Some Jobs Don’t Pay… But They Do Teach
Friday morning. Roanoke, Alabama.
It’s April 14th, and I’m standing next to the grimiest wall at the Jacks Chicken restaurant in the Walmart parking lot—finally fed up after two years of driving by it.
So what am I going to do about it?
I’m going to clean it.
For free.
Because sometimes, the best teaching moments are the unscheduled ones.
Why Is This Wall So Dirty… But Only Half of It?
Before we even pull a hose, let’s talk about why the wall is dirty—and why the grime is so heavily concentrated on one side. Look at it. One half is black, mossy, and caked in mildew. The other half? Not nearly as bad.
Why?
Take a closer look:
➡️ The nastier side has a sloped roof directly above it.
➡️ That roof funnels water constantly during rain, creating constant moisture.
➡️ Organic growth—like algae, moss, and mildew—thrives on moisture.
The other side? It’s just a brick wall. Still gets rain, sure, but not the daily drip-drip-drip effect you get from roof runoff.
This little nugget is something every pressure washer and softwash tech should know:
Moisture patterns = growth patterns.
Understanding that helps you not only clean more effectively—but sell more knowledgeably.
This Job Calls for a Softwash Approach
Could I pressure wash this wall?
Sure. But pressure alone won’t kill the organic material—it’ll just blast it around and maybe damage the surface. For deep-rooted moss, mildew, and algae like this, you need a proper SH (sodium hypochlorite) mix.
Here’s the Setup:
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SH mix: ~5–6%
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Surfactant: Southern Slang
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Delivery: Gen 2 Southeast Softwash skid with fan tip nozzle
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Time: 6:30 AM = light traffic, fewer gawkers
Since this wall has heavy growth, downstreaming won’t cut it. The mix would be too diluted. That’s where having the right tools matters.
We’re pulling straight from the softwash system to get the strength we need.
Technique Over Force
This wasn’t a “blast and rinse” job. It was about finesse:
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Fan tip to minimize runoff
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Slow, thorough application to fully coat the organics
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Flood the base to protect the grass from chemical burn
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Let it dwell—no rinse needed right away
In about 35–40 minutes, I came back to check the results… and man, what a difference.
Here’s what we saw:
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The moss turned white (a clear sign it’s dead)
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The algae was fading fast
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The overall wall was 90% cleaner, with just a few spots needing another coat or a rinse
And this was without rinsing anything yet.
Softwash Wins the Day – But Pressure Still Has a Role
Let’s be real. If this were a paid job, or if I cared about preserving the grass long-term, I might have used a hybrid approach—softwash first, then pressure rinse with a J-Rod tall reach tip.
But this wasn’t about perfection. It was a live case study.
Here’s the main takeaway:
Softwash does more than clean—it kills.
That’s the whole point. When you kill the organics at the root, it takes way longer for that grime to grow back. That means your customers enjoy a longer-lasting clean—and you build a better reputation.
Tools Matter. Efficiency Wins.
Today’s little experiment was powered by one of our Gen 2 skids, which gives me:
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Fast softwash application
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Adjustable chem ratios
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Reliable priming and flow
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And the ability to clean a wall like this in under an hour
We also had Smart Stream onboard, so if the job had been lighter, we could’ve gone with a downstream mix instead. But knowing when to switch approaches is what separates pros from the pack.
This is why we build rigs the way we do. Every hose, every fitting, every mix valve—it’s all designed to give you flexibility and efficiency in the field.
Final Thoughts: The Wall is Clean, and So is the Lesson
Did I get paid for today’s job?
Nope.
Was it worth it?
Absolutely.
Here’s what we learned today:
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Moisture dictates growth—always look up when you see staining
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Not all jobs need pressure washing—sometimes killing is better than blasting
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The right SH mix and surfactant make all the difference
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Tools like a Gen 2 skid or Smart Stream system are worth their weight in gold
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Being fed up with dirty stuff can turn into great content and education
Now that the wall’s clean, it’s time to enjoy the rest of Friday—and maybe grab another Monster Rehab (my morning fuel of choice).
Want to Build a Setup That Handles Jobs Like This?
If you want a rig that lets you handle:
✅ Softwash
✅ Pressure wash
✅ Commercial or residential
✅ Big jobs or small jobs
👉 Visit SoutheastSoftwash.com and check out our skids, trailers, and custom builds.
Until next time—keep killin’ the grime, one wall at a time.
