Cleaners & Surfactants

Which soft wash cleaner or surfactant do you need?

Soft wash chemistry sorts into four categories: surfactants you mix with bleach, specialty cleaners for what bleach won't touch, surface-specific formulas, and post-job neutralizers. Once you know which category your problem belongs to, picking the product is straightforward.

Surfactants for your soft wash mix

A surfactant is the soap you add to a bleach-and-water solution. It drops surface tension so your mix clings to vertical and sloped surfaces, which gives sodium hypochlorite the dwell time it needs to break down mold, algae, and organic growth. It also masks the chlorine smell, which homeowners notice almost as much as they notice the clean.

We carry four scented gallons (Apple Juice, Cherry Blast, Florida Orange, Lemon Fresh) plus the hyper-concentrated Mango Mauler. Apple Juice is the workhorse: thick foam, deep penetration, up to 130 gallons of mix per gallon. Florida Orange is the most versatile and runs cleanly through batch tanks, downstream injectors, and proportioners. Cherry Blast and Lemon Fresh add extra penetrating surfactant for stubborn organic growth. Mango Mauler is the most concentrated in the lineup, with one 80 oz pouch replacing five gallons of standard surfactant. Not sure which scent your customers will respond to? The Surfactant Variety Pack gives you one gallon of each.

Specialty acid cleaners

Bleach is the right tool for organic growth (mold, algae, mildew). It's the wrong tool for minerals like calcium, efflorescence, and rust. Those problems need acid chemistry. FX Efflorescence Remover dissolves calcium, calcium carbonate, and hard water stains across concrete, brick, pavers, glass, stucco, and EIFS. Rust Buster handles rust on concrete, masonry, and wood: sprinkler stains, red clay, battery rust. Rust Rx is the non-hazardous, marine-safe alternative when you're working around plants, pets, sensitive customers, or waterfront property.

Surface-specific formulas

Wood Doctor is a metasilicate cleaner for decks and fences. It strips dead, weathered wood without damaging the grain, so the surface is ready for stain or seal. Tiger Stripe is a paint-safe brightener for the black oxidation streaks on gutters that never come off with pressure. Grease Lightning is a multi-surface alkaline degreaser for oil, carbon, and tire stains on concrete, brick, EIFS, vinyl siding, and other hard surfaces. Window Mauler is concentrated window soap with squeegee glide built in. Upcharge polishes stainless steel and metal trim to a streak-free finish.

Bleach neutralizers

NeutraPods deactivate residual sodium hypochlorite so it stops working on things you don't want it working on: landscaping, paint, fabric, anodized aluminum. One pouch neutralizes around 50 gallons of post-job rinse. The 6 lb bucket scales to 3,000 gallons for high-volume commercial work, and the 40 lb bulk bucket covers up to 20,000 gallons for large service providers. The NeutraPods Gator™ Bundle is a separate product: a low-profile gutter cleaning attachment for your pressure washer (head, shepherd's hook, and two 25050 nozzles). It's branded under the NeutraPods line but sold for the gutter work itself, not as a neutralizer kit.

Roof rejuvenation

NuTopp is the odd one out in this collection. It isn't a cleaner. It's an asphalt shingle rejuvenator that diffuses bio-based oils into aging roofs to replace the maltenes that UV, heat, and oxidation strip out over time. Pros add it onto roof wash jobs as a way to help customers put off a full replacement.

Which Cleaner for Which Job

Related Categories

• Soft Washing
• Soft Wash Sprayers
• Proportioner Valves & Manifolds
• PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)
• Window Cleaning

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between a surfactant and a specialty cleaner?

A surfactant is the soap you add to your bleach-and-water soft wash mix. It makes the bleach cling longer, foam up, and smell better to homeowners. Specialty cleaners (FX, Rust Buster, Wood Doctor, Tiger Stripe) are standalone formulas with their own active chemistry, usually acid-based, that handle problems bleach can't touch. Most working pros carry both.

Which soft wash surfactant should I start with?

If you're new, start with Apple Juice. It's the most universally used scent and stretches the furthest per gallon. If you already know your market or you want to A/B test, grab the Surfactant Variety Pack and run all four for a month. You'll have a clear answer about which one your customers comment on and which one your equipment runs cleanest with.

Are these cleaners bleach-stable? Can I mix them with sodium hypochlorite?

The surfactants (Apple Juice, Cherry Blast, Florida Orange, Lemon Fresh, and Mango Mauler) are fully bleach-stable and built to be mixed directly with SH. The acid cleaners and degreasers (FX, Rust Buster, Rust Rx, Tiger Stripe, Grease Lightning) are not. Never mix acid or alkaline cleaners with bleach. Use them on their own, on their own day. Rinse any bleach residue thoroughly before switching chemistries.

Do I really need a bleach neutralizer?

Yes, especially around mature landscaping, painted surfaces, anodized aluminum, and customer vehicles. Residual SH keeps reacting long after you've packed up, and the call you don't want is the one about the rose bush that died Tuesday after you washed the house Saturday. NeutraPods are cheap insurance on any job that's near something you can't replace.

What removes calcium or efflorescence from masonry?

FX Efflorescence Remover. Calcium, calcium carbonate, and the white powdery efflorescence that creeps out of brick and concrete are mineral-based, not organic. Bleach has nothing to bind to. FX dissolves them chemically. Use 1:1 for thick deposits and up to 1:12 for light surface staining.

Will Tiger Stripe or Wood Doctor damage paint, plants, or finished surfaces?

When used as directed, no. Tiger Stripe is paint-safe at proper dilutions: 1:5 for heavy oxidation, up to 1:15 for light streaking. Wood Doctor strips dead wood fiber without bleaching the grain. Both need plants and shrubs below the application area pre-wetted, and a thorough top-to-bottom rinse afterward, same as any soft wash. Spot test on a small area first.