Little Black spots on vinyl

Hey Rance,..artillery fungus is tough. It's one of the things to look for when looking at any house wash. Another thing is cracked or broken windows. I then inform the customer they will not come off and will be there when we're done.

Anyhow,..don't waste money on detergents, acids,..etc,.. the only way to remove these with 100% success is a Magic Eraser. It's alot of work but it's not hard,..although we don't provide that service I think it could be marketed as a niche' service.

I've seen so many people over the years claim they has something that worked,..they would claim to have something that worked,..and then say "You still have to Use Some Elbow Grease",...Skip the miracle cleaner and use the magic eraser and elbow grease.

On oxidized siding you're going to leave little shiny spots where they were rubbed off,..but they will come together over a time. Will not work on soffit or ceilings,..too much give to get any pressure on your scrubber. We will sometimes remove a few in porch areas, or other very noticeable areas,..but if there are alot we don't even bother.

Knowing what they are and having an abundance of information on the problem gives you alot of credibility with the homeowner,.they like to hear that you understand the problem and just aren't standing there saying,.."I don't know what they are,..I know I can't remove them though"

Edit: I buy magic eraser generics on ebay,..I get 100 of them for 25.00. They are the same size or close to the Mr. Clean brand. We use them for lots of things,..toe kick marks on doors, places where lawn mower handle rubs against siding,..etc... We keep a 5 gallon bucket full in the van.

Jeff
 
jeez, artillery fungus... such an intimidating name lol
 
Nasty stuff.... soapy water and a sharp razor blade and the right technique for windows. For Siding....light pressure high water volume will remove some but not all. Just make sure the siding is not oxidized as well.
 
I use a plastic putty knife and it works great!

AC
 
814jeffw said:
Hey Rance,..artillery fungus is tough. It's one of the things to look for when looking at any house wash. Another thing is cracked or broken windows. I then inform the customer they will not come off and will be there when we're done.

Anyhow,..don't waste money on detergents, acids,..etc,.. the only way to remove these with 100% success is a Magic Eraser. It's alot of work but it's not hard,..although we don't provide that service I think it could be marketed as a niche' service.

I've seen so many people over the years claim they has something that worked,..they would claim to have something that worked,..and then say "You still have to Use Some Elbow Grease",...Skip the miracle cleaner and use the magic eraser and elbow grease.

On oxidized siding you're going to leave little shiny spots where they were rubbed off,..but they will come together over a time. Will not work on soffit or ceilings,..too much give to get any pressure on your scrubber. We will sometimes remove a few in porch areas, or other very noticeable areas,..but if there are alot we don't even bother.

Knowing what they are and having an abundance of information on the problem gives you alot of credibility with the homeowner,.they like to hear that you understand the problem and just aren't standing there saying,.."I don't know what they are,..I know I can't remove them though"

Edit: I buy magic eraser generics on ebay,..I get 100 of them for 25.00. They are the same size or close to the Mr. Clean brand. We use them for lots of things,..toe kick marks on doors, places where lawn mower handle rubs against siding,..etc... We keep a 5 gallon bucket full in the van.

Jeff
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Good post Jeff!
 
I find it a non issue now as apposed to 10 years ago . Customers no what it is now and dont ask about it anymore ,much.

Years ago I tried every thing , all mechanical devices , drills ,grinders, sanders with appropriate attachments . Then all types of steel wool , bronze wool, 3m pads, scrapers. Every strength of chemicals. Heat from pressure and heat from a steam cleaner. Some were close but no money makers and non worth it.

I tell and show Customers how to remove so they can hire a kid to do it for some extra money .
 
It is always best to point out the problem, in this case, artillery fungus, what and why it is caused, and the possible solutions as well as preventative measures to prevent it from happening again if any. You never want your customer to just assume that the removal of specialty stain's like this is part of your basic house wash, same with rust stains, soot stains, etc etc. and then when you are done, they withhold payment because you didn't remove it nor explain that it wasn't part of your service. You need to either have it line itemized with a price, or, a disclosure that states, "Removal of Artillery Fungus has been explained, but has been declined and is not included in this proposal."

As long as both you and the customer have an understanding of what is being cleaned and what is not, you usually will not have any problems.
 
I was always gonna get piece of literature to handout to customers. I just never did yet, I like the customers who are internet capable,...I always refer them to look it up,..because when you explain what these are and how it happens,...sounds almost made up,Ha,Ha....

I do know people who bought boxes of these things and did the job themselves, or like mentioned above.

Once explained it's a non issue,..never lost a job due to " Those spots are gonna be there when I leave"

Side note on these magic erasers: They must be wet to use most effectively. Also when ordering the generics online,..only buy from the ones posting the size. There are some people on ebay selling them,..but they are very small.

Jeff
 
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