To use, or not to use? That is the question…

 

We have been cleaning exterior surfaces for over 25 years and for many years water pressure & hard graft was the go-to method for good results. The difference was significant in the transformation and the clients were happy, we got paid and well-reviewed.

 

A really good professional pressure washer combined with a hardworking attitude and experience was enough to succeed.

 

Evolution

The exterior surface cleaning industry evolved, and chemical products came to the market that would make the final product even better and produce notable results.  When clients saw what a difference you could make to their surfaces, the reaction went from “Wow” to “WOW!!!”.

 

Clients soon forget what their paving colour was like when it was initially installed and with our professional approach, we could bring back surfaces in a lot of cases to as good as new with a water pressure and chemical approach.

 

Chemicals IF needed – not chemicals first

The trend in our industry now seems to be that a chemicals first approach is the standard way and that is the only way. Soaking surfaces in chemicals from the off with no thought for whether they are even needed in the first place.

 

Not all surfaces require chemicals to get great results and certainly within our business we have many clients each year that demand zero chemicals be used within their gardens and this is 100% a thought process that we have too.

 

We are proud nature lovers and many of our clients are too.

 

Are the chemicals you use safe?

No matter what way somebody dresses up and sells the chemical approach to say there is NO environmental impact, this is simply naïve and wrong. Sodium hypochlorite and other bleach-based products can certainly impact on insects, plants and aquatic life in our rivers and streams if used in large volumes at high concentration levels.

 

If you are using minimal chemicals at the correct dosage and you are using lots of water to dilute at the rinse off stage, then the environmental impact is kept to an absolute minimum, and we are still getting fantastic results.

 

The industry needs to do better and promote chemicals if required, not chemicals first.

 

 

Our approach

Our policy is to only use chemicals if required after cleaning and feel the additional costs and use are going to really benefit the final look of the newly renovated surface.

 

Certain stones like natural Indian sandstones that really do suffer with dirt ingression and black spot (if unsealed) really benefit from a chemical wash.  Other surfaces such as concrete man-made slab patios can be made to look new without any chemicals at all.

 

Chemical treatments are 100% more successful if you treat the paving post-cleaning and attack any remaining lichen or dirt ingression with your product of choice.

 

Simply spraying chemicals onto years of dirt is going to be far less effective.

 

With our approach, we use less chemicals and our environmental impact is as minimal as possible.

 

Here at Paveclean Pro, we offer our chemical treatments as additional services and are priced separately within the quoting structure. This allows the client to opt-in or opt-out of the chemical use and also allows us to fully explain the process and why the surface would maybe benefit from the additional service and costs.

 

Example scenario – Mrs Penelopy Smythe

Client & nature enthusiast who loves her garden more than she ever loved her three ex-husbands

Mrs Smythe, the nature lover client with her bird feeders up all over her garden and her hedgehog house in the corner of the garden that looks like a scene from a Beatrix Potter novel is probably not going to appreciate her “Expert patio cleaning professional” spraying all her surfaces, edges of lawns and tips of her prize magnolias with snow foam bleach based chemicals in the time that she has gone and put the kettle on to make you a cup of her finest Earl Grey.

The only steam you will see will be from her head as she goes crazy at you for spraying chemicals everywhere without warning and you will be off the job with your tail between your legs licking your wounds.

 

 

Conclusion

Whether you’re a homeowner or tradesperson, we all need to do our bit for the environment. There is no denying that the use of chemicals can make huge differences to the final finish but let’s use a “chemicals if required” approach rather than a “chemicals first at any cost” type attitude.

 

Much Love – The bees, the birds, rivers & streams.