Risk accessing a job for hypo treatment.

Looking to increase my knowledge of things to look out for when hypoing a property - i understand electrical fixtures are not good to spray hypo on, but also wanted to find safe ways to thoroughly prepare an area and also after i leave to make sure its not going to cause any problems to dogs or the surrounding plant / wildlife. Today i have tried to put together a risk assessment for hypo'ing a large detached house - the house has a very packed garden / perfectly kept lawn which the hypo runoff will certainly flow onto due to the slope and lack of drainage. I was planning on thoroughly hosing the garden before i apply any hypo but wondered if i could improve on that and take some further steps to do the job really safely, with no damage to the lawn or the surrounding plants. Also there is what looks like an air source heat pump at the base of one of the walls. Last part is the roof of the garage customer wants the moss growing cleaned off - i was planning on just brushing that off when i do the wall above, but didn't want to end up with a small patch of roof tiles that are a completely different colour to the rest. As always thanks in advance to the community for any help offered. 

Here  is my preliminary risk assessment: 

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Risk : Lawn stains 

Solution : Thoroughly wet up before any hypo is used. Continually wet throughout job to ensure runoff is not going to effect grass

Risk : Plants getting damaged by hypo mixture

Solution: Move as many as possible out of risk area

Risk: Air source heat pump getting damaged by hypo

Solution: Tape up and cover with tarpoline

Risk: Roof tiles bleaching

Solution: Wet up thoroughly, not too much hypo

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The garden...



Air source heat pump fixture...



The roof that has some small amount of moss / lichen growing along the right hand side - plan was to wet and forget it maybe then scrub with brush ?

Don’t have time now for an in-depth explanation ,but you have covered most points a mist spray is fine to damp plants down before during and after application , obviously move what ever can be moved ,tape up with plastic any electric sockets , alarms door locks etc , the roof if you are going to do any of it do the lot or you will have a colour difference, evan if using bio still do the lot or at least the whole of one side , I will try and give you a ring tomorrow sorry about not phoning earlier been up to my eyes !,, 

can I ask why are you planning to hypo everything? - just curious

kevinc250 said:

can I ask why are you planning to hypo everything? - just curious

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Thanks for the question Kevinc250 - i am trying to improve and being put on the spot is useful for learning - i have been researching the use of various techniques for softwashing. The pics don't show it well but there is green algae staining alot of the property - the house is in a quiet countryside estate with low traffic so i don't expect much build up of grease type products on the walls - from my research (and limited experience)  i know hypo is very effective at removing algae. I will use oxalic to remove the rust as well as scent and surfactant for this job also to make for a nice smell free finish. I was considering biocide but don't have much experience in that area and am trying to learn to use it in the correct environments

i'm not a great lover of hypo and I think most who look at the softwashing pages knows this, its not that I have superior knowledge or really really secret tips I have used hypo in the past and now prefer not to use it, this is based purely on the fact that my wife Amanda has copd, this was from a previous job which involved the use of hypo and at that time there were no procedures or safety equipment in place to limit exposure to hypo and it varients, its left my wife knowing that at some point in her later life being on an oxygen mask to help with the breathing, the recent flu/cold thing going around usually takes a few months of constant coughing and the things that go with it to disappear, walking up steps with her means a stop somewhere along the way as she's out of breath, guys its no fun, and this is from long term effects of hypo.

so it comes as no surprise that i'm not a hypo fan and recommend the use of other products.

I might add though, that for every one person doing the correct thing as in masking up and looking after the general well being of others there will be at least ten who don't give a damn and just think of the money.

so, when you guys strut on here saying 4-1 mix and spray/walk away and so on think again, think on the harm you could be doing to your and others lungs by spraying hypo with abandon with some farm yard cleaner because its cheap as chips just think about your future health.

sorry about hi jacking your post @DeLaCruz but sometimes it has to be said, there are other ways to clean the job you have highlighted however, if you wanted to use hypo on the paving instead of wetting the grass to death why not just think of applying the hypo with a mop and bucket?, its pretty basic but the mop will get to all the areas without all the hassle of the pre wetting of the grass and will avoid any over spray 

Hey Kevin - first i want to say sorry to hear about the health effects your wife encountered  - in my last soft wash post i made ( First Softwash Job ) i was interested in health / safety improvements after i finished the job i did - i know hypo is a highly toxic chemical. I want to put together a better post on the subject in the very near future for the community but wanted to say that your input is appreciated and it is something i won't take likely - THANKS 

kevinc250 said:

sorry about hi jacking your post @DeLaCruz but sometimes it has to be said,

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Nowt wrong with Hijacking as you have done so with the best intentions, you have helped me out with advice and made me think how I could move forward. 

DeLaCruz said:

Risk : Lawn stains 

Solution : Thoroughly wet up before any hypo is used. Continually wet throughout job to ensure runoff is not going to effect grass

Risk : Plants getting damaged by hypo mixture

Solution: Move as many as possible out of risk area

Risk: Air source heat pump getting damaged by hypo

Solution: Tape up and cover with tarpoline

Risk: Roof tiles bleaching

Solution: Wet up thoroughly, not too much hypo

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A lot of what you've listed should possibly be put into a method statement as they're not really site specific and would need to be done on the majority of your jobs.

Part Timer said:

A lot of what you've listed should possibly be put into a method statement as they're not really site specific and would need to be done on the majority of your jobs.

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We used a checklist every morning and night at beginning of shift for the fire engine. It would be good if someone came up with a Softwashing checklist which could be used on every job.

kevinc250 said:

i'm not a great lover of hypo and I think most who look at the softwashing pages knows this, its not that I have superior knowledge or really really secret tips I have used hypo in the past and now prefer not to use it, this is based purely on the fact that my wife Amanda has copd, this was from a previous job which involved the use of hypo and at that time there were no procedures or safety equipment in place to limit exposure to hypo and it varients, its left my wife knowing that at some point in her later life being on an oxygen mask to help with the breathing, the recent flu/cold thing going around usually takes a few months of constant coughing and the things that go with it to disappear, walking up steps with her means a stop somewhere along the way as she's out of breath, guys its no fun, and this is from long term effects of hypo.

so it comes as no surprise that i'm not a hypo fan and recommend the use of other products.

I might add though, that for every one person doing the correct thing as in masking up and looking after the general well being of others there will be at least ten who don't give a damn and just think of the money.

so, when you guys strut on here saying 4-1 mix and spray/walk away and so on think again, think on the harm you could be doing to your and others lungs by spraying hypo with abandon with some farm yard cleaner because its cheap as chips just think about your future health.

sorry about hi jacking your post @DeLaCruz but sometimes it has to be said, there are other ways to clean the job you have highlighted however, if you wanted to use hypo on the paving instead of wetting the grass to death why not just think of applying the hypo with a mop and bucket?, its pretty basic but the mop will get to all the areas without all the hassle of the pre wetting of the grass and will avoid any over spray 

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Probably the most important post I’ve ever read on this forum. Thanks, and sorry to hear of real life experience of your wife’s health 

@RWCleaning, its ok, Amanda has lung damage or disease as they call it, the trick or the key is to take steps into not making it any worse, its not going to get any better and the problem will get worse with age.

kevinc250 said:

@RWCleaning, its ok, Amanda has lung damage or disease as they call it, the trick or the key is to take steps into not making it any worse, its not going to get any better and the problem will get worse with age.

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Hi Kevin sorry to hear about your wife’s situation ,very sad that work has impacted her life like this , I know money is not a cure but hopefully she might qualify for some sort of compensation to at least help her situation with the purchase of anything that may help her ,  I totaly agree with what you put like all things there is a good and safe way to use things and a dangerous and unsafe way , this is why education is so important accurate knowledge of how to use a product ,dilution rates ,ways of application ,what  can and cannot be added to it , what it will and will not remove are just a few important areas people should be aware of before using it , you are a font of knowledge on this and bio products ,I personally have enjoyed and learned a lot from our discussions and greatly appreciate the advice you have given me both with hypo and bio products , you have a thorough understanding of them both . 

Looking to invest in a mask / visor for next job i take on - can i ask does nayone know what is the rating i would be looking for on the mask i would be using please ?

DeLaCruz said:

Looking to invest in a mask / visor for next job i take on - can i ask does nayone know what is the rating i would be looking for on the mask i would be using please ?

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I use a good dust mask, goggles, beanie hat and then last but not least the visor.

This is the type of thing you need 

Pjj said:

This is the type of thing you need 

View attachment 19351

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https://www.screwfix.com/p/3m-4277-maintenance-free-organic-inorganic-vapour-particulate-respirator-ffabe1p3rd/24184?kpid=24184&ds_kid=92700048793290415&ds_rl=1244069&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItLX57-_a5wIVybHtCh1sXAoLEAQYAyABEgJf7PD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

£33 from Screwfix.

DeLaCruz said:

Looking to invest in a mask / visor for next job i take on - can i ask does nayone know what is the rating i would be looking for on the mask i would be using please ?

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I only use one mask for things like this, I tend to ignore all this 3m stuff etc and go from past experience I go for the gsr respirator.

this is based upon being placed in a room where gas was present we had to do things like eat and drink using this mask, at the end of the session we had to remove the mask and say our number (so we had to breath) usually the staff made you say it backwards so you took in more of the gas and yes you coughed and struggled for breath it was only cs gas but what it did do was trust your kit,i would trust the army kit over anything that's sold over the counter at screwfix, regardless of ratings, the british army masks will have the highest ratings you could think of and a bit of hypo would be childs play to those filters- if you've ever been in a gas chamber wearing one of those you would understand and it would be the first port of call for a restpirator.

scottish cleaning service said:

I use a good dust mask,

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A dust mask for hypo  ? you are dealing with dangerous chemicals not dust, you need a respirator mask

Iron Giant said:

A dust mask for hypo  ? you are dealing with dangerous chemicals not dust, you need a respirator mask

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I was going to order the one on screwfix but don't sell it anymore. I will be getting one before my next job. thanks

What is an alternative to using SH? I’ve been looking but nothing compares in terms of price and effectiveness? 

InfinityCleaningSolutions said:

What is an alternative to using SH? I’ve been looking but nothing compares in terms of price and effectiveness? 

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Depends what you are trying to kill/ remove hypo will kill all bacterial growth ,algi,moss,mould, bacteria causing all the above , it won’t remove road grime Virosol or similar is best fir that type of application.

Some use biocides for killing moss,bacteria , mould, algi ,but they are very expensive , take quite a while to work and from my experience give varied results ,   Most want an instant clean and only hypo will give you that , but using hypo and bio products can be dangerous you need to know what you are doing for your protection ,the customers, anyone else in the area ,animals and the environment ,it’s not a case of spray everything with it .