To continue with our exterior maintenance product discussion, today we will touch on house washes.
We have quite a few products that can be used for this job as well as those we recommend for this use.
Our most economical product is our "Citrus X-terior" house wash. This product was specifically designed for those who where use to doing house washing with a bleach only solution. With "Citrus X-terior" you can add bleach to it, to get the mold killing and color removing properties that bleach provides, while having the added benefits of a product that contains the actual cleaning ability of surfactants and the added benefit of a clean citrus scent to help cover or reduce the smell of bleach, if you are using it with the product. "Citrus X-terior" is a great all on its own for cleaning vinyl siding, hardiplank, wood or brick facades.
For surfaces that need a stronger approach or that have known greasy dirt concerns you can use our “Mighty Max”, the 6% butyl, non caustic product we discussed earlier. We found it made no sense to add other names to or re-label the same product for every type of job it can do. There fore many of our products can multi task even if the job description is not in the product name like “house wash”. “Mighty Max” is great to use in a pump up sprayer to pre treat problem areas as well as being used as a general house wash. “Mighty Max Plus” since it has a higher amount of butyl 10% plus an added amount of sodium hydroxide it is great on removing those stubborn black streaks from gutters without brushing. But care must be made to not let the product sit to long or allowed to dry on painted surfaces or glass that it can etch, since it does contain sodium hydroxide.
Just about any of our other general all purpose cleaners like “Mighty-Green”, “Natures Green”, and “Rite Stuff” can also be used as a house wash and are recommended when customers or regulatory agencies require that a “Greener” product or method be used to clean.
There is a final product some of our customers do use for house washing but that we do not have label directions nor can recommend proper dilution rates for and that is with using “Brown Derby”. Even when greatly diluted the amount of sodium hydroxide can be a deterrent for using on painted wood surfaces and around glass. If you use it we can not offer advice or make any recommendation in regards to house washing. For this reason “Brown Derby” is not listed in our catalog section of house washing products.
With that said, sodium hydroxide is still a widely used method for roof cleaning and “Brown Derby” has and can be used for that. Care still must be made in keeping the rest of the house rinsed well with water including any glass during the roof cleaning process not to cause damage to other surfaces. But the Asphalt Shingle Manufactures of America recommends in their own technical bulletin that only professional bleach solutions should be used on their shingle products in which our “Citrus X-terior” can be used as recommended with bleach to clean roof shingles of black mold streaks.
Lastly the product “Bio Barrier” that we have discussed at length in the past, was designed to be used after house and roof washing to retard the re-growth of mold. This product will add months if not years of continued good looks after a cleaning has been done. But it does require repeated treatments to extend the life of its benefits.
We hope these monthly posts are helpful and we look forward to next month and our next product group.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Exterior Maintenance Products for Concrete, Wood & Fabrics.
Each month we are featuring a group of our products to help our customers and potential customers learn what products we carry that they might not be aware of. Plus this gives information regarding the differences between some items as well. This month we will discuss products used for exterior maintenance jobs.
For concrete flat work we have a basic “Concrete Cleaner” as well as degreasers like “Mighty-O” “Mighty-Max” and “Mighty Max Plus” these all contain butyl, a great grease cutter. The differences between these three mainly are the amount of butyl they contain, 3%, 6% or 10% respectively. We have a product called “Pro BRC” or Building Restoration Cleaner for brick and masonry to remove years of neglect, mold, mildew and dirt. It will restore mortar lines back to original or near original color with out using damaging high pressure that can loosen mortar joints. To remove rust stains from concrete, sometimes caused by certain mineral waters or irrigation thru metal water lines, we have “Concrete Rust Remover”. This is a powder that is mixed 4 lbs per 5 gallons of water for best results. We also carry some more environmentally friendly products when other products can not be used due to Home Owners Associations or other factors, like our “Natures Green APC” all purpose cleaner or “Mighty Green” which is in the same family as the well known Simple Green®. We also have a bio degradable Economy degreaser called “Rite Stuff” that contains an organic solvent if butyls are not allowed to be used.
For wood cleaning for decks and other wood structures we have the following:
“Deck Wash” for regular cleaning of most wood surfaces it can clean anything from cedar to pressure treated wood. Now if a softer approach is needed to clean, and in no way can contain any acid or harsh ingredients, then our “So Safe” can be used. This percolating product comes in a powder that is mixed just prior to use and only in the amount that is expected to be used, since it will loose its cleaning ability if left to sit. This is perfect when you just need to lift off a layer of dirt with out touching the stain, finish or the woods own character like with teak or a newly stained deck. Now if you are in need to remove an existing finish or stain then you will need one of our strippers. We have two; the first is just called “Deck Stripper” and can handle most normal single layer or worn stain jobs. But if multiple or thick layers of stain, sealer or varnish need to be removed then we have the product “Super Stripper” that will do the job. With either of these you will need to follow them up with a neutralizer to stop the chemical action and for that we have our “Wood Brightener”. This comes in a powder and is mixed 4 lbs to 5 gallons of water and can also be used alone to brighten a previously untreated wood surface. The last product we have in our exterior wood section is our Bio Barrier mold inhibitor product. This should be applied to a surface after it has been cleaned and is completely dry. This will prevent the re-growth of mold on wood in areas having known pre-existing problems. Bio Barrier does not kill mold, that is why the surface must first be clean and old mold removed, but once applied to a surface it should stay mold free for at least 6 months if not for a year or more. Length of time will depends on factors like amount of time area is in the shade, how much water or moisture it comes in contact with, how much air circulation is available to the area and if the surface is horizontal or vertical.
Next is a product for outdoor cloth or plastic fiber fabrics found on lawn furniture pads, umbrellas, awnings and fabric gazebos called “Carpet & Fabric Cleaner” this is a great multi use product. It is formulated with optical brighteners to give colored fibers deeper tone and better contrast. It will help restore color to fabrics that are faded by dirt and grime. It contains no harsh chemicals that will damage fibers and will help to extend the life of the outdoor fabrics use. Companies such as Sunbrella® suggest to only use mild detergents for heavy soiling or to remove molds and mildew by adding a small amount of bleach to the cleaning solution, hot water should NEVER be used on Sunbrella® fabric and may require some brushing to remove stubborn stains from between fibers. “Carpet & Fabric Cleaner” can be used in this recommended manner.
Tomorrow we will cover our products for house washing.
For concrete flat work we have a basic “Concrete Cleaner” as well as degreasers like “Mighty-O” “Mighty-Max” and “Mighty Max Plus” these all contain butyl, a great grease cutter. The differences between these three mainly are the amount of butyl they contain, 3%, 6% or 10% respectively. We have a product called “Pro BRC” or Building Restoration Cleaner for brick and masonry to remove years of neglect, mold, mildew and dirt. It will restore mortar lines back to original or near original color with out using damaging high pressure that can loosen mortar joints. To remove rust stains from concrete, sometimes caused by certain mineral waters or irrigation thru metal water lines, we have “Concrete Rust Remover”. This is a powder that is mixed 4 lbs per 5 gallons of water for best results. We also carry some more environmentally friendly products when other products can not be used due to Home Owners Associations or other factors, like our “Natures Green APC” all purpose cleaner or “Mighty Green” which is in the same family as the well known Simple Green®. We also have a bio degradable Economy degreaser called “Rite Stuff” that contains an organic solvent if butyls are not allowed to be used.
For wood cleaning for decks and other wood structures we have the following:
“Deck Wash” for regular cleaning of most wood surfaces it can clean anything from cedar to pressure treated wood. Now if a softer approach is needed to clean, and in no way can contain any acid or harsh ingredients, then our “So Safe” can be used. This percolating product comes in a powder that is mixed just prior to use and only in the amount that is expected to be used, since it will loose its cleaning ability if left to sit. This is perfect when you just need to lift off a layer of dirt with out touching the stain, finish or the woods own character like with teak or a newly stained deck. Now if you are in need to remove an existing finish or stain then you will need one of our strippers. We have two; the first is just called “Deck Stripper” and can handle most normal single layer or worn stain jobs. But if multiple or thick layers of stain, sealer or varnish need to be removed then we have the product “Super Stripper” that will do the job. With either of these you will need to follow them up with a neutralizer to stop the chemical action and for that we have our “Wood Brightener”. This comes in a powder and is mixed 4 lbs to 5 gallons of water and can also be used alone to brighten a previously untreated wood surface. The last product we have in our exterior wood section is our Bio Barrier mold inhibitor product. This should be applied to a surface after it has been cleaned and is completely dry. This will prevent the re-growth of mold on wood in areas having known pre-existing problems. Bio Barrier does not kill mold, that is why the surface must first be clean and old mold removed, but once applied to a surface it should stay mold free for at least 6 months if not for a year or more. Length of time will depends on factors like amount of time area is in the shade, how much water or moisture it comes in contact with, how much air circulation is available to the area and if the surface is horizontal or vertical.
Next is a product for outdoor cloth or plastic fiber fabrics found on lawn furniture pads, umbrellas, awnings and fabric gazebos called “Carpet & Fabric Cleaner” this is a great multi use product. It is formulated with optical brighteners to give colored fibers deeper tone and better contrast. It will help restore color to fabrics that are faded by dirt and grime. It contains no harsh chemicals that will damage fibers and will help to extend the life of the outdoor fabrics use. Companies such as Sunbrella® suggest to only use mild detergents for heavy soiling or to remove molds and mildew by adding a small amount of bleach to the cleaning solution, hot water should NEVER be used on Sunbrella® fabric and may require some brushing to remove stubborn stains from between fibers. “Carpet & Fabric Cleaner” can be used in this recommended manner.
Tomorrow we will cover our products for house washing.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Here at the Mid America Trucking Show
I have now posted entries for all four days we were at the Mid America Trucking Show, please see all posts below:
It is Wednesday afternoon on March 24th and I spent three hours setting up our booth.
Rich won a 5 gallon pail of Big Rig Brite. Our next winner also won some Big Rig but has not been by the booth again for a photo. The last drawing of the day was for an Aqua Force arm brace but he did not put his phone on the entry and only put down a P.O. Box so we will have to first contact him by mail and my have to draw a replacement winner after the show. We will post all winners in our April Newsletter.
Jeanie chose a case of 4 Big Rig Brite gallons vs. a 5 gallon pail for the convience to travel with just a gallon at a time on the road. She is a real women truck driver not just a trucker wife.
It is Wednesday afternoon on March 24th and I spent three hours setting up our booth.
We are now ready for the on slaught of attendees that will be coming to the Mid America Trucking Show for the next three days. I will be adding to this blog entry over the next few days to keep you up to date as to what is going on.
Tommorow, March 25th is the first day and will open at 10 am for a V.I.P. session prior to the 1:00 p.m. general admitance. This place is huge and I hope to get a chance to look around before the doors open in the morning. Until tomorrow.
Sorry I did not post last night after the first day, we were all very tired. Still beat today but will get these photos up and report how things are going.
Here is the booth all ready in the West Wing #62124. I think we have a great location.
Thursday was slow during the first 4 hours of V.I.P. only. We could not even get one person to register for our VIP only drawing so we did not have to have one. But by 1:00 and the regular opending we had some takers and drew our first winner at 1:30.
Rich won a 5 gallon pail of Big Rig Brite. Our next winner also won some Big Rig but has not been by the booth again for a photo. The last drawing of the day was for an Aqua Force arm brace but he did not put his phone on the entry and only put down a P.O. Box so we will have to first contact him by mail and my have to draw a replacement winner after the show. We will post all winners in our April Newsletter.Today was the second day and quite a bit busier but not too much to handle. We had better luck with winners today.
The first Big Rig winner, Machelle.
Our second Aqua Force Arm Brace winner, David.
We also had our first of two days of Big Rig Network drawing winners at their booth at 2:00 p.m. Here is the winner,
Jeanie chose a case of 4 Big Rig Brite gallons vs. a 5 gallon pail for the convience to travel with just a gallon at a time on the road. She is a real women truck driver not just a trucker wife.Looking forward to tomorrow to be the busiest and hopefully we will have all our winners get back by the booth. More updates soon.
Well the last day opened an hour earlier and was busy early too. We had real brisk business until around 1 when it started to slow down slightly. Had a lot more takers for our in booth spin to win prize wheel.
Attendees were able to win prizes like a micro fiber towel, a sticky dash pad, product samples of our Oder Out Netrualizer or Scat fabric stain remover, a great personal utility bag for tolietry items or cash off coupons for our products in either $10, $20 or $50 amounts.
We had our second Big Rig Network drawing at their booth at 2:00 
There was a larger crowd than on Friday.
There was a larger crowd than on Friday.and our winner was John who chose 5 gallons of Brown Derby for washing his tractor and trailers.
By 3 p.m. the crowds really died down but we stayed all the way until 4 even while breaking down to keep spinning our prize wheel and scanning badges. We unfortunitly did not have any of our last day booth drawing winners available to come by our booth for photos since most had put their entry in on Friday and where already back out on the road. But we will be listing all our winners in our next Newsletter.
Can not wait to get a good nights sleep and then head home tomorrow for the 7 hour drive back to Atlanta.
I'll be back at work bright and early Monday morning to start getting out all the show orders and prize winnings, sending out requested information, and doing post show follow ups.
Hope to hear from you all soon.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Mid America Trucking Show 2010
The Mid America Trucking Show is the largest trade show event for the trucking industry held annually in Louisville, KY. Located at the Kentucky Exposition Center, one of the largest venues of its kind in the country, this year’s event will be held March 25th-27th. MATS will show case over 900 companies and their products with over 70,000 planned attendees from all 50 states as well as over 50 foreign countries. This Heavy-Duty Trucking event is a one-of-a-kind for the trucking industry.
Soap Warehouse has been selling industrial transportation detergents to the trucking industry for the past 17 years but has only recently been exhibiting in these shows. Last year they were a part of the "Big Rig 2009 MATS Sweepstakes Giveaway" and will repeat this year as well in the 2010 Giveaway. If you are a driver with a current CDL please go and enter online www.bigrignetwork.com for that drawing. They also exhibited at the Great American Truck Show in Dallas TX, last August having over 3000 attendees stop by their booth.
Soap Warehouse will be exhibiting this year at MATS in the West Wing at Booth 62124 holding their own booth drawings for their finish safe truck wash "Big Rig Brite" as well as a great new product, the "Aqua Force" arm brace, that is used on a pressure washing wand to reduce arm fatigue while washing. If you are planning on attending the show please go to print out an ENTRY FORM, fill it out and fax it to 770-939-5501 to enter prior to the shows start to guarantee you the best chance to win one of these great prizes.
You can view how the "Aqua Force" arm brace works here.
If you want to order one now please go HERE and click on the order now button. Enter the word 'soap' in the coupon field to get free UPS ground shipping, offer good only if ordered now until the end of the show March 27th.
Soap Warehouse will also have other smaller booth prizes and samples to give out to attendees that stop by to discuss product and to new customers who take advantage of their show special offers by placing an order during the show. If you are already a Soap Warehouse customer, stop by to pick up your customer gift at the booth, this item is being given only to current customers, don't forget to ask for it. Soap Warehouse also has a limited supply of free entry tickets to the show, so if you know you are coming to MATS give them a call at 1-800-SOAP-911 (800-762-7911) as soon as possible to get your free pair or two, only while supply lasts. Also if you are a current Soap Warehouse customer you can call by March 5th to be placed on their VIP list to gain early entry to the Halls on opening day March 25th. Normal show hours start at 1 p.m. but you can get in at 10 a.m. and miss a lot of the crowds, have three extra hours to be one of the first to see exhibitor's products.
To view Soap Warehouse's complete line of over 100 product items go to to their main web site. To be added to their newsletter and coupon specials please enter your name and e-mail address there.
Other features on line is an archive of past newsletters, their BlogSpot, MSDS downloadable file, credit application, order form and much more.
You can view a short presentation about Soap Warehouse here:
Other events that will be going on during MATS; first to kick off the show, the annual Paul K. Young Memorial Truck Beauty Show with 100 entries vying for honors in the country’s premier truck beauty show. The show is held in Lot “J” on the west side of the complex. Friday night March 26th right after the halls close at 6 p.m. two free concerts will feature country bluegrass band The Grascals and country music star John Anderson, presented by Mobil Delvac. Complimentary tickets will be distributed, while supplies last, from Mobil Delvac's Booth (#18160 in the North Wing) on Friday. Going on all during the show is a gathering of more than 100 of trucking's elite fleets looking for new drivers held at the Driver Recruitment Center in the West Wing and the Internet & Technology Center also in the West Wind that will showcase the most innovative technology available to the trucking industry in one centralized location.
Soap Warehouse has been selling industrial transportation detergents to the trucking industry for the past 17 years but has only recently been exhibiting in these shows. Last year they were a part of the "Big Rig 2009 MATS Sweepstakes Giveaway" and will repeat this year as well in the 2010 Giveaway. If you are a driver with a current CDL please go and enter online www.bigrignetwork.com for that drawing. They also exhibited at the Great American Truck Show in Dallas TX, last August having over 3000 attendees stop by their booth.
Soap Warehouse will be exhibiting this year at MATS in the West Wing at Booth 62124 holding their own booth drawings for their finish safe truck wash "Big Rig Brite" as well as a great new product, the "Aqua Force" arm brace, that is used on a pressure washing wand to reduce arm fatigue while washing. If you are planning on attending the show please go to print out an ENTRY FORM, fill it out and fax it to 770-939-5501 to enter prior to the shows start to guarantee you the best chance to win one of these great prizes.
You can view how the "Aqua Force" arm brace works here.
If you want to order one now please go HERE and click on the order now button. Enter the word 'soap' in the coupon field to get free UPS ground shipping, offer good only if ordered now until the end of the show March 27th.
Soap Warehouse will also have other smaller booth prizes and samples to give out to attendees that stop by to discuss product and to new customers who take advantage of their show special offers by placing an order during the show. If you are already a Soap Warehouse customer, stop by to pick up your customer gift at the booth, this item is being given only to current customers, don't forget to ask for it. Soap Warehouse also has a limited supply of free entry tickets to the show, so if you know you are coming to MATS give them a call at 1-800-SOAP-911 (800-762-7911) as soon as possible to get your free pair or two, only while supply lasts. Also if you are a current Soap Warehouse customer you can call by March 5th to be placed on their VIP list to gain early entry to the Halls on opening day March 25th. Normal show hours start at 1 p.m. but you can get in at 10 a.m. and miss a lot of the crowds, have three extra hours to be one of the first to see exhibitor's products.
To view Soap Warehouse's complete line of over 100 product items go to to their main web site. To be added to their newsletter and coupon specials please enter your name and e-mail address there.
Other features on line is an archive of past newsletters, their BlogSpot, MSDS downloadable file, credit application, order form and much more.
You can view a short presentation about Soap Warehouse here:
Other events that will be going on during MATS; first to kick off the show, the annual Paul K. Young Memorial Truck Beauty Show with 100 entries vying for honors in the country’s premier truck beauty show. The show is held in Lot “J” on the west side of the complex. Friday night March 26th right after the halls close at 6 p.m. two free concerts will feature country bluegrass band The Grascals and country music star John Anderson, presented by Mobil Delvac. Complimentary tickets will be distributed, while supplies last, from Mobil Delvac's Booth (#18160 in the North Wing) on Friday. Going on all during the show is a gathering of more than 100 of trucking's elite fleets looking for new drivers held at the Driver Recruitment Center in the West Wing and the Internet & Technology Center also in the West Wind that will showcase the most innovative technology available to the trucking industry in one centralized location.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Ladders and other equipment Safety
Safety is not only to be considered with the big pieces of equipment like your pressure washing machine or with the chemicals you use, but with everything else too.
Having to work off the ground is the second highest cause of server injury behind miss use of a pressure washer in this industry. It can be from improper use of a ladder, not wearing a safety harness on a roof, wearing incorrect foot wear or glasses. Reasons for not using or following safety guidelines can be big or small but even small ones can be a big mistake.
Take not wearing safety glasses, goggles or a face shield when using a pressure washer. Sure it can be a pain especially if you already wear glasses for daily vision but just one miss directed spray of water or chemical causing permanent blindness is not something to play with.
Ladders are the number one cause, according to OSHA, over all occupational hazard injuries in all industries. Here is a link to their flash card on ladder safety that you can print out on heavy stock paper, cut out and laminate. http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_Hurricane_Facts/portable_ladder_qc.pdf. You can also pay companies to supply you with these kinds of materials. Here is the same info on a single page form to place in your MSDS or safety book. http://www.osha.gov/Publications/portable_ladder_qc.html. OSHA's site http://www.osha.gov/ should be bookmarked on your computer for quick reference for all safety information.
There are also many good ladder safety videos on Utube and other sites that you can access and use in your safety instruction plan if you do not have the funds to go buy them. Here is just one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD0U6Df3ReA&feature=fvw. To find more just do a search inside Utube or other search engine for 'ladder safety'.
There is also added equipment that can improve ladder safety, things such as painter arm braces as they are sometimes called, or ladder stabilizers or ladder braces. These items attach to the ladder near the top that extend out and then will brace against a surface to help stabilize or diminish the side to side movement of a ladder. There are also ones that extend and curve out form the back of a ladder to rest on the roof surface to provide stability without increasing the width of the ladder. Here is a site that has some really neat ladder attachments. http://stores.homestead.com/LadderMaxLLC/StoreFront.bok They also have ladder levelers. Here is another site as well http://www.globalwholesalersinc.com/quick_connect.htm with ladder products.
Next once on the roof you need to be wearing a harness and have the proper anchoring to arrest a fall. You need to purchase a well fitting harness, ropes, anchors, clasps and hooks that are made for roof work. Here is one site I did not include yet in the other safety equipment blog http://www.discountsafetygear.com/. They have a wide range of items. Most of the time you will not be able to attach and remove to reuse roof anchors but you do not want to spend all your profit on the more expensive perment mount anchors. Most guys I have talked to suggest buying the inexpensive temporary or labeled 'reusable' anchors and plan not to remove them when you leave. Since removing anchors once attached can cause damage to the roof or take time and costs more money for you to try and patch the holes you have made to avoid causing future damage for the homeowner. Plus they will already be in place for work at this same location in the future.
Having to work off the ground is the second highest cause of server injury behind miss use of a pressure washer in this industry. It can be from improper use of a ladder, not wearing a safety harness on a roof, wearing incorrect foot wear or glasses. Reasons for not using or following safety guidelines can be big or small but even small ones can be a big mistake.
Take not wearing safety glasses, goggles or a face shield when using a pressure washer. Sure it can be a pain especially if you already wear glasses for daily vision but just one miss directed spray of water or chemical causing permanent blindness is not something to play with.
Ladders are the number one cause, according to OSHA, over all occupational hazard injuries in all industries. Here is a link to their flash card on ladder safety that you can print out on heavy stock paper, cut out and laminate. http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_Hurricane_Facts/portable_ladder_qc.pdf. You can also pay companies to supply you with these kinds of materials. Here is the same info on a single page form to place in your MSDS or safety book. http://www.osha.gov/Publications/portable_ladder_qc.html. OSHA's site http://www.osha.gov/ should be bookmarked on your computer for quick reference for all safety information.
There are also many good ladder safety videos on Utube and other sites that you can access and use in your safety instruction plan if you do not have the funds to go buy them. Here is just one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD0U6Df3ReA&feature=fvw. To find more just do a search inside Utube or other search engine for 'ladder safety'.
There is also added equipment that can improve ladder safety, things such as painter arm braces as they are sometimes called, or ladder stabilizers or ladder braces. These items attach to the ladder near the top that extend out and then will brace against a surface to help stabilize or diminish the side to side movement of a ladder. There are also ones that extend and curve out form the back of a ladder to rest on the roof surface to provide stability without increasing the width of the ladder. Here is a site that has some really neat ladder attachments. http://stores.homestead.com/LadderMaxLLC/StoreFront.bok They also have ladder levelers. Here is another site as well http://www.globalwholesalersinc.com/quick_connect.htm with ladder products.
Next once on the roof you need to be wearing a harness and have the proper anchoring to arrest a fall. You need to purchase a well fitting harness, ropes, anchors, clasps and hooks that are made for roof work. Here is one site I did not include yet in the other safety equipment blog http://www.discountsafetygear.com/. They have a wide range of items. Most of the time you will not be able to attach and remove to reuse roof anchors but you do not want to spend all your profit on the more expensive perment mount anchors. Most guys I have talked to suggest buying the inexpensive temporary or labeled 'reusable' anchors and plan not to remove them when you leave. Since removing anchors once attached can cause damage to the roof or take time and costs more money for you to try and patch the holes you have made to avoid causing future damage for the homeowner. Plus they will already be in place for work at this same location in the future.
Pressure Washer Safety and more
Your pressure washer is one of your best tools to do your jobs but it is also one of the most dangerous if proper safety measures are not followed when operating it.
Thousands of people are injured every year by improper use of a pressure washer and not all are by amateurs, hundreds of even so called professionals have accidents. As demonstrated here in this article and why accident attorneys shop for workers comp claimants. http://www.bignews.biz/?id=816222&keys=accident-claims-jet-wash
Most professionals use the higher powered gas machines many of which are also hot water machines. Both of these factors can cause good things such as reduced time spent doing a job, reduced amount of chemicals needed and so on. But more power and hotter water can also increase bad things as well such as the potential for increased accidents and damage to property.
First make sure your equipment is always in good working order, do not let little problems like loose connections or worn fittings turn into major trouble. Second; Wear your safety gear! Heavy shoes or boots, long sleeve shirts and long pants, safety glasses, goggles or face shields, gloves and any other item indicated on the MSDS when using chemicals. We have had too many customers that have had to call us or hospitals just because simple measures were not taken. Had a customer on his day off go check on one of his job sites. He did not bother to change clothes, walked up on a worker using the washer and he was back sprayed with caustic chemical that burned him without him knowing it until an hour or so later once the damage had already been done. He now has permanent white scare spots on this arms and legs.
Third know your equipment, how to operate it, and how to maintain it. Cleaner Times magazine has a great series for companies that have a machine shop and do their own work on their pressure washers. Go to their website and check out the archived articles to find lots of great information. http://cleanertimes.com/. Cleaner Times also have great articles on safety and covering all aspects of your business.
Keep a log book on all of your equipment. When and where purchased, where the instruction information is located if not with the log, the cost of and when and where repairs and maintenance was preformed on the equipment. This information can help you with calculating job expenses, handling insurance claims and at tax time figuring deductions. If you have to keep smaller logs with separate pieces of equipment or in separate vehicles or locations fine but make sure you routinely bring at least copies of all of them to be in one location. The best thing would be to scan the pages into a computer file and then burn a disk of the data that is stored in a fire safe or safe deposit box. This is true for all your important business documents. I had a customer just after I started working here that had a fire burn down her house with all her records inside. Her shed with her rig was saved but nothing else from all her years of work. It took her weeks just to contact all her customers because she had to look up every number, remember every name, every vendor. It took her almost two years to get her business back to where it was and to sort out the insurance and tax mess that the fire caused.
Here is another site if you are not familiar with them you should be The Power Washer Advisor. They have great information no matter what equipment you use. Here is their safety info area http://www.the-power-washer-advisor.com/pressure-washer-safety.html. They also have a great blog area where I have learned a lot so I know you can too. I feel it is much easier to direct you to the places that have good information instead of trying to reinvent the wheel or try to pass it off as my knowledge. I know there is plenty in the business I do not know and that is why I am constantly searching and reading up on things about the industry. If there is something you want to find out about and do not have the time to look give us a call. I will be happy to find information and make it available to everyone. Because if you want to know about it I am sure someone else does too.
More in our next installment
Thousands of people are injured every year by improper use of a pressure washer and not all are by amateurs, hundreds of even so called professionals have accidents. As demonstrated here in this article and why accident attorneys shop for workers comp claimants. http://www.bignews.biz/?id=816222&keys=accident-claims-jet-wash
Most professionals use the higher powered gas machines many of which are also hot water machines. Both of these factors can cause good things such as reduced time spent doing a job, reduced amount of chemicals needed and so on. But more power and hotter water can also increase bad things as well such as the potential for increased accidents and damage to property.
First make sure your equipment is always in good working order, do not let little problems like loose connections or worn fittings turn into major trouble. Second; Wear your safety gear! Heavy shoes or boots, long sleeve shirts and long pants, safety glasses, goggles or face shields, gloves and any other item indicated on the MSDS when using chemicals. We have had too many customers that have had to call us or hospitals just because simple measures were not taken. Had a customer on his day off go check on one of his job sites. He did not bother to change clothes, walked up on a worker using the washer and he was back sprayed with caustic chemical that burned him without him knowing it until an hour or so later once the damage had already been done. He now has permanent white scare spots on this arms and legs.
Third know your equipment, how to operate it, and how to maintain it. Cleaner Times magazine has a great series for companies that have a machine shop and do their own work on their pressure washers. Go to their website and check out the archived articles to find lots of great information. http://cleanertimes.com/. Cleaner Times also have great articles on safety and covering all aspects of your business.
Keep a log book on all of your equipment. When and where purchased, where the instruction information is located if not with the log, the cost of and when and where repairs and maintenance was preformed on the equipment. This information can help you with calculating job expenses, handling insurance claims and at tax time figuring deductions. If you have to keep smaller logs with separate pieces of equipment or in separate vehicles or locations fine but make sure you routinely bring at least copies of all of them to be in one location. The best thing would be to scan the pages into a computer file and then burn a disk of the data that is stored in a fire safe or safe deposit box. This is true for all your important business documents. I had a customer just after I started working here that had a fire burn down her house with all her records inside. Her shed with her rig was saved but nothing else from all her years of work. It took her weeks just to contact all her customers because she had to look up every number, remember every name, every vendor. It took her almost two years to get her business back to where it was and to sort out the insurance and tax mess that the fire caused.
Here is another site if you are not familiar with them you should be The Power Washer Advisor. They have great information no matter what equipment you use. Here is their safety info area http://www.the-power-washer-advisor.com/pressure-washer-safety.html. They also have a great blog area where I have learned a lot so I know you can too. I feel it is much easier to direct you to the places that have good information instead of trying to reinvent the wheel or try to pass it off as my knowledge. I know there is plenty in the business I do not know and that is why I am constantly searching and reading up on things about the industry. If there is something you want to find out about and do not have the time to look give us a call. I will be happy to find information and make it available to everyone. Because if you want to know about it I am sure someone else does too.
More in our next installment
Thursday, February 18, 2010
How do you mix and store to use your cleaning chemicals?
Now that we know what chemicals we are using to do our work we need to know how to properly handle them.
First know how and at what concentrations the containers of chemicals you are using come in. Many times contractors forget to properly label or mark the containers cleaners are in that can cause serious safety concerns. For instance a customer that always carried premixed products on his rig for his hired help to use right out of the container, but then one day he got busy and poured a non diluted amount of product in the same container that usually held the diluted product. Once out on the job his employees not knowing the product was not the same strength they were use to, applied it directly on a surface causing damage that the business owner ended up having to pay for. Luckily the employees wore proper safety gear and none of them were injured. But what if that had not been the case?
Our products are sold highly concentrated to save you money but they must be properly labeled to be used safely. This also can be a big loss of income as well if you are wasting product by not using the proper dilution rate. The old adage more is better is not the case with chemical products for cleaning.
All cleaning products, not just Hazardous ones, should be labeled following OSHA guidelines. You can easily purchase the correct NFPA Diamond or HIMS warning labels to place on any and every container as needed. Here are a few places to find them:
Compliance Signs: http://www.compliancesigns.com/nfpadiamonds.shtml
Label Master: http://www.labelmaster.com/shop/labels
Safety Sign: http://www.safetysign.com/
To learn more about them here is a web site to check out: http://www.ilpi.com/msds/ref/nfpa.html
To get a free guide to using NFPA labels you can get here: http://www.graphicproducts.com/guides.html
Always follow the label directions on how to mix products that come in kit form. There is a reason they are labeled A, B, C. Do not think you should mix all the powders in first (A and C) because you think it is easier. There can be a safety concern if you mix some product components out of order or with out the proper amount of water in the mixing tank or drum.
Care should also be used when transferring mixed product to secondary containers so not to spill or splash contents. Use siphon pumps, funnels and other approved items to help with this. Be sure to label these as well so not to use one pump with another chemical which might cause a reaction. It is much safer to have each pump or other type of transfer item marked to know which chemical it is to be used with. Even using measured pump dispensers can make the job safer for large or small amounts. Here are some links: http://www.championjanitorialsupply.com/products/dispensers/288
http://www.championjanitorialsupply.com/products/dispensers/266
http://www.refrigeratorparts.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Category_Code=chemb&Product_Code=MAN-01273&Screen=PROD&Store_Code=refrigeratorparts
http://www.jiffysupply.com/servlet/the-552/Hand-Transfer-Pump/Detail
http://www.toolhawker.com/Fluid-Lubricant-Transfer-Pump_item_41084.html
Next item to cover is how to store chemical products. Read the label and MSDS that will tell you proper storage temps as well as other considerations. You should not leave an open bag of caustic in a laundry wash room that could allow moisture or water to get to it. It also might be mistaken for laundry detergent and cause sever skin irritation or burns not to mention damage to the washer if accidently used. Keep chemicals away from other normal household products, kids and pets. Store in a cool (not cold or hot), dry area in as air tight as possible. Products should also always be kept in the containers they where shipped in until mixed or transferred and properly relabeled. No old (deteriorating) or empty chemical container should be reused for another purpose due to cross contamination of incompatible ingredients. Always properly dispose of empties as soon as possible. Plastic containers that did not contain hazardous products can even be rinsed and recycled according to the plastic code marked on the container.
See you tomorrow.
First know how and at what concentrations the containers of chemicals you are using come in. Many times contractors forget to properly label or mark the containers cleaners are in that can cause serious safety concerns. For instance a customer that always carried premixed products on his rig for his hired help to use right out of the container, but then one day he got busy and poured a non diluted amount of product in the same container that usually held the diluted product. Once out on the job his employees not knowing the product was not the same strength they were use to, applied it directly on a surface causing damage that the business owner ended up having to pay for. Luckily the employees wore proper safety gear and none of them were injured. But what if that had not been the case?
Our products are sold highly concentrated to save you money but they must be properly labeled to be used safely. This also can be a big loss of income as well if you are wasting product by not using the proper dilution rate. The old adage more is better is not the case with chemical products for cleaning.
All cleaning products, not just Hazardous ones, should be labeled following OSHA guidelines. You can easily purchase the correct NFPA Diamond or HIMS warning labels to place on any and every container as needed. Here are a few places to find them:
Compliance Signs: http://www.compliancesigns.com/nfpadiamonds.shtml
Label Master: http://www.labelmaster.com/shop/labels
Safety Sign: http://www.safetysign.com/
To learn more about them here is a web site to check out: http://www.ilpi.com/msds/ref/nfpa.html
To get a free guide to using NFPA labels you can get here: http://www.graphicproducts.com/guides.html
Always follow the label directions on how to mix products that come in kit form. There is a reason they are labeled A, B, C. Do not think you should mix all the powders in first (A and C) because you think it is easier. There can be a safety concern if you mix some product components out of order or with out the proper amount of water in the mixing tank or drum.
Care should also be used when transferring mixed product to secondary containers so not to spill or splash contents. Use siphon pumps, funnels and other approved items to help with this. Be sure to label these as well so not to use one pump with another chemical which might cause a reaction. It is much safer to have each pump or other type of transfer item marked to know which chemical it is to be used with. Even using measured pump dispensers can make the job safer for large or small amounts. Here are some links: http://www.championjanitorialsupply.com/products/dispensers/288
http://www.championjanitorialsupply.com/products/dispensers/266
http://www.refrigeratorparts.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Category_Code=chemb&Product_Code=MAN-01273&Screen=PROD&Store_Code=refrigeratorparts
http://www.jiffysupply.com/servlet/the-552/Hand-Transfer-Pump/Detail
http://www.toolhawker.com/Fluid-Lubricant-Transfer-Pump_item_41084.html
Next item to cover is how to store chemical products. Read the label and MSDS that will tell you proper storage temps as well as other considerations. You should not leave an open bag of caustic in a laundry wash room that could allow moisture or water to get to it. It also might be mistaken for laundry detergent and cause sever skin irritation or burns not to mention damage to the washer if accidently used. Keep chemicals away from other normal household products, kids and pets. Store in a cool (not cold or hot), dry area in as air tight as possible. Products should also always be kept in the containers they where shipped in until mixed or transferred and properly relabeled. No old (deteriorating) or empty chemical container should be reused for another purpose due to cross contamination of incompatible ingredients. Always properly dispose of empties as soon as possible. Plastic containers that did not contain hazardous products can even be rinsed and recycled according to the plastic code marked on the container.
See you tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
