Worked a treat on my sandstone patio. Used 50/50, did it twice using a brush. Took 2/3 hours. Now looks as good as new. I can't thank you enough Phil. Cheers 👍👍
Thanks for your video. Using some 12% sodium hypochlorite from a local swimming pool supply store I was able to clean up an 800 square foot Pennsylvania Bluestone Flagstone patio that I had neglected for many years. After 3 applications of bleach and a lot of scrubbing it really brought back the colors.
All very well but you failed to say whether the Hydrochloride is to be diluted and if so by what proportions. Also, how long do you leave it on before washing or jetting it off ?
Attention, surface has to be ALWAYS wet . So , have to apply accordingly sodium hypochlorite on the treated surface before scrubbing and rinsing takes place. Cheers from a building constructor. We are familiar with many other chemicals.
Thank you. Well there are different methods, some work some don't. Being a professional pressure cleaner I need something that works straight away, not in 6 months. Sodium hypochlorite (swimming pool chlorine) is magic and kills off the lichen (black spots). It's not a very nice chemical to use, but it does work. There's a few videos on my channel showing lichen removal. Phill 👍
Hi DDA - this is a very very useful tutorial thank you - shame I can post pictures here as it would be good to show you the difference. I'd already cleaned down the patio with power washer but wasn't happy so was interested to see this ... Got 25 litres from a local company for only £ 23 - as instructed I diluted it virtually 1 to 1 in a builders bucket . I started dipping the brush in bucket but after 5 minutes decided to just tip small amounts out which I found gave better coverage and basically brushed brushed and brushed again ! . In my opinion unless you have a danger of run off to vegetation a sprayer seems a complicated way of doing it . Anyway after around 45 minutes of soaking and rescrubbing I washed it down with the power washer and the results were amazing .. Only thing it wouldn't remove is stains around outdoor kitchen area where I'd dripped oil as have a deep fryer out there too - any ideas for that please ? My slabs were sandstone with 2 colours - I did of course do a test first before I did the whole area - thanks so much for posting
Removing oil stains is quite tricky especially on sandstone. A product from lithofin called oil-ex works really well. If it's been down a long time you may not be able to remove it 100% but it could be made to look a lot better. Hypo has very little effect on grass and vegetation as it dilutes so fast, it may turn the grass tips white if you spray it during application, but giving grass etc a good soaking before application can reduce the hypo concentration. A sprayer is quicker but they don't tend to last too long because the seals can't handle the hypo. Any sprayer for long term use needs to be viton sealed, I now use a viton sealed, electric pumped sprayer...so much quicker and easier than brushing.
Hi, yes it will eventually. It may take a couple hits to really shift that black fungus. I would jet wash first to remove as much dirt etc as possible and then apply a strong mix. You can use it neat if it's really bad but depending on its size I would go with a 75/25 (75 hypo, 25water) and leave for an hour and see how it comes up. The hypo starts to weaken after an hour when in contact with organic material such as fungus/lichen etc as it gets absorbed into the stone or evaporates. Avoid letting it dry out as it will turn back to a salt leaving a powdery residue behind. Phill
Hi, no you have to rinse it off really well. Typically I spray it down and wait an hour, keeping it damp if it's a warm day. After an hour hit the remaining tough spores and leave for another 30 mins ish then rinse well. If you let the chem dry it will turn very powdery and leave a salty residue.
I get my sodium hypo for 15 euro for 25 litres. sadly the builders merchant has copped that it is a cheap price and ended that special offer. We stocked up on 10 drums of it. works a treat even better than bleach when diluted to the same levels (which doesn't make sense)
It will clean the blocks but it won't do anything for weeds, moss or any crap that's in the joints. You cant beat a proper jet wash on block paving to get it really clean.
@@bkrish979 depends what you want to do with it. If it's just dirt I would go 25% hypo to 75% water. If it's lichen spores then your going to need 50/50 or stronger. Hypo is quite pricey so if you can dilute it, it will make the job cheaper. It also depends on what strength you buy and also whether the hypo has been sat in storage as it goes off and looses strength after about 4-6 months.
Hi.Thank you for your reply, much appreciated.It's for the removal of Lichen, I will buy a pump spray and mix 50/50 water / hypo.It is for approx 70m2, so would a 25 litre tub be ok to do the job ?
There is a great product by lithofin called bero. It's specifically designed for rust stains on natural stone. It is a professional grade product but it can take a while to work fully so make sure to read the destructions. www.extensive.co.uk/bero-1l.html
MICHAEL CLARKE hi michael, ive never had an issue with artificial grass. On real grass you can turn the edges white but it will grow back. I suppose ultimately it depends how strong your using it. Phill
No not in my business. The cost of buying and running one outweighs its advantages. If you were doing indoor cleaning such as barns or kitchen facilities then yes. For driveways I cant see any reason for needing one.
Hi ,excellent work .When cleaning indian sandstone with very heavy black spotting,could you tell me what ratio mix you would use and do you use a surfactant ,kind regards Mark
@@xtremecleenpressurewashing5864 you will get around 90-95% removal on sandstone using it neat. You will get most of the stuff off in around an hour. I would re hit any tough remaining spores again after about 45mins. After an hour it's effectiveness will be reduced so I wouldn't leave it more than an hour before re spraying if needed.
Hi, the video has been really useful, Thank You. One question I have is this. My patio is Indian sandstone and has been down 12 years. When it was first laid I sealed it with some expensive stuff :-). I think I sealed a again maybe 6 years ago. It has been jet washed every year since but I can still see some shine in places from the sealant. If I use Sodium Hypochlorite will it not work if there is still sealant on in places or will it also remove the sealant?
Hi there ....I have a natural Limestone patio that is very light in colour. It has been jet washed but still has some dark grey "wear and tear" staining (grey and black spots). Would you suggest the Sodium Hypochlorite is tested first undiluted? Thanks
Hi, I would always start with a diluted mix, depending how bad the spots are I would give it a bit at 50/50 and then increase the strength after an hour to hit any difficult spores. It won't remove rust, in fact it reacts with rust quite badly. Using it neat is in extreme cases and I wouldn't recommend it to start with. Phill
Phil, you ever used hot water/steam pressure washer for your work? I have a Gerni, (Australian), 2500a. Rated at 190 bar/2750psi, 80c @ full flow 25lt p/m, 130c steam at 10lt p/m, (iirc). Never used it to clean anything other than the motor and various engines. Your thoughts on such a pressure washer for this work? Cheers fella.
HI Sorry, do I pressure wash the patio area first, then put the mixture of sodium hypochlorite in a gorilla bucket or something similar.Do I then scrub into the patio using a fibre bristle brush.What would be the mixture if putting into a bucket and is it add the sodium to the water not wate to the sodium ?Do i hose it down after a while or just let it dry.Thank you Simon
Simon Finch yes i would jet wash first to remove as much muck as possible. Depending how big your area is it best sprayed down with a pump sprayer, but hypo will destroy the seals over time. If your just going for a dirt lift then 50/50 or slightly weaker will be fine. Leave on for around 30mins and rinse. If your trying to kill lichen spores you could either do a 50/50 or slightly weaker mix and leave overnight, but put it down when the suns going down then rinse in the morning. Or do a 75/25 mix and leave for at least 2hrs then rinse. Try to avoid it drying out too much, keep it damp but dont keep saturating it as it will dilute. I would avoid doing it on a burning hot day as the sun will dry it out too quickly. Phill
Do you only use hypo or a different cleaner if it’s not so bad Do you need to tell customers not to let pets on it while it’s wet ? I’m trying to do some pressure washing for agents and ideally don’t want to wait too long for the chemicals to soak Thanks
If a cleaning chemical is needed then it's always hypo, other chemicals work out quite expensive and rarely work as well as hypo. You don't leave it to dry on the surface, you have to rinse it off really well. To kill off lichen spores it takes a couple hours dwell time with a re application after an hour on tough spores. Only about 1 in 10 of the jobs I do involves hypo, I can usually get a very good clean with just water and pressure. Pets should not be outside whilst the hypo is down, once it's thoroughly rinsed it will be fine, it will turn grass white though so don't rinse onto grass areas.
From experience the like of travertine and porcelain etc doesn't tend to suffer from lichen as much as sandstone. Yes you can use it on pretty much any stone but I would start with a weaker dose somewhere like 4:1 as a starting point.
Hi Phil. Just out of interest. How long did it take you to do the job from start to finish and how many metres was it in total? ie, jet washing first,two sodium hypochlorite treatments and the rinse down to finish. Thanks for your time, Clive
Ooh Blimey it was a while ago. I was there most of the day as it was a lichen kill. Probably took an hour and half to clean and then 2-3hrs for hypo to go down, work and rinse.
Looking good! 👍 How many parts household bleach and how many parts water do you mix to treat natural stone? And for how long do you allow it to dwell before rinsing it off? Thank you.
Household bleach won't do a lot on lichen. It may help a bit but its not strong enough. I use 14/15% sodium hypochlorite. To shift it quickly I do 75% to 25 water minimum and leave for an hour. Then hit tough spores with neat for another hour. Household bleach here is about 4% and just doesn't do much for tough lichen.
@@DirtyDriveAway - Thank you for the detailed reply. 👍👍 I have another question about protecting the machine from frost damage during winter. Is it enough if you get the water out of the pump and the accessories by running the pump with no water for a few seconds at the end of the last job?
@@ToxicVaccines_HivHoax yeah I normally drain the tank down and then run the washer. Its very rare for it to freeze up in the UK. Not saying it won't if the weather is bad.
@@DirtyDriveAway - I understand that provided water has been drained off the pump the day before, all that is needed the next morning is to warm up and defrost the pump before starting it up. Having something simple like a hair dryer blowing hot air to the pump for 10 minutes, I imagine will do the trick. They say that the most serious frost damage to the water pump happens in the morning when people try to start up a frozen pump. All the seals are firmly held in place by ice and when the pistons start moving, the seals get ripped off and damaged. If defrosting before startup in the morning that serious damage is avoided. Draining the water before retiring for the night will prevent damage to the pump housing from frozen water expanding.
@@ToxicVaccines_HivHoax yes all that is true but luckily I've never had an issue with a frozen pump. The temperature inside the van would have to be seriously low, and the water in the tank/inlet pipe would freeze first giving a good indication as to the pump. If your unfortunate enough to live in cold climates then yes defrosting the pump would be needed, but in honesty if its that cold I won't be playing with water.
Hi great vid can i ask u ive had some york stone steps sealed but its been done with an oil based sealant and i was wondering if i can get it removed its only been done a day ago or is there a way to sand down the york stone and take a mm or 2 off thanks
Oil based? Do you mean solvent or acrylic? Never heard of an oil based sealer. Why do you want to remove it? Depending on the sealer brand you can usually use a paint stripper to remove it. I dare say you could mechanically abrade it but it's probably not advisable as it can cause nasty damage if not done right.
@@DirtyDriveAway thanks so much for quick response ok so some1 laid some york stone steps and when they sealed them they used a masonry and wall sealer and its left the york stone v dark it was only yesterday and i would like to somehow get it off if u can possibly help would b amazing thanks again
@@Scottard40 wow someone who laid the stone but clearly doesn't know much about it. Typically yorkstone is just left natural as that's how most people like it. It tends to weather quite quickly as fungal lichen spores love it, it's porous and so makes a good breeding ground for it. Just look at old church yards and you'll see all the black spots over the stone. Can you send me some pictures? Dirtydriveaway@gmail.com
@@Scottard40 hmm, that appears to be a brick or porous surface primer. I would say its typically used on porous surfaces before painting. It will seal up the pores of the stone so that any paint will stick and not get absorbed.
I used a paintbrush to attack some very bad spots on my patio with neat 100% after successfully using a 50% dilution. However, when I put the paintbrush back into the baked bean can I was using to hold the SH it began to boil and was too hot to pick up :O
chris bow kind of but. Its the main ingredient in supermarket bleach however supermarket bleach is only about 4.5% wheras the stuff im using is 15%. Phill
michael kilner diluted slightly. probably added 2 litres water to 20l hypo. to be fair it probably didn't need the 2nd dose it worked so quick. if you have more time you can dilute it more. thing is if you dilute it too much it becomes no stronger than common bleach.
Hi. Any tips on cleaning tarmac driveways please? Would you pressure wash or soft wash, and can you recommend a eco friendly product for the job. Cheers. Phil.
Do you have any advice and tips on cleaning dryvit on the side of a house? I know it’s similar to stucco and you can’t pressure wash it. The dryvit has black stains everywhere some spots are bad. Would SH 10 percent work for this and add some dawn dish soap and just shoot it with a soap tip from a 3gpm pressure washer to automatically dilute it?? I need help with this trying to figure out how to get the stains off I know I absolutely cannot and will bit pressure wash the dryvit.
What on earth? 2 litres into 15 PERCENT hypo? That is some poison. I pressure wash houses, patios etc with about 5% solution and get the same result... no scrubbing either. You're using 90% SH, dunno how you haven't croaked yet. I'm sure you're not using a breathing filter either.
B&M Greet, hi to NZ yes rinse off well after a couple hours. Try to avoid letting it dry out as it reduces it's effectiveness. 2 hours with strong hypo is usually enough to give a 90-95% reduction in lichen. Phill
Hello, I've used this method on around 40m2 of heavily black spotted stained paving and it's become blotchy. From my reading it seems to be reflective staining from the way it's been previously laid. I have dark patches in the centre and light patches around the edges, a halo of sorts which would match a perimeter muck bed. Is there any remedy anyone knows of to bring back an overall one colour slab, if not this is going to costs me thousands to fix from a one day cleaning job. Any help appreciated. If anyone has experienced this, has anyone bleached the areas that are darker, i.e. the areas that are not on a muck bed? I think this is common on dot and dab paving. Any help appreciated, cheers.
Hi, I have recently purchased some Global Stone Old Rectory Paving (similar to Indian sandstone I think) and some blackberries have stained some of the slabs. Would Sodium Hypochloride be able to clean the stain off?
Hi, it is possible but it's the actual purple colouring can be hard to remove. A good product is lithofin oil-ex it's predominantly designed for oil but it's very good at all stains etc on natural stone.
Hi I have now got my Sodium Hypochlorite. So just to make sure do I :- 1 spray hypochlorite onto stone 2 Leave for an hour 3 Brush it in or just leave it Also It will be nowhere near our grass so is it best to us hose pipe or jest wash Thank you Simon
Simon Finch hi simon, jet wash area, spray down and leave for couple hours. Rinse with a hose to dilute and for best results a final jet wash to help lift any stubborn spores. Phill
Hi Phil I have been using the bleach dilute myself for a while now which does work however I'm thinking of buying the Sodium Hypochlorite for a quicker easier job. I have just seen another product that looks great for the this but is pricey. Is this more than likely SH based or even SH itself? Great videos by the way you have saved a lot of people money! Thanks.
No natural stone can contain a lot of minerals and some can turn to rust like stains. They are a feature of the stone. Most natural stones are quite acid resistant, it's only when you use harsh acids such as muriatic that it can damage the stone. Natural orange marks are deep within the stone and virtually impossible to remove. Only actual rust stains from external sources such as steel chairs, BBQs etc are sometimes removable. Bear in mind that not all stains will come out without leaving some form of ghosting. You can do more damage attempting removal of stubborn stains with aggressive chemicals then if you just leave them alone. You can also get a lot of rust staining near the vents from boilers, this staining is permanent and will not come out unless treatment immediately.
I use a concentrated scent odour masker. It works quite well, made by craftex. It won't mask it fully but it does make it more pleasant. Cherry or lemon, I find cherry works best. Phill
Hi , can I use this to get rid of water based paint splatters that a very unprofessional painter has left while painting my fence. I have jet washed it 3 times and there’s still some left.. this happened a week ago . My patio stone is new and I hope he hasn’t ruined it .. please help ☹️
@@Twosleepingdogs-m7k hmm I'm not entirely sure as this product is a biocide for fungus etc can't say I've ever tried it on anything else. You can spray it on paint and it won't remove it. If it's on your patio something like a graffiti remover or solvent maybe better. Something like cellulose thinners will remove the paint but you will need to wash it all off with some washing liquid after. Have you tried using something like a scotch brite pad to help it.
Dirty Drive-Away I tried hot soapy Water with a light scrubber, acetone, White spirit and then tried all of the above with steel wool.. I made sure I washed it all with hot soapy water after .. none of these have removed it. . I will try the solvents as I need it removed . It’s a new patio ☹️
@@Twosleepingdogs-m7k sounds like a strange concoction he may have used. Plain emulsion should come off. White spirit doesn't always do too much with dried paint but something like thinners will remove most paint. Otherwise it's a stripper like nitromors or paint panther, it's a bit excessive but should remove it.
Simon Reyes not that I've come across. I probably wouldn't use any type of chemical or hypo etc on some granite stone. Never tried it but I know they mega expensive so wouldn't want to replace any.
Trying to be tidy! Hi, i dont think it will. It really depends on what paint you have splattered. I would try a grafitti remover if its bad. You can usually remove emulsion with a good jet wash but if its dried fence stain that can be an issue. There is a good natural stone stain remover by lithofin called oil ex. Works wonders on oil stains on sandstone, works really well on in ground dirt on natural fireplaces too lol. I would try that as it will likely soften the paint. Ultimately it depends how long the stain has been there and how deep it has penetrated the stone. Phill
Yeah sure can. Any lichen killing job I do will always be after cleaning so will be on wet slabs. They hypo works better after the slabs have been cleaned.
Dirty Drive-Away thanks Phil, two more questions for you mate regarding insurance 1) public liability is it needed for our work? and 2) how do you insure you're machine if it's left in van should it be covered by our van Insurance or is there a separate one I should takeout on machine
Carl Bishop yes public liability is needed in case you damage something. sometimes your van insurance will cover the equipment if not I think you can add it to pub liab policy.
Dirty Drive-Away cleaned full house today all external wall with hypo come up a treat. 4@half hrs it took. just like to thank you on all the good advice iv had of you. sodium hypochlorite is the way forwards... 👍
Def need to get insurance as not got it yet, what kind of prices you charge or if could by email, I do car valeting but love doing patio cleans looking into jetwash estate etc more than what I have as atm its a karcher k4, but just wondered what you charge or estimate be much appreciated as I dont have a wild clue haha, cheers Chris
Darrin Perkins i now spray it down as its a hell of a lot quicker. You will need viton sealed sprayers to handle hypo. If you can buy a good battery back pack sprayer you can swap out the pumps for viton/santoprene and a better trigger and bingo you can get the stuff down well fast. Most pump sprayers are ok but they tend to be a bit slow. Really depends on the size of ths area and how much grass you have to contend with.
Dirty Drive -Away, thanks for response, had my Hypo delivered today got job on tomorrow, watched all your videos , loads of great tips , got to be honest feeling a bit nervous using it haven’t used it before 😳
Hi Phil Sorry, one last question I promise. If it is to sunny / hot as it is now is it best to wait until it becomes more over cast and cooler Thank you Simon
hi simon, it is better to do it when it's cooler/overcast however that doesn't always suit if your on a job. If it's a hot day just spray it down but try keep it damp by misting with water but yes a cooler day will make it stay wetter for longer. Phill
@@paolomenna1527 this backpack sprayer no, its not vitoria sealed. They last about a year then they are junk. I now use a battery sprayer with viton pump. I also have a dosatron chemical injector for general cleaning.
The strongest you can buy is 14/15% but depending on what you want to do with it depends how to dilute it. 3:1 if it's dirt/algae and then 1:1 or stronger if your trying to kill lichen. Obviously we I use it strong because I'm on a time limit. But you could go down weaker and leave it longer. Only downside is if it dries out it turns back to a salt and can leave a powdery/sparkly residue so that's why you ideally need to keep it damp. Hot sunny day are not ideal as it dries out too quick. Phill
Hmm well usually so long as its really well rinsed it gets diluted right down. Saying that if you know you have a pet who specifically likes to lick the stones I would probably avoid doing it. Even when rinsed well it can usually leave behind a residue, a salty residue which I'm sure the dog will love but it might not like him back. A job like this will become a lot harder seeing as you have a pet that likes to lick stones. I've never had an issue using it where pets are around but your better off playing it safe.
Worked a treat on my sandstone patio. Used 50/50, did it twice using a brush. Took 2/3 hours. Now looks as good as new. I can't thank you enough Phil. Cheers 👍👍
glad it worked for you, is amazing stuff
Amazing finish. I would never have imagined on how clean you would get the patio area from how dirty it was at the beginning. Smashing job.
Thanks for your video. Using some 12% sodium hypochlorite from a local swimming pool supply store I was
able to clean up an 800 square foot Pennsylvania Bluestone Flagstone patio that I had neglected for many years.
After 3 applications of bleach and a lot of scrubbing it really brought back the colors.
To save damage to grass, just give it a good soaking with water first. That will stop it absorbing the hypo mix
Daniel Thorley thanks for the tip. will try it next time. Phill
@@DirtyDriveAway - Did this tip work?
@@ToxicVaccines_HivHoax yeah it works pretty well. Well better than not giving it a soaking.
Thank you. How long should you leave sodium hypochlorite before jet washing?
All very well but you failed to say whether the Hydrochloride is to be diluted and if so by what proportions. Also, how long do you leave it on before washing or jetting it off ?
I got the answer, you said to leave it for an hour. Thank you
Attention, surface has to be ALWAYS wet . So , have to apply accordingly sodium hypochlorite on the treated surface before scrubbing and rinsing takes place. Cheers from a building constructor. We are familiar with many other chemicals.
Another good job. Do you know how to eliminate the thick black spots on the slabs.🤔😊
Thank you. Well there are different methods, some work some don't. Being a professional pressure cleaner I need something that works straight away, not in 6 months. Sodium hypochlorite (swimming pool chlorine) is magic and kills off the lichen (black spots). It's not a very nice chemical to use, but it does work. There's a few videos on my channel showing lichen removal. Phill 👍
Hi DDA - this is a very very useful tutorial thank you - shame I can post pictures here as it would be good to show you the difference. I'd already cleaned down the patio with power washer but wasn't happy so was interested to see this ... Got 25 litres from a local company for only £ 23 - as instructed I diluted it virtually 1 to 1 in a builders bucket . I started dipping the brush in bucket but after 5 minutes decided to just tip small amounts out which I found gave better coverage and basically brushed brushed and brushed again ! . In my opinion unless you have a danger of run off to vegetation a sprayer seems a complicated way of doing it . Anyway after around 45 minutes of soaking and rescrubbing I washed it down with the power washer and the results were amazing .. Only thing it wouldn't remove is stains around outdoor kitchen area where I'd dripped oil as have a deep fryer out there too - any ideas for that please ? My slabs were sandstone with 2 colours - I did of course do a test first before I did the whole area - thanks so much for posting
Removing oil stains is quite tricky especially on sandstone. A product from lithofin called oil-ex works really well. If it's been down a long time you may not be able to remove it 100% but it could be made to look a lot better.
Hypo has very little effect on grass and vegetation as it dilutes so fast, it may turn the grass tips white if you spray it during application, but giving grass etc a good soaking before application can reduce the hypo concentration. A sprayer is quicker but they don't tend to last too long because the seals can't handle the hypo. Any sprayer for long term use needs to be viton sealed, I now use a viton sealed, electric pumped sprayer...so much quicker and easier than brushing.
Hi brilliant very informative
Will this get very old blackened cement paths clean ?
Hi, yes it will eventually. It may take a couple hits to really shift that black fungus. I would jet wash first to remove as much dirt etc as possible and then apply a strong mix. You can use it neat if it's really bad but depending on its size I would go with a 75/25 (75 hypo, 25water) and leave for an hour and see how it comes up. The hypo starts to weaken after an hour when in contact with organic material such as fungus/lichen etc as it gets absorbed into the stone or evaporates. Avoid letting it dry out as it will turn back to a salt leaving a powdery residue behind. Phill
Another great video job well done I thoroughly enjoy your videos keep them coming
Hi thank you for this great clip. Quick question, do you rinse it off after a few hours or leave it to dry in? Thank you
Hi, no you have to rinse it off really well. Typically I spray it down and wait an hour, keeping it damp if it's a warm day. After an hour hit the remaining tough spores and leave for another 30 mins ish then rinse well. If you let the chem dry it will turn very powdery and leave a salty residue.
I get my sodium hypo for 15 euro for 25 litres. sadly the builders merchant has copped that it is a cheap price and ended that special offer. We stocked up on 10 drums of it. works a treat even better than bleach when diluted to the same levels (which doesn't make sense)
Great video. Worked a treat for my sandstone patio. Any suggestions of how to use this for block paving without pressure wash.
It will clean the blocks but it won't do anything for weeds, moss or any crap that's in the joints. You cant beat a proper jet wash on block paving to get it really clean.
Dirty Drive-Away . Thank you. Do I use full strength hypo or dilute it 1:1 ?
@@bkrish979 depends what you want to do with it. If it's just dirt I would go 25% hypo to 75% water. If it's lichen spores then your going to need 50/50 or stronger. Hypo is quite pricey so if you can dilute it, it will make the job cheaper. It also depends on what strength you buy and also whether the hypo has been sat in storage as it goes off and looses strength after about 4-6 months.
Dirty Drive-Away thank you. Much appreciated 👍
Hi.Thank you for your reply, much appreciated.It's for the removal of Lichen, I will buy a pump spray and mix 50/50 water / hypo.It is for approx 70m2, so would a 25 litre tub be ok to do the job ?
Simon Finch hi simon yes that should be more than enough at 50/50
Simon Finch mate don’t waste your money on sptrayers put it into a bucket and broom it on the area it’s much quicker !!
Great stuff any tips on rust marks from patio furniture on natural stone?
There is a great product by lithofin called bero. It's specifically designed for rust stains on natural stone. It is a professional grade product but it can take a while to work fully so make sure to read the destructions.
www.extensive.co.uk/bero-1l.html
Just done mine today got the stuff of eBay and the pump from screwfix less than £ 30 well impressed with the results .
Paulj Johnson its magic stuff. 👍
Great video - question. I will be cleaning with sodium hypochlorite next to artificial grass could I damage the grass
MICHAEL CLARKE hi michael, ive never had an issue with artificial grass. On real grass you can turn the edges white but it will grow back. I suppose ultimately it depends how strong your using it. Phill
Do you ever wish you have hot/steam facility? Why? I'm wondering if I should buy one.... Would love your opinion ...Thanks
No not in my business. The cost of buying and running one outweighs its advantages. If you were doing indoor cleaning such as barns or kitchen facilities then yes. For driveways I cant see any reason for needing one.
Thanks for taking the time to reply....really appreciated.
Hi ,excellent work .When cleaning indian sandstone with very heavy black spotting,could you tell me what ratio mix you would use and do you use a surfactant ,kind regards Mark
Hi, to save messing about I would usually hit it with neat hypo. It doesn't hurt the stone and just ensures it works quickly
@@DirtyDriveAway great thanks for that and thanks for the videos
if I do it neat, how long shall I leave it down and is it safe to assume the one pass should do it if its going down neat,thanks Mark
@@xtremecleenpressurewashing5864 you will get around 90-95% removal on sandstone using it neat. You will get most of the stuff off in around an hour. I would re hit any tough remaining spores again after about 45mins. After an hour it's effectiveness will be reduced so I wouldn't leave it more than an hour before re spraying if needed.
Hi, the video has been really useful, Thank You. One question I have is this. My patio is Indian sandstone and has been down 12 years. When it was first laid I sealed it with some expensive stuff :-). I think I sealed a again maybe 6 years ago. It has been jet washed every year since but I can still see some shine in places from the sealant. If I use
Sodium Hypochlorite will it not work if there is still sealant on in places or will it also remove the sealant?
Hi, no hypo wont remove sealant as its not a solvent stripper. If you want to remove residual traces of sealer then paint stripper will work.
Hi there ....I have a natural Limestone patio that is very light in colour. It has been jet washed but still has some dark grey "wear and tear" staining (grey and black spots). Would you suggest the Sodium Hypochlorite is tested first undiluted? Thanks
Hi, I would always start with a diluted mix, depending how bad the spots are I would give it a bit at 50/50 and then increase the strength after an hour to hit any difficult spores. It won't remove rust, in fact it reacts with rust quite badly. Using it neat is in extreme cases and I wouldn't recommend it to start with. Phill
Just copied your procedure, brilliant results, just amazing, thanks for video.
Mark Newman your welcome mark glad it helped you out.
Phil, you ever used hot water/steam pressure washer for your work? I have a Gerni, (Australian), 2500a. Rated at 190 bar/2750psi, 80c @ full flow 25lt p/m, 130c steam at 10lt p/m, (iirc). Never used it to clean anything other than the motor and various engines. Your thoughts on such a pressure washer for this work? Cheers fella.
HI Sorry, do I pressure wash the patio area first, then put the mixture of sodium hypochlorite in a gorilla bucket or something similar.Do I then scrub into the patio using a fibre bristle brush.What would be the mixture if putting into a bucket and is it add the sodium to the water not wate to the sodium ?Do i hose it down after a while or just let it dry.Thank you Simon
Simon Finch yes i would jet wash first to remove as much muck as possible. Depending how big your area is it best sprayed down with a pump sprayer, but hypo will destroy the seals over time. If your just going for a dirt lift then 50/50 or slightly weaker will be fine. Leave on for around 30mins and rinse. If your trying to kill lichen spores you could either do a 50/50 or slightly weaker mix and leave overnight, but put it down when the suns going down then rinse in the morning. Or do a 75/25 mix and leave for at least 2hrs then rinse. Try to avoid it drying out too much, keep it damp but dont keep saturating it as it will dilute. I would avoid doing it on a burning hot day as the sun will dry it out too quickly. Phill
I bought 14-15% Sodium Hypochlorite for treating blackspot on my Indian sandstone patio.
I was wondering what ratio I should dilute it?
I use it neat as I need it to work. You can diute it but it really depends how bad the spots are.
Do you only use hypo or a different cleaner if it’s not so bad
Do you need to tell customers not to let pets on it while it’s wet ?
I’m trying to do some pressure washing for agents and ideally don’t want to wait too long for the chemicals to soak
Thanks
If a cleaning chemical is needed then it's always hypo, other chemicals work out quite expensive and rarely work as well as hypo. You don't leave it to dry on the surface, you have to rinse it off really well. To kill off lichen spores it takes a couple hours dwell time with a re application after an hour on tough spores. Only about 1 in 10 of the jobs I do involves hypo, I can usually get a very good clean with just water and pressure. Pets should not be outside whilst the hypo is down, once it's thoroughly rinsed it will be fine, it will turn grass white though so don't rinse onto grass areas.
Looks great. Can you use it on travertine pavers?
From experience the like of travertine and porcelain etc doesn't tend to suffer from lichen as much as sandstone. Yes you can use it on pretty much any stone but I would start with a weaker dose somewhere like 4:1 as a starting point.
Hi Phil. Just out of interest. How long did it take you to do the job from start to finish and how many metres was it in total? ie, jet washing first,two sodium hypochlorite treatments and the rinse down to finish. Thanks for your time, Clive
Ooh Blimey it was a while ago. I was there most of the day as it was a lichen kill. Probably took an hour and half to clean and then 2-3hrs for hypo to go down, work and rinse.
@@DirtyDriveAway thanks for taking the time to answer,Phil. Much appreciated
Looking good! 👍
How many parts household bleach and how many parts water do you mix to treat natural stone?
And for how long do you allow it to dwell before rinsing it off?
Thank you.
Household bleach won't do a lot on lichen. It may help a bit but its not strong enough. I use 14/15% sodium hypochlorite. To shift it quickly I do 75% to 25 water minimum and leave for an hour. Then hit tough spores with neat for another hour. Household bleach here is about 4% and just doesn't do much for tough lichen.
@@DirtyDriveAway - Thank you for the detailed reply. 👍👍
I have another question about protecting the machine from frost damage during winter.
Is it enough if you get the water out of the pump and the accessories by running the pump with no water for a few seconds at the end of the last job?
@@ToxicVaccines_HivHoax yeah I normally drain the tank down and then run the washer. Its very rare for it to freeze up in the UK. Not saying it won't if the weather is bad.
@@DirtyDriveAway - I understand that provided water has been drained off the pump the day before, all that is needed the next morning is to warm up and defrost the pump before starting it up.
Having something simple like a hair dryer blowing hot air to the pump for 10 minutes, I imagine will do the trick.
They say that the most serious frost damage to the water pump happens in the morning when people try to start up a frozen pump.
All the seals are firmly held in place by ice and when the pistons start moving, the seals get ripped off and damaged.
If defrosting before startup in the morning that serious damage is avoided.
Draining the water before retiring for the night will prevent damage to the pump housing from frozen water expanding.
@@ToxicVaccines_HivHoax yes all that is true but luckily I've never had an issue with a frozen pump. The temperature inside the van would have to be seriously low, and the water in the tank/inlet pipe would freeze first giving a good indication as to the pump.
If your unfortunate enough to live in cold climates then yes defrosting the pump would be needed, but in honesty if its that cold I won't be playing with water.
Hi great vid can i ask u ive had some york stone steps sealed but its been done with an oil based sealant and i was wondering if i can get it removed its only been done a day ago or is there a way to sand down the york stone and take a mm or 2 off thanks
Oil based? Do you mean solvent or acrylic? Never heard of an oil based sealer. Why do you want to remove it?
Depending on the sealer brand you can usually use a paint stripper to remove it. I dare say you could mechanically abrade it but it's probably not advisable as it can cause nasty damage if not done right.
@@DirtyDriveAway thanks so much for quick response ok so some1 laid some york stone steps and when they sealed them they used a masonry and wall sealer and its left the york stone v dark it was only yesterday and i would like to somehow get it off if u can possibly help would b amazing thanks again
@@DirtyDriveAway this is what was used coo-var masonry stabiliser
@@Scottard40 wow someone who laid the stone but clearly doesn't know much about it. Typically yorkstone is just left natural as that's how most people like it. It tends to weather quite quickly as fungal lichen spores love it, it's porous and so makes a good breeding ground for it. Just look at old church yards and you'll see all the black spots over the stone. Can you send me some pictures? Dirtydriveaway@gmail.com
@@Scottard40 hmm, that appears to be a brick or porous surface primer. I would say its typically used on porous surfaces before painting. It will seal up the pores of the stone so that any paint will stick and not get absorbed.
I used a paintbrush to attack some very bad spots on my patio with neat 100% after successfully using a 50% dilution. However, when I put the paintbrush back into the baked bean can I was using to hold the SH it began to boil and was too hot to pick up :O
Yeah metal containers aren't good to hold SH. The heat can generate dangerous chlorine gas too.
It might be a stupid comment, but is Hypochlorite just a different name for regular off the supermarket shelf bleach ?.
chris bow kind of but. Its the main ingredient in supermarket bleach however supermarket bleach is only about 4.5% wheras the stuff im using is 15%. Phill
Yes
was that the colors they were when new or did the chemical turn them funny colors ?
Thats Indian sandstone, thats the colour they are supposed to be.
Nicely done,is that pure 15% hypo or did you dilute it? Best regards Mick.
michael kilner diluted slightly. probably added 2 litres water to 20l hypo. to be fair it probably didn't need the 2nd dose it worked so quick. if you have more time you can dilute it more. thing is if you dilute it too much it becomes no stronger than common bleach.
Hi. Any tips on cleaning tarmac driveways please? Would you pressure wash or soft wash, and can you recommend a eco friendly product for the job. Cheers. Phil.
Do you have any advice and tips on cleaning dryvit on the side of a house? I know it’s similar to stucco and you can’t pressure wash it. The dryvit has black stains everywhere some spots are bad. Would SH 10 percent work for this and add some dawn dish soap and just shoot it with a soap tip from a 3gpm pressure washer to automatically dilute it?? I need help with this trying to figure out how to get the stains off I know I absolutely cannot and will bit pressure wash the dryvit.
What on earth? 2 litres into 15 PERCENT hypo? That is some poison. I pressure wash houses, patios etc with about 5% solution and get the same result... no scrubbing either. You're using 90% SH, dunno how you haven't croaked yet. I'm sure you're not using a breathing filter either.
Hi. Thanks for your vid. Do you wash off between applications? Cheers from NZ
B&M Greet, hi to NZ yes rinse off well after a couple hours. Try to avoid letting it dry out as it reduces it's effectiveness. 2 hours with strong hypo is usually enough to give a 90-95% reduction in lichen. Phill
Hello, I've used this method on around 40m2 of heavily black spotted stained paving and it's become blotchy. From my reading it seems to be reflective staining from the way it's been previously laid. I have dark patches in the centre and light patches around the edges, a halo of sorts which would match a perimeter muck bed. Is there any remedy anyone knows of to bring back an overall one colour slab, if not this is going to costs me thousands to fix from a one day cleaning job. Any help appreciated. If anyone has experienced this, has anyone bleached the areas that are darker, i.e. the areas that are not on a muck bed? I think this is common on dot and dab paving. Any help appreciated, cheers.
Hi, I have recently purchased some Global Stone Old Rectory Paving (similar to Indian sandstone I think) and some blackberries have stained some of the slabs. Would Sodium Hypochloride be able to clean the stain off?
Hi, it is possible but it's the actual purple colouring can be hard to remove. A good product is lithofin oil-ex it's predominantly designed for oil but it's very good at all stains etc on natural stone.
Hi Phil, have you diluted the chlorine for this job?
Kieran Arigho it's 14/15% sodium hypochlorite. It used 15L of hypo and around 5L of water in the sprayer.
Hi
I have now got my Sodium Hypochlorite.
So just to make sure do I :-
1 spray hypochlorite onto stone
2 Leave for an hour
3 Brush it in or just leave it
Also It will be nowhere near our grass so is it best to us hose pipe or jest wash
Thank you
Simon
Simon Finch hi simon, jet wash area, spray down and leave for couple hours. Rinse with a hose to dilute and for best results a final jet wash to help lift any stubborn spores. Phill
Can lichen black spots be killed with a flame torch? Seems like that would be quick and easy...
dfinchermd highly doubt it as they root themselves into the stone. Too much heat on can damage certain stones.
Hi Phil
I have been using the bleach dilute myself for a while now which does work however I'm thinking of buying the Sodium Hypochlorite for a quicker easier job. I have just seen another product that looks great for the this but is pricey. Is this more than likely SH based or even SH itself? Great videos by the way you have saved a lot of people money! Thanks.
Peter McCabe SH is the way forward. Nothing else really compares
Dirty Drive-Away did I see you mention somewhere you can get this from farm suppliers?
Peter McCabe sometimes yes, mainly from pool and spa supplies.
Thanks for your help Phil!
Hi Brill Vid's. What did you use to clean the stone initially, whirl away or lance and did you rinse with hose pipe.
Cheers Rich
Richard Downes just a vario lance and then rinsed off at the end with my portable K7 Karcher
What about all the orange stains on the grey slabs ? How do you remove that or is that staining from the acid ?
No natural stone can contain a lot of minerals and some can turn to rust like stains. They are a feature of the stone. Most natural stones are quite acid resistant, it's only when you use harsh acids such as muriatic that it can damage the stone. Natural orange marks are deep within the stone and virtually impossible to remove. Only actual rust stains from external sources such as steel chairs, BBQs etc are sometimes removable. Bear in mind that not all stains will come out without leaving some form of ghosting. You can do more damage attempting removal of stubborn stains with aggressive chemicals then if you just leave them alone. You can also get a lot of rust staining near the vents from boilers, this staining is permanent and will not come out unless treatment immediately.
Dirty Drive-Away ok thankyou for the reply
Do you ever mask the smell of the bleach , if so what do you use ??
I use a concentrated scent odour masker. It works quite well, made by craftex. It won't mask it fully but it does make it more pleasant. Cherry or lemon, I find cherry works best. Phill
Hi , can I use this to get rid of water based paint splatters that a very unprofessional painter has left while painting my fence. I have jet washed it 3 times and there’s still some left.. this happened a week ago . My patio stone is new and I hope he hasn’t ruined it .. please help ☹️
Hi, I don't think sodium hypo will remove that. Water based paint like emulsion should come off with water pressure.
Maybe he mixed the paint with something as it was dripping all over the place.. if he had mixed it with turpentine would this product help .. ?
@@Twosleepingdogs-m7k hmm I'm not entirely sure as this product is a biocide for fungus etc can't say I've ever tried it on anything else. You can spray it on paint and it won't remove it. If it's on your patio something like a graffiti remover or solvent maybe better. Something like cellulose thinners will remove the paint but you will need to wash it all off with some washing liquid after. Have you tried using something like a scotch brite pad to help it.
Dirty Drive-Away I tried hot soapy
Water with a light scrubber, acetone, White spirit and then tried all of the above with steel wool.. I made sure I washed it all with hot soapy water after .. none of these have removed it. . I will try the solvents as I need it removed . It’s a new patio ☹️
@@Twosleepingdogs-m7k sounds like a strange concoction he may have used. Plain emulsion should come off. White spirit doesn't always do too much with dried paint but something like thinners will remove most paint. Otherwise it's a stripper like nitromors or paint panther, it's a bit excessive but should remove it.
Does the chemicals not damage certain surfaces?
No not really, I wouldn't purposely spray it on grass and I wouldn't use it on black slabs such as black limestone.
Phil are there any types of pavers that you cant pressure wash or use hypo on
Simon Reyes not that I've come across. I probably wouldn't use any type of chemical or hypo etc on some granite stone. Never tried it but I know they mega expensive so wouldn't want to replace any.
Do you leave the hypochlorite to dry ?
No don't let it dry, it will turn to a salt and leave a powdery residue.
Hi would this work on paint as we have some fence paint splatters on our indian sandstone path!?
Trying to be tidy! Hi, i dont think it will. It really depends on what paint you have splattered. I would try a grafitti remover if its bad. You can usually remove emulsion with a good jet wash but if its dried fence stain that can be an issue. There is a good natural stone stain remover by lithofin called oil ex. Works wonders on oil stains on sandstone, works really well on in ground dirt on natural fireplaces too lol. I would try that as it will likely soften the paint. Ultimately it depends how long the stain has been there and how deep it has penetrated the stone. Phill
Dirty Drive-Away thanks I will try the stain remover as it dried fence paint has been there a few weeks we have tried a jet washer but no luck.
Trying to be tidy! Good luck
hi i go concrete stamp its blown in parts been told strip it back will this do it thanks
micheal ogrady hi I doubt it. bleach will lift dirt but it won't strip paint etc.
Can you put hypo on wet slabs?
Yeah sure can. Any lichen killing job I do will always be after cleaning so will be on wet slabs. They hypo works better after the slabs have been cleaned.
Is it safe for pets and fish
It's safe for pets when rinsed but not fish. It will harm aquatic life if it gets into a pond
hello where do you buy the bleach and how much is it? thanks
Carl Bishop eBay, £25 for 20L delivered
Dirty Drive-Away thanks Phil, two more questions for you mate regarding insurance 1) public liability is it needed for our work?
and 2) how do you insure you're machine if it's left in van should it be covered by our van Insurance or is there a separate one I should takeout on machine
Carl Bishop yes public liability is needed in case you damage something. sometimes your van insurance will cover the equipment if not I think you can add it to pub liab policy.
Dirty Drive-Away
cleaned full house today all external wall with hypo come up a treat. 4@half hrs it took. just like to thank you on all the good advice iv had of you.
sodium hypochlorite is the way forwards... 👍
Def need to get insurance as not got it yet, what kind of prices you charge or if could by email, I do car valeting but love doing patio cleans looking into jetwash estate etc more than what I have as atm its a karcher k4, but just wondered what you charge or estimate be much appreciated as I dont have a wild clue haha, cheers Chris
Dirty Drive -Away , what would you recommend on putting hypo down , spraying it , or with a broom ?
Darrin Perkins i now spray it down as its a hell of a lot quicker. You will need viton sealed sprayers to handle hypo. If you can buy a good battery back pack sprayer you can swap out the pumps for viton/santoprene and a better trigger and bingo you can get the stuff down well fast. Most pump sprayers are ok but they tend to be a bit slow. Really depends on the size of ths area and how much grass you have to contend with.
Dirty Drive -Away, thanks for response, had my Hypo delivered today got job on tomorrow, watched all your videos , loads of great tips , got to be honest feeling a bit nervous using it haven’t used it before 😳
I take it you don't need a licence for this stuff? Do you need a mask?
No licence needed. A mask can help when in confined spaces but generally no.
@@DirtyDriveAway thanks might give it a try
Hi Phil
Sorry, one last question I promise.
If it is to sunny / hot as it is now is it best to wait until it becomes more over cast and cooler
Thank you
Simon
hi simon, it is better to do it when it's cooler/overcast however that doesn't always suit if your on a job. If it's a hot day just spray it down but try keep it damp by misting with water but yes a cooler day will make it stay wetter for longer. Phill
why dont you show the cleaning process?
Dutch Danny, ive found people get bored watching basic jet washing. Also the time it takes to spray it down and for it to work take several hours.
hi. is the hydrochloride you you sold as 14/15%?
thanks
Mara Ioana Ionicioiu yes i use 14/15% sodium hypochlorite. Its probably the strongest you can readily buy.
Hi, have you use the jet washer on this job?
Yes it was jet washed first
@@DirtyDriveAway Thank you..
Your videos are quite helpful
Is the pump you of the back pack designed to run with chemicals?
@@paolomenna1527 this backpack sprayer no, its not vitoria sealed. They last about a year then they are junk. I now use a battery sprayer with viton pump. I also have a dosatron chemical injector for general cleaning.
What is the specification of the sodium hypochlorite you use?
I’ve seen for 15% patio cleaners Is this what I need
The strongest you can buy is 14/15% but depending on what you want to do with it depends how to dilute it. 3:1 if it's dirt/algae and then 1:1 or stronger if your trying to kill lichen. Obviously we I use it strong because I'm on a time limit. But you could go down weaker and leave it longer. Only downside is if it dries out it turns back to a salt and can leave a powdery/sparkly residue so that's why you ideally need to keep it damp. Hot sunny day are not ideal as it dries out too quick. Phill
How did you go about pricing this one as you needed to return and use more sodium
I did it all in one day. That was a single application of hypo. I price on sqM and then factor on materials etc.
my kinda hate but easily cured
How how long after you have cleaned it is it pet safe, I have a pug who likes to lick the flags !
Hmm well usually so long as its really well rinsed it gets diluted right down. Saying that if you know you have a pet who specifically likes to lick the stones I would probably avoid doing it. Even when rinsed well it can usually leave behind a residue, a salty residue which I'm sure the dog will love but it might not like him back. A job like this will become a lot harder seeing as you have a pet that likes to lick stones. I've never had an issue using it where pets are around but your better off playing it safe.
How did you charge how long did it take
per sqM, this job took most of the day as I jet washed it first and then the hypo takes about 2hrs to work on lichen spores effectively.
any tips please..got some of the hypo and tried a test spot , the black goes instant but doesnt seem to touch the grey lichen
steveo3002 to kill lichen it needs to be down for at least 2hrs. The grey stuff is more like calcification, a jet wash should get it off.
cheers will try longer...not sure what its called but this grey stuff doesnt budge with the jetwasher at all ..its rock hard
steveo3002 send me some pics, dirtydriveaway@gmail.com
sent a couple cheers
steveo3002 hey steveo, i didnt receive any pics. Phill
The guys sounds very bored and not wanting to do the job
You talk far too much, just briefly describe what your doing and get on with it ffs
Some people actually watch my videos to learn.