Temporary surfactant needed

Residential
1

Hello everyone! I am a homeowner and enjoy doing my own work when I can, and recently started pressure washing my house. I got the driveway done and the washer died on me. I’ve got a new one and am off work tomorrow to finish up the house.

I had found a post about using gain as a surfactant and made the mistake of getting the liquid laundry detergent. It worked ok, but caused an exothermic reaction within the downstream injector bottle. Not too bad, just got hot and bubbly, but I obviously need something else.

I have researched here and understand I should get some elemonator or roof snot, etc., but I need something tomorrow just to finish up. Theres no suppliers around me, so I’m stuck with big box stores, etc.

Someone mentioned M1 Housewash, but from what I can tell, it doesnt foam up like the dreaded Dawn does, lol. Maybe the arm & hammer or try the gain dish soap?

Any help?

2

Just skip the surfactant

4

If I skip the surfactant, will I need to keep it wet while it sits?

Edit: I should add, it’s pretty freaking hot out and I think it would dry quickly if I don’t do a small section at a time.

5

Just wash a side away a time

6

SR300%2C300

If little baby ducks can swim in it, why cant I charge a stranger to put it on their home?

7

Lol, I don’t think that baby duck would appreciate SH being poured in with it!
Innocentbystander: thanks, I might end up doing that.

Also, I found this and haven’t seen it discussed here: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/farmworks-80-20-surfactant-1-gal

8

Never seen tractor supply surfactant before! Dont use dawn though!!!

9

No worries, I know enough not to use that.

After some more research, it looks like the laundry detergent was reacting with the water. Not the SH. Either way, not good unless the hot mixture cleans better (like a hot water wash).

I’ll pick up the tractor supply stuff and let everyone know what its like.

10

From reading that 80-20-1 surfactant it is used to hold different types of pesticides to help stick to vegetations and such…don’t think it will be in this forum, some correct me if I’m wrong

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11

Sodium Hypochlorite is technically a “pesticide “. But I wouldn’t use anything from tractor supply.

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