EandM

  • Posts: 2167
Green Windowsills
« on: January 29, 2024, 02:34:50 pm »
I have a long standing customer who fitted replacement windows.

Very smart upvc with a realistic woodgrain effect.

The problem is that, particularly on the North Side, the sills are going green and due to the finish, it's difficult to remove the green.

I've previously used Virosol, a soft cloth, a lot of gentle polishing and then resealing with Super Resin Polish.

Can anyone suggest a painless, de-greening method that isn't going to damage the plastic?


Splash & dash

  • Posts: 4364
Re: Green Windowsills
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2024, 03:13:13 pm »
I have a long standing customer who fitted replacement windows.

Very smart upvc with a realistic woodgrain effect.

The problem is that, particularly on the North Side, the sills are going green and due to the finish, it's difficult to remove the green.

I've previously used Virosol, a soft cloth, a lot of gentle polishing and then resealing with Super Resin Polish.

Can anyone suggest a painless, de-greening method that isn't going to damage the plastic?

Using a bleach solution will kill it , if you are uncomfortable making your own up try flash with bleach kitchen spray , spray it on leave for a few muinits then scrub and rinse with WFP job done

Bungle

  • Posts: 2255
Re: Green Windowsills
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2024, 06:40:40 pm »
These wood grain effect sills are a pita to clean with a WFP brush. The bristles just don't get into the grain and clean them properly. Rub a cloth on the sill and it will come up clean.

This tells you all you need to know about WFP. It's acceptable but not the ultimate answer to window cleaning.
We look at them, they look through them.

p1w1

  • Posts: 3873
Re: Green Windowsills
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2024, 07:33:56 pm »
Not a problem with hot water   :-X

Bungle

  • Posts: 2255
Re: Green Windowsills
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2024, 09:31:25 pm »
Not a problem with hot water   :-X

I'd say it's the bristles not getting in the grain effect rather than the temperature of the water.
We look at them, they look through them.

Splash & dash

  • Posts: 4364
Re: Green Windowsills
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2024, 09:47:01 pm »
Not a problem with hot water   :-X

I'd say it's the bristles not getting in the grain effect rather than the temperature of the water.

You need to kill the algae on textured sills there is far more surface area and it gets a good grip on that   We just put a weak hypo mix on them with the initial clean scrub rinse job done , it will eventually comeback so just repeat as necessary

james peters

  • Posts: 937
Re: Green Windowsills
« Reply #6 on: January 30, 2024, 08:06:04 am »
normal house hold bleach will do  it with ease

p1w1

  • Posts: 3873
Re: Green Windowsills
« Reply #7 on: January 30, 2024, 08:17:41 am »
Not a problem with hot water   :-X

I'd say it's the bristles not getting in the grain effect rather than the temperature of the water.
More then likely.

EandM

  • Posts: 2167
Re: Green Windowsills
« Reply #8 on: January 31, 2024, 12:31:24 pm »
Thanks all.

I'd have thought the bleach suggestion was entirely sensible but there are many, many warnings about a potential bleach / upvc reaction in which it tuns the plastic brown.

Has anybody experienced this?

If so, how do the softwash folks find cleaning around upvc?

Smudger

  • Posts: 13252
Re: Green Windowsills
« Reply #9 on: January 31, 2024, 12:56:12 pm »
Never experienced it personally, some have had a yellowing effect which has disappeared when drying...

I would say its the same thing as the over dramatic reaction to pressure washing roofs - someone somewhere will have an objection and hold up an example of bad workmanship to justify their argument - be sensible and you'll get good results
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

www.oddbodscleaning.co.uk

Splash & dash

  • Posts: 4364
Re: Green Windowsills
« Reply #10 on: January 31, 2024, 12:57:41 pm »
Thanks all.

I'd have thought the bleach suggestion was entirely sensible but there are many, many warnings about a potential bleach / upvc reaction in which it tuns the plastic brown.

Has anybody experienced this?

If so, how do the softwash folks find cleaning around upvc?


Yes you can turn white plastic brown/yellow with  stronger mixes , 6-1 will be fine or flash with bleach spray won’t cause an issue , but all upvc that does go yellow will return to white usually within a couple of hours worst case scenario it will take over night , obviously don’t leave bleach on the plastic rinse it off . The first time it happens it’s worrying but when you know it will go back to normal you don’t worry again