Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: sunshine windows on September 24, 2015, 09:49:27 am
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Right guys, here's my honest opinion about TFR, having used it for the first time yesterday.
It gets the green top layer of algae off conservatory roofs with ease and also aids in the breakdown of lichen growth on polycarbonate roofs (only one I've tried it on so far). These still took quite a bit of scrubbing though, but nowhere near the normal amount with cold water.
It didn't help in removing the lichen from the White upvc struts though, I had to give these a lot of elbow grease still.
After scrubbing all the upvc like normal on the windows, I then applied TFR to the frames and gave them a good scrub without any further water. I noticed a very slight difference, but wasn't impressed as I thought it was supposed to get rid of the ageing effect and get the whites gleaming again. Nowhere near the kind of results you get from applying a cream cleaner.
So, is it worth using? In my opinion, the amount of time spend applying the chemicals and making sure you've thoroughly rinsed all the suds off afterwards, pretty much counterbalances the amount of extra time you'd spend scrubbing if you didn't use it. Maybe marginally quicker with TFR, with only a slightly better finish.
I think the finish I get from dipping my brush in a soap solution and using hot water, would be the same if not better.
I used a mix of approximately 1 part TFR to 4 parts water. Perhaps a stronger mix on the next one, to see if it cleans the upvc better.
The jury is still out on this one!
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Which tfr did you use ?
You can get good and bad stuff, things like truck wash off eBay are already watered down, you need to be applying the tfr first depending on haw bad a roof is no weaker than 3 to 1 and then agitate ( lightly scrub ) with brush dry or minimal water flow ( ideal for aquatap users ) then brush and rinse at full flow, this way all age related grey just disappears - lichen slightly different, tadgh's ultra concentrate is the only chemical I know that lifts and removes this stuff quickly. On polycarbonate we have made a special scraper that just slides off the tops then the rest is straightforward
Jury is in for us done over 500 in the last couple of years this way and never been disappointed
Note: only thing I've never cleaned back to new are bodged silicone covered joints where the silicone has gone off colour
Darran
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we use Evans vanodine TSR 200 can be bought in 5 lt this is very good for the price.
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Its something I can't be bothered with (cony's) folk I've quoted want them done for nowt.
TFR, Snow foam, you really do get what you pay for!
Interestingly I stuck some washing up liquid from Bonnymans into the snow foam bottle to rinse off a drive and it was thicker than the snow foam from them. I've had the impression that the longer the foam sticks the better it'll eat into the dirt.
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BladeRight strong TFR And I also put CIF Cream on my brush
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I use merlin extra heavy duty cleaner, really good stuff but difficult to get hold of. I get it from a local supplier.
Also craftex champion is good.
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We discovered a product to clean upvc, but was only by accident as I had splashed some hypo on window frame turning it yellow. I panicked and tried every cleaning product we had in the van leaving only the one left that brought the frame back to life ! Can't recommend it though as it is very caustic, but going to try it on a few more jobs, and if all is well will let you know.
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Which tfr did you use ?
You can get good and bad stuff, things like truck wash off eBay are already watered down, you need to be applying the tfr first depending on haw bad a roof is no weaker than 3 to 1 and then agitate ( lightly scrub ) with brush dry or minimal water flow ( ideal for aquatap users ) then brush and rinse at full flow, this way all age related grey just disappears - lichen slightly different, tadgh's ultra concentrate is the only chemical I know that lifts and removes this stuff quickly. On polycarbonate we have made a special scraper that just slides off the tops then the rest is straightforward
Jury is in for us done over 500 in the last couple of years this way and never been disappointed
Note: only thing I've never cleaned back to new are bodged silicone covered joints where the silicone has gone off colour
Darran
Hi Darren in your opinion is this stuff better than say virology, ubik and g101
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No !
It's strange, tfr cuts through all the algae, dirt, stains etc but not lichen, the ultra is ok for this but you seem to have to give a bit more scrub ( I do have a new batch I've not yet mixed up so maybe different ) but something in it seems to breakup lichen very quickly where tfr does not
Darran
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ubik2000 is good ill be trying virosol next ive hurd that stuff is very good
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The TFR I used was from Lee at Bladeright. Like I say, early days as I've only used it once. Will increase the strength to see if it removes the grey horizontal lines on fascias next.
I was impressed with the effect it had on the algae
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Nuclean from Tadgh does the business for me even using it in trad bucket ( very weak mix )
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i find virosol/CIF cream cleaner and stIcky stuff remover( from B&Q) is all i need for add on jobs when cleaning plastics.i bought four 5L tubs of virosol(20L)a few years ago.ive still got 2 full tubs left!a little goes a long way.cost me £26.
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Viro-sol Viro-sol Viro-sol
I use it down to 50 / 50 mix on really stubborn jobs (don't let it dwell to long).
Lichen will only come off with scrubbing force.
Tadagh will remonstrate with me for the 50-50 dilution but if used properly with extreme care nothing beats it. (apart from a waffle cloth, apparently).
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Viro-sol Viro-sol Viro-sol
I use it down to 50 / 50 mix on really stubborn jobs (don't let it dwell to long).
Lichen will only come off with scrubbing force.
Tadagh will remonstrate with me for the 50-50 dilution but if used properly with extreme care nothing beats it. (apart from a waffle cloth, apparently).
Hi capn sparkle, first off i will be honest and tell you a little waffle weave microfiber won't do much in removing tough lichen growth, if you use Viro-sol at a 50/50 mix away with you, i started my career in the cleaning industry in 1982 and spent my first 4 years working in a car wash so i know all about TFRs and how harsh and aggressive they are on surfaces, so much so that when i get any vehicles serviced the first thing i tell the service manager is that under no circumstances are they to wash the vehicle, why because they will use TFR when they give your vehicle a wash after the full service, TFRs are derived from sodium metasilicate or sodium hydroxide two of the most corrosive ingredients used by major cleaning chemical manufacturers, i have said it many times before but there are many janitorial suppliers in the UK who promote safe and effective cleaning chemicals which can be used to clean customers surfaces instead of harsh and aggressive cleaning chemicals like TFRs. Also just to share if you look at the sds on any TFR cleaners the manufacturer will give warnings that the corrosive ingredients they use can and will cause burns to your skin if you do not use ppe, just ask yourself capn sparkle if you are using Viro-sol at a 50/50 mix whats going to protect your customers surface, i did notice you said not to let it dwell for long, can you explain why you should not let it dwell for long, hope that this info may be of benefit and taken on board especially for the newbies. Tadgh
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So Tadgh, what magic ingredient would you recommend for cleaning stubborn stains on conservatory roofs or gutters and fascias?
Cheers
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So Tadgh, what magic ingredient would you recommend for cleaning stubborn stains on conservatory roofs or gutters and fascias?
Cheers
Hi Lance It would depend, if you are removing stubborn stains manually i would use a paste, if you are using cleaning chemicals in a solution i would use safe chemicals that don't contain any caustic or corrosive ingredients, like i said there are many janitorial suppliers in the UK who promote safe and alternative cleaning chemicals, i will also be the first to admit that these safe and effective cleaning chemicals will require a bit more dwell time and extra agitation to give the same results as harsh and aggressive cleaning chemicals, but of course will not cause any detrimental damage to the surfaces they are being used upon. Tadgh
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I did one about a month ago thick with litchen sprayed some Nuclean on left to soak in then attacked it with stiff wfp brush Woman was over the moon with result .
Just got back from a gutter job had done it back in 2009 . Did it quicker this time with Nuclean than when there were 2 of us .
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I did one about a month ago thick with litchen sprayed some Nuclean on left to soak in then attacked it with stiff wfp brush Woman was over the moon with result .
Just got back from a gutter job had done it back in 2009 . Did it quicker this time with Nuclean than when there were 2 of us .
Hi Paul, Yes Nuclean based on metabolic chemistry is indeed a break through technology, Happy cleaning Tadgh.
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Does nuclean also bring badly discoloured plastics back to white?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDO74orWKL8
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Does nuclean also bring badly discoloured plastics back to white?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDO74orWKL8
Hi Sam, it depends on how degraded they are, if its light you can dilute Nuclean 30 - 1 and spray some onto a damp magic eraser pad and gently rub the surface to see if you can get it back, we also use a natural cleaning/polishing paste which is very good at removing stubborn stains and also helps in reviving the colour on upvc surfaces. meant to say if they are really badly discoloured sometimes the only option is replacement. Tadgh
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Well, the stuff definitely works.
Used it in another conservatory roof yesterday, applying it neat, not leaving it to dwell at all. Just started scrubbing all the upvc and it can up like new.
The area I was most impressed with, is the plate that the tallest finials sit on. These always have a horizontal line of grey going around the edge of them. It removed this in seconds.
Verdict is in TFR works but is bloody time consuming to use as the suds take forever to wash away.
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Well the stuff definitely works.
Used it in another conservatory roof yesterday, applying it neat, not leaving it to dwell at all. Just started scrubbing all the upvc and it can up like new.
The area I was most impressed with, is the plate that the tallest finials sit on. These always have a horizontal line of grey going around the edge of them. It removed this in seconds.
Verdict is in TFR works but is bloody time consuming to use as the suds take forever to wash away.
What definitely works pal?
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Lee Martins, super strong TFR from Bladeright.
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But if a mixed bag this TFR malarkey!
Used again today on some soffits & fascias diluted 50/50 with pure water. It didn't shift the vertical lines you get on the fascia boards anywhere near as well as I expected.
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If your on about those brown vertical lines I never have been able to shift them but the black ones magic sponge and Nuclean
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Well, the stuff definitely works.
Used it in another conservatory roof yesterday, applying it neat, not leaving it to dwell at all. Just started scrubbing all the upvc and it can up like new.
The area I was most impressed with, is the plate that the tallest finials sit on. These always have a horizontal line of grey going around the edge of them. It removed this in seconds.
Verdict is in TFR works but is bloody time consuming to use as the suds take forever to wash away.
Hi Lance, just to share with you and this is not sour grapes or anything because we use and promote safer cleaning technologies, i am sharing over 30 years experience with you under no obligation, you have to use TFRs with extreme caution as they are based on some of the harshest and most aggressive ingredients used to produce cleaning chemicals, using them neat is never recommended and using double strength TFR neat is worse again as it will strip the natural sheen from your customers upvc surfaces, trust me i have used every type and am only sharing with you years of experience and knowledge, Tadgh
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But if a mixed bag this TFR malarkey!
Used again today on some soffits & fascias diluted 50/50 with pure water. It didn't shift the vertical lines you get on the fascia boards anywhere near as well as I expected.
You can't beat a good hand job lance as just waving a stick about don't cut it no matter what type of chems you try to use on badly stained plastics.
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Them magic sponges are great
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Them magic sponges are great
I've found they are ok and work up to a point but don't last very long so need to buy them in bulk.
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microcleaning pads/magic eraser pads, are very effective for deep cleaning hard surfaces and literally have 100s of uses, they are sacrificial so as you use them to deep clean hard surfaces yes they will sacrifice themselves hence why they are also called eraser pads, for example if used for deep cleaning cladding with a vinyl coating they are more effective than using a hot 2000 psi pressure washer, we supply them to many contractors in the UK and Ireland, we have different price ranges for cartons of 50,100,200, and upwards at special wholesale prices, ( size 6"x4"x1") also available in 14"x4"x1" to fit Numatic Multi-Mop for deep cleaning large cladded building facades. for any further info email info@jskcleaning.ie Tadgh
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how do you compete on price when anybody can order them directly from china dirt cheap?
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how do you compete on price when anybody can order them directly from china dirt cheap?
we import them from South Korea in large volumes and i have been dealing with this manufacturer for over 10 years so get very favourable pricing.
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Nice one...Have you got your webshop up and running yet?
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Nice one...Have you got your webshop up and running yet?
not yet, looking to bring some other new technologies to the market, when its all finalized we will open our webshop, Tadgh
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But if a mixed bag this TFR malarkey!
Used again today on some soffits & fascias diluted 50/50 with pure water. It didn't shift the vertical lines you get on the fascia boards anywhere near as well as I expected.
You can't beat a good hand job lance as just waving a stick about don't cut it no matter what type of chems you try to use on badly stained plastics.
+1 on the hand job, it does make a serious difference on end results, these results can now be even taken up a level by applying a nano based protector for upvc surfaces, easy to apply just spray some onto a Terry microfiber cloth and wipe it onto any colour upvc,painted aluminum,soffit and fascia,gutters,downpipes,window frames etc, provided they are clean and dry before application, this nano based protector dries within 5 minutes and applying a second coat will increase the sheen finish more, can also be used to restore the natural sheen on upvc surfaces provided they are not to far degraded, for anyone who would like to know more, info@jskcleaning.ie Tadgh
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But if a mixed bag this TFR malarkey!
Used again today on some soffits & fascias diluted 50/50 with pure water. It didn't shift the vertical lines you get on the fascia boards anywhere near as well as I expected.
You can't beat a good hand job lance as just waving a stick about don't cut it no matter what type of chems you try to use on badly stained plastics.
+1 on the hand job, it does make a serious difference on end results, these results can now be even taken up a level by applying a nano based protector for upvc surfaces, easy to apply just spray some onto a Terry microfiber cloth and wipe it onto any colour upvc,painted aluminum,soffit and fascia,gutters,downpipes,window frames etc, provided they are clean and dry before application, this nano based protector dries within 5 minutes and applying a second coat will increase the sheen finish more, can also be used to restore the natural sheen on upvc surfaces provided they are not to far degraded, for anyone who would like to know more, info@jskcleaning.ie Tadgh
Meant to add guys of course only some people will be prepared to pay the extra for the quality of finish that the nano product leaves behind.
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On domestic it would work out cheper to replace the plastics surely?
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I remember years ago seeing a guy demostrate a type of t-cut/polish on a bonnet of a mini. He then would set fire to the surface just to prove how good it was ;D ;D ;D
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I remember years ago seeing a guy demostrate a type of t-cut/polish on a bonnet of a mini. He then would set fire to the surface just to prove how good it was ;D ;D ;D
I remember that think it was mur polish some German stuff
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Hello tadgh
See this nano product stuff u have, does it have to be applied by hand, ( just so I know you see ) and/or do you have something similar that could go through wfp.
I have just cleaned a bit of cladding but there is small sections inside the cladding that is black and these haven't came up as good as the rest. Am looking on going over them again but if only way to apply is by hand then I need a cherry picker
Matt
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Hello tadgh
See this nano product stuff u have, does it have to be applied by hand, ( just so I know you see ) and/or do you have something similar that could go through wfp.
I have just cleaned a bit of cladding but there is small sections inside the cladding that is black and these haven't came up as good as the rest. Am looking on going over them again but if only way to apply is by hand then I need a cherry picker
Matt
Hi Matt, yes the nano product needs to be applied by hand, it will not restore any discolouring it just leaves a hard very durable protective clear coating behind, we do have a specific product for removing heavy ingrained black marks from vinyl coated cladding but again needs to be applied by hand. Tadgh