I guess any of us who have been in this business for very long has tried sodium percarbonate. I know I have tried it with unsatisfactory results. Not even close to chlorine. But, experimenting is fun and worth the effort. I think I am going to try a really strong mix and see if it even has the chemically capability to clean. The worse thing about this stuff is it has to be mixed in warm to hot water. Not worried about cost effectiveness at this point, just want to see if it will even work at all. I have a couple of ideas to try along with it, I just need to get some warm weather to kick things off here. What is the strongest anyone has tried? Give me pounds to gallons ration.
Sodium Percarbonate will dissolve at 8 ounces/gallon with hot water maximum.
I like to add a little Sodium hydroxide, which helps make it dissolve easier if you don't have hot water available or need extra cleaning power.
Of course we all know better than to use sodium hydroxide to clean asphalt shingles, but sodium percarbonate plus a little sodium hydroxide works great for wood restoration (cedar shake roofs)
I usually add about 1-2 ounces/gallon of sodium hydroxide to my sodium percarbonate 6 ounces/gallon mix plus dawn. This will give you a wicked wood cleaner, and if you buy in bulk (50 pound bags) it will save you half to ten times your money compared to name brand products.
-- Edited by Roof Cleaning Pro Greensboro NC (336)362 7659 on Tuesday 22nd of September 2009 11:59:23 PM
Yea Mike, I use basically the same thing as you on wood. The darkening effect of the hydroxide is easily remedied with a little oxalic. I am going to play around with mixes for roofs(No hydroxide). Just want to see if I can make it strong enough to clean a roof.
Experimenting is fun, and adding alcohol is a good idea, I mean you never know until it's tried. But yea, the percarbonate method is a tough road, not even as good as calcium hypo. But I like playing. Maybe we will stumble onto something.
Hi Jeff, I have picked up a maintenance contract for a beer garden decking - treated pine. I plane to use your sodium percarbonate with sodium hydroxide and oxalic acid to neutralise. What concentration oxalic acid should i use to rinse with?
Hi Nick, I usually downstream the oxalic on at about 8 oz. per gallon. If you're applying with a dedicated sprayer, I'd say 1-3 oz.per gallon would suit.