Surface cleaner techniques

I’ve never had a whisper wash sc, but i readily like the MiTm sc, it’s a 20in and its done really well with my 4gpm. I got it for a screaming deal, it was hardly used, but our works great. When it’s time to get another scill try the WW, but until then I’m happy(also no lobger use a 4gpm, using a 5.5gpm mainly).

There really is no “rule of thumb” in this industry, you could hang off a 20 inch with 4gpm with a good pre treat. Is it slow, yes. Will it work? Absolutely.

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agreed. i got a good deal on 20" sc so that it what i use. i have tried a smaller 16 and 18 with my 4gpm machine and they do run a little better, but i get the job done with the 20 no problem.

Tried to upload a video. Didn’t work, so here’s a photo.

I always do one lane forward and then usually the same lane backwards. I then move a foot to either side, and then go back over half the already cleaned side and half the dirty side. Might be extra work but I’ve never had to go back and redo a lane.

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Hot water+post treatment= no lines…
But seriously, pre treat, go perpendicular to line of sight, downstream post treat and you shouldn’t have any more problems. I use a 5gpm/3000psi hydrotek and on regular cement/concrete driveways I don’t even use SH. I just run the heat at about 180 or so and rock and roll. Exposed aggregate and painted concrete are about the only things I use SH on.

I wish. No matter what I do, there are always lines showing and I have to go back over it again in a grid pattern. Then it looks like a faded chess board.:laughing:

I have had limited success with a serpentine pattern, similar to Moose’s technique only more fluid. Still working on it. If it continues I may have to get a 4-nozzle surface cleaner.

Do these problems exist with an 8 gpm machine? I see tons of posts about lines but I’d like to know what the stats are. I don’t have an 8 but I would imagine an 8 gpm with 4 tips (instead of two) on the sc would not have this problem.

How are you post treating? I’m aware you don’t have a 12v, do you use a x-jet?

An 8gpm with 4 tips will greatly reduce striping. Concrete is either clean or it isn’t clean, that’s what those lines are. Same reason post treating gets rid of the lines, it bleaching out the dirty parts that aren’t clean.

If you use heat 175-190 and four nozzle bar, you won’t usually have to use chemicals. I very rarely do, always do on grease or oil though. Love the heat on concrete, It comes out great!image

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Seriously jealous.

Can that 4 nozzle be used with a 5.5/3500?

I believe so, your pressure stays the same just spreads out over 4 nozzles instead of two. I’ve never tried with a 5.5, worst case senecio if you did get four nozzle bar and not work out the way you wanted, you could plug the other two openings if need be. You would Obviously need to get new nozzles to use the four bar. I like the four myself. Eagle wash four nozzle 16” would work good too.

@dcbrock , how are you post treating??

DS full strength 12.5, seems to be about 1% after 200’.

Don’t get me wrong, it does lighten things up, but half the time it doesn’t totally erase the stripes.

I’m even willing to try some ‘soap’ through the injector and see what happens.

I don’t suppose a 4 nozzle will fit on an Ultra Clean?

Post treat with a stronger mix via 12v or x-jet with no proportioner at least, to fix your problem. Watch @Racer’s video and repeat his process. Problem solved.

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No, not effectively

Thanks, I’ll dust off the xjet then.

make sure you put a little surfactant in there too. It helps it penetrate besides holding on there.

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When pre-treating, is it okay if the treatment dries before you start surface cleaning? I read on here a while back to pre-treat, wash the house, and then surface clean which is what I did this past weekend. By the time I started on the driveway, it was dry.

Whether you pretreat or not, don’t clean dry concrete. I don’t usually pretreat because we clean the same stuff over and over and it isn’t usually dirty, but we wet it down first

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