The Mark Cave Soft Washing Podcast SoftWash UK

How Adding Softwashing Can Transform Your Exterior Cleaning Business

Do You Rinse Biocide… Or Not

Do Biocides Have Residual Power

Can you use sodium hypochlorite to clean wood

Can I Remove Rust Stains

Best equipment for Softwashing

Are Your Softwash Ratios Wrong

Mark Cave busts the fear around sodium hypochlorite in UK exterior cleaning, explaining why using diluted bleach is not a criminal offense and how legality really depends on product marketing and biocide claims. He also covers COSHH, customized safety data sheets for working dilutions, and the environmental controls needed to keep wash water out of surface drains and protect commercial clients.

Mark Cave busts the myth that roof biocides can protect tiles for years, explaining why weather quickly washes them away and why clean roofs stay clear mostly because biology takes time to return. He then covers the one big exception—porous render—plus the two-step cleaning process and maintenance upsell that can turn a one-off job into recurring revenue.

Mark Cave breaks down the science of surface tension and shows how surfactants help softwash mixes penetrate deep into lichen, moss, and biofilms without relying on harsh pressure. He also covers how smarter dilution can reduce chemical use, protect plants, and improve your profit margins.

An introduction to softwashing: low-pressure cleaning, specialised solutions, key benefits, and where it’s used on homes and commercial buildings.

Learn why high-pressure roof cleaning can drive water under tiles, damage concrete, clay, and slate, and create serious safety hazards at height. The episode also walks through a safer softwashing workflow, from roof surveys and manual moss removal to low-pressure biocidal treatment and long-term maintenance.

Learn why dry timber and strong bleach can ruin cedar decks, and how proper pre-wetting keeps sodium hypochlorite working only on surface algae. The episode also covers a safe 1% mix, surfactant use, rinsing, and when to finish with a wood brightener or switch to a gentler biocide.