Surfactant and Detergent?

Ethanol is most likely the issue in dish soaps.
Many people have used Dawn and other dish detergents over the years without issue,..in fact, if you type "Dawn" into your search bar,..you'll see it was discussed many times as the surfactant of choice,..especially in house washing. I'm sure it is still used by many contractors,..also,..Gain dish liquid works very well with SH,..and is a good overall detergent for a cheap alternative that gets really good reviews on Chris Tuckers roof cleaning board. You'll find pretty much all dish soaps say not to mix with bleach,...but using it in the manner we do, it doesn't seem to be any sort of health issue. The one thing it may do is ruin your mix if allowed to sit too long,..but Gain doesn't seem to do that.

Jeff
 
Bira, It would be better to use a product similar to Elemonator with Cling-on or Snot. They are SH stable and you want to set yourself apart from the quick start-up guys who claim to be a professional(The ones who go out of business the following year). Also, If a customer asks what type of solution you will be using, It won't sound like what they can purchase at a local store. You won't be trying to disguise your products in different types of containers and keep in mind if you did switch containers, They need to be clearly marked and you need to carry MSDS sheets for each product. As for MSDS, If you don't already have a dedicated binder marked "MSDS" be sure to start one "NOW". If D.O.T. pulls you over, You could be in a heap of trouble without the msds.

Trust all of us who are recommending to use products other than dish soap. Yes, They may help out in a pinch, however, The ones specifically designed for mixing with SH won't kill your mix.

It took me a while to jump of the ban wagon and go with the products commercially available to our profession and I'm so glad I did. The products like I listed in the beginning really don't cost too much more than dish soaps and you generally mix 1 ounce to each gallon of mix.

Plus, You will feel much better knowing you are using professional grade products which were designed just for our profession........

Best to ya,
Mike
 
Yeah, and Chris (Apple roof cleaning) has also said you could mix Gain with Roof snot before you add it to your chlorine/water.....Makes it thicker than just snot alone and can help with scent/masking smell.
 
As far as house washing goes,..Gain or Dawn will clean just as well as any of these "purpose made" soaps. I've used several buckets of elemonator and it works well,...just not any better than regular ole' dish soap. I was reading about the Gain "discovered" by Chris Tucker, and I tried it,..I was sold. And from what I understand, it works very well in a roof mix,..so don't fall for these "other" products' claim as being so much better,...when Gain is way cheaper and available locally. Try them all and you will see. Most of this is just hype to promote sales to the new fellas.


*TSP doesn't have any soapy qualities,.but is still the best thing to add to a roof mix. Roof snot provides more cling,..but doesn't have the same power as TSP.Roof Snot mixes easier though, and is good enough,...Point being,..the cling thing isn't as important as some make out,..do roofs at the right time of day,..and learn how to lay down your mix,..and you'll be fine with a less soapy mix.

Jeff
 
TSP has issues only if the user is inept. We are professionals and are able to use products without issues. I've never had an issue with TSP. And as I stated,..cling is over rated,..if you know how to spray properly. Cling isn't as important as wetting ability,..which is overcome if you spray at the proper time of day. Morning hours is what I prefer for roofs. No, extra cling needed,.and the wetting factor isn't an issue due to the time of day. And Gain will work plenty good,.even if done in the afternoon,..it will provide enough cling for a qualified applicator,..and will keep the mix wet long enough to work.

*I've stated many times,..this is VERY easy work,..no special order soaps needed for house washing or roof cleaning.

Jeff
 
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