Is It Legal to Use Sodium Hypochlorite to Soft Wash?

Hello guys.

Last year I posted “has the bubble burst for the soft washing industry” Well I can categorically say it has not.

The last 12 months both Mr Clever Clean and SoftWash UK  had been  our busiest year yet.

Most of the news from our customers at SoftWash UK is the same however there has been a downturn  on commercial exterior cleaning but good strong growth on domestic exterior cleaning.

Also many of you have fed back that you have had good support from the government in regards to bounce back loans and grants available. Some of you also have received support for being self-employed but this has been less positive for some self-employed guys based on the support being in line to how much profit you make.

A lot of guys have taken bounce back loans when they did not necessarily need them but the opportunity of a good rate and easy to borrow money has been taken up as a very cheap way of utilising cheap interest rate loan. So investment in equipment has been definitely on the up this year.

We have seen a great surge in using sodium hypochlorite and clever wash as your go to SoftWash solution.

Also in our day-to-day communications with you guys work, it seems to me that there is a lot of dis information being put out by manufacturers regards to biocides being residual regarding the chemical carrying on working.

Let’s clear this myth up

If you are applying a biocide  which is sold as a one coat application with no colour change on the day and it is a flat surface or roof then there will be no residual chemical left after a couple of rains. As the chemical will be rinsed away from the surface.

The only time you cab claim to have residual protection would be if you are brushing in DDAC / BAC50 biocide into Render as this will be sucked into the porous vertical surface and it is very difficult from mother nature to rinse the chemicals away. 

By default this will create an uncomfortable environment for any re-colonisation of lichens.

Also by the nature of wood, there is some residual protection as it will suck the chemical in as well but won’t hold the chemical for as long so eventually will lose any residual protection given time.

Another thing that needs addressing is how some manufacturers put out that it is illegal to use sodium hypochlorite to clean the surface.

Again this is disinformation......fiction and not fact.

It is okay to use sodium hypochlorite bleach to clean a surface. 

It is also okay to use a surfactant soap to assist in the cleaning of a surface. 

If you want to make sure you are hundred percent legal then methods and procedures should be correct in the process of applying ALL chemical and all efforts should be made to limit run off where possible.

For the record I am not aware of one single case of prosecution for using bleach and I surfactant for cleaning a surface. 

For many years now cleaners have been using sodium hypochlorite bleach in a bucket with a mop and adding a dish soap to it to clean floors and public spaces for instance toilets et cetera.

Also in a commercial environment you should have safety data sheets available, method statements and risk assessments should you be stopped by a health and safety officer. You can then prove exactly what you were doing the methods and procedures that you have in place to do this safely and of course not forgetting your personal protective equipment and regards to your safety and the public in the surrounding area.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with this there are lots of information on our website that you can purchase and download to assist you in being on the right side of Health and safety.

Also as a Soft washer you should make sure that your insurance specifically covers you for using bleach to clean with. 

Bleach is sodium hypochlorite.

Here are some useful links that may be of interest to you regards to the above information.