How to mix a soft-wash house wash
A house wash is the gentlest soft wash you’ll do. The HydraWash label puts it at 1.25% sodium hypochlorite (SH) at the surface, with HydraWash at 1:100 to 1:75 in the mix.
What you need
- Sodium hypochlorite (know its strength, e.g. 12.5%)
- HydraWash (1 to 1.3 L per 100 L of mix)
- Clean water, and plenty more for pre-wetting and rinsing
- PPE: chemical goggles or a face shield, chemical-resistant gloves, long sleeves, boots
Mix it
Use the calculator at hydralab.au/use/hydrawash: pick your tank size, “House wash · cladding: 1.25%”, and your chlorine strength. It gives you litres of chlorine, HydraWash and water. Add the chlorine and HydraWash to the tank, then top up with water. Always add product to water, never water to product. Mix fresh for each job: chlorine loses strength once mixed.
Using an X-Jet? Use the X-Jet tab, pick your ratio or target strength, and check the strength at the gun.
Apply it
- Check the weather: no hot direct sun, no strong wind.
- Walk the site. Note plants, ponds, pools, cars, glass, painted surfaces, Colorbond and aluminium frames.
- Test a small hidden patch on anything painted, coated, timber or dark.
- Pre-wet plants, lawns and glass, and keep them wet.
- Apply at low pressure from the bottom up.
- Let it dwell 5 to 10 minutes. If an area starts to dry, mist it with more mix.
- Rinse top down with low pressure and plenty of water, then rinse glass, frames and plants again.
If staining remains, repeat on that area before going stronger. Render, brick and mould go to 2%.
Don’t mix
Never mix with acids. Don’t mix HydraWash with HydraBio: use them as separate steps.