Using the Wrong Mix Can Spell Disaster

Using the wrong percentages of sodium hypochlorite or not adding a surfactant like Clever Wash can reduce the effectiveness of your clean and result in streaks or missed patches.

Worse still? There’s a potential risk to plants, pets, and property if the chemistry isn’t right. Your customers won’t be happy, and neither will your reputation. 😩

The Expert Formula for Soft Washing

Here's the expert backed guide to making your perfect soft wash solution that’s powerful, safe, and effective for a range of exterior surfaces.

📘 What You Need to Make a Soft Wash Solution

Sodium Hypochlorite (10-15%) – The primary cleaning agent for breaking down organic growth. Explore options here.
Surfactant (like Clever Wash) – Helps the solution cling to surfaces for better dwell time and less runoff. Learn more about Clever Wash.
Water – Used to dilute and balance the concentration.
Optional Scents like Fresh Wash – To mask the bleach smell for enhanced customer satisfaction. See Fresh Wash.

🧪 Standard Soft Wash Mixing Ratios

Proper dilution is essential for effective cleaning and surface safety. Here's a typical guide for different levels of organic build-up:

Application Type	Sodium Hypochlorite Ratio	Water	Surfactant
Light Cleaning (e.g. painted walls)	1 part SH	4 parts water	100ml per 20L
Medium Cleaning (e.g. render)	1 part SH	3 parts water	100ml per 20L
Heavy Cleaning (e.g. roofs)	1 part SH	1 part water	100ml per 20L

Get the full Sodium Hypochlorite Mixing Guide here.

🔧 Advanced Equipment for Easy Mixing

If you're doing soft washing professionally, consistency is key. Tools like the Clever Injector (Dosatron) help you maintain precise ratios, saving you from guesswork and ensuring optimal cleaning power every single time.

🧠 BONUS: Expert Tips for a Better Soft Wash

🌿 Protect plants – Always rinse vegetation before and after application.
⏲️ Dwell time matters – Let your mix sit for 10–15 mins before rinsing.
🧽 Use a water-fed pole for hard-to-reach areas with this nozzle attachment.
🎓 Get trained – Consider the SoftWash Training Course or self-study program to safely handle chemicals.

💬 Commonly Asked Questions

💡 What Is Soft Washing?

Learn the science and process behind this powerful technique in our full guide: What Is Soft Washing?

🪨 Want to Learn About Surface-Specific Cleaning?

Check out our guide on cleaning rendered wallseffectively.

🎙️ Curious About Sodium Hypochlorite?

🚀 Why Choose SoftWash UK?

SoftWash UK offers everything you need for professional soft washing — from approved chemicals to top-tier equipment, training, and support. We help you clean better, faster, and safer. 🔒

📢 Final Thoughts: Mix Smart, Wash Smarter

Creating your soft wash solution isn’t rocket science—but it does require precision, quality products, and some insider knowledge. With the expert guidance and high-grade products from SoftWash UK, you can deliver flawless results every time. 🎯

Ready to go pro with your soft washing? 👉 Visit SoftWash UK now for chemicals, equipment, and expert training.

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Soft Wash Calculator App

Now you can say I've got an app for that!

Available NOW Click Here To Download

Softwashing calculator is an indispensable tool for juggling complicated chemical mixes. It helps reduce wastage and keeps operating costs down by giving accurate proportions

If you are having difficulty getting your head around the maths, trying to work out what percentage of softwash you need, how much chemical, surfactant and water to add, then this is the App for you.

The Soft Wash Calculator App allows you to work out your soft wash recipe by telling you exactly how much chemical, how much water and how much surfactant to add to get the desired soft wash recipe.
It doesn't stop there!.
- It can also remix your leftover softwash to a new stronger or weaker recipe.
- all controls in one place for see at a glance operation
- ease of input via pre-loaded dials. no more calculator style typing
- instantly responds to changes of complex combinations
- works in both Litres and US Gallons
- tested for Protan and Deutan colourblind users
- links to SoftwashingUK website

Take this scenario
You started with a 1% soft wash recipe of 50 gal (or litres) for a deck clean and you’re left with 13 gallons.

You get a call from a prospective customer to clean their roof. Past experience tells you a 4% soft wash recipe is needed, but what about your leftover mix at 1%?.

Do you waste time and effort driving back to base to transfer into a standby tank?
You could consider the 13 gal as just water, top up the tank and start again.
But that’s throwing away the value of the mix and raising your overhead.

Soft Wash Calculator App to the rescue.

You get to the new job and it requires 100 gal / litres.
Switch into remix mode , confirming the 13 gal already in the tank
Move the dials to your new recipe and the app immediately updates the different amounts to add in front of your eyes including the correct amount of extra surfactant.

You now have a 100 gal / litres tank of 4% soft wash recipe ready for your roof clean job!

Not forgetting you’ve saved money too, all without stress and uncertainty . Don’t underestimate what confident calmness has on your customer putting out referrals.

The same applies if you have a 4% recipe left in your tank and you need to dilute it down to 2%. Again the app will tell you how.

Softwashing calculator will also work for any chemical recipe. For instance you can use it for Sodium Hypochlorite, Bleach, Biocide , TFR traffic film remover and degreaser. Even the mathematically-challenged rocket scientist can top up their booster tanks to new fuel mixes after launch delays caused by changing weather conditions.

Using this app you will know exactly what chemical strength to put on any surface giving you the confidence and the knowledge of a professional soft washer and you’ll save money as well.

So if you have little knowledge of how to mix a soft wash recipe then this app is for you.
If you have little knowledge of how to remix a soft wash recipe then this app is for you.
If you want to save money when mixing a soft wash recipe then this app is for you.

This app is also backward compatible to devices running iOS7. We've done this so you can re-purpose an old iPhone 4 or iPod Touch 5 for what could be hazardous work environments. Just toss one in your cleaning van's toolkit.

Once you learn the methods and procedures of how to apply the soft wash to the different surfaces that need cleaning you’ll be unstoppable!

The app also has a guide to what percentage for what surface. And if you are the lucky owner of a Clever Injector it will remind you the correct setting for the job.
However you should always consider and risk assess what soft wash recipe you need to clean the surface.

** A major iOS code-base change may require a re-purchase. The appiverse at the time will confirm our promise that we won't do so unless the necessity is apparent.

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