Cleaners & Insect Prevention
Pro Tip--one thing to be very careful about in surface cleaning is the use of anything Sodium Hypochlorate based as a cleaner. Bleach based products are pretty low cost, and a popular "home remedy" for years has been a variant on 3 qts warm water, 1 qt household bleach, 1/4 cup TSP (trisodium phosphate).
Bleach generally has a very high PH (in the 11-13 range) which can be an issue of its own, but bleach is really hard to fully rinse well, especially from seams and check areas. Ever get a bit of bleach on your hands and still feel that "slickness" even after you rinse your hands...
Kleenstart is a Sodium Percarbonate based oxygenated cleaner. The granular formation easily dissolves in warm/hot water and is a snap to apply with a pump-up garden sprayer. Even if you've done a bleach-based cleaning--give Kleenstart a try as a final step. The better prepped your surface, the better and more long lasting your protectant!
All forms of cleaning and preparation WILL have different impact on a wood surface. If you've powerwashed or mediablasted, should you give some areas a pass with an Osborne Brush? A quick hit with a sanding square to prevent raised grain? Consider something more aggressive for really stubborn areas like oxalic acid? We're around Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call us toll free at 800-617-8246.
