I ran across a post by squidskc that mentioned his test bottles. Sounds handy to easily test if your chemicals will damage property or will work on a problem. Does anyone else have a test kit? Any different products or tests?
Once you have walked around the property taking before pictures/video and to identify/document any preexisting damage. Bring anything you found to your customer’s attention. Then explain that you will need to test the chemicals that you plan on using in some inconspicuous spots to ensure there will be no problems. Then ask for their permission to do so.
Test kit: Small spray or regular bottles of the following chemicals in a bucket or caddy.
SH mix 4% -Surface SH test
Apply to anything in an inconspicuous area on each side of the house that might get SH on it. Let dwell for 10-15 mins. e setting up. Make sure to rinse!
FYI - Blue Sherwin Williams paint hates bleach.
Denatured alcohol and rags - Wood sealer type test
Use denatured alcohol on a rag and rub it firmly. The water-based sealer will come off and show color but oil-based will not.
Plain water - Splash test for sealer
First off, just because wood is grey doesn’t mean that there still isn’t a water barrier! Some sealers like Thompson’s will grey out quickly but still repel water. To check if the existing sealer is still effective, pour a small amount of water on multiple areas of the wood surface. If it beads up it indicates the presence of some type of sealer. If it beads up only in some places the sealer has failed. You can’t really clean a deck with a failed coating. You can remove the organics, but it will not look right. Only stripping and resealing will make it look good.
Xylene gel - Concrete sealer type test
The Xylene gel test is a simple way to determine if a concrete surface is sealed with a solvent-based or water-based sealer:
Put a small amount of Xylene gel on the concrete in a less visible area.
Wait about 30 seconds for the Xylene to interact with the sealer.
Remove the excess xylene. Gently touch the area where the Xylene was applied.
If the surface is tacky, the concrete is sealed with a solvent-based sealer. If the surface is not tacky, the concrete is sealed with a water-based sealer.
Finger test -Oxidation test
Wipe the surface in an inconspicuous place with your finger. If powder comes off, then the surface is oxidized. Be extremely careful with pressure or you may end up providing a free oxidation removal. Upsell oxidation removal.
F9 Efflo, f9 barc, one restore, EBC - Test the surface in an inconspicuous area before you use it on it.
Weak oxalic acid mix -Test the surface in an inconspicuous area before you use it on it.
Degreaser (Purple Power or Zep Citrus Degreaser) -Test the surface in an inconspicuous area before you use it on it.
Mineral spirits - Test the surface in an inconspicuous area before you use it on it.
Magic eraser-Test the surface in an inconspicuous area before you use it on it.
