Cleaning Wood Roof Shingles

Ask Us!

Here at CleanerToday.com we frequently receive comments, compliments, and questions from customers about our products.  Unlike what seems to be the case with many of the big companies that dominate the American retail landscape these days, here at CleanerToday we take questions from our customers very seriously.  We try our best to answer everyone as quickly and as completely as we can.  Occasionally, a customer raises a question, or makes an observation, that could apply to many of our customers and when that happens we will feature it for everyone to read and gain knowledge from.  All of us at CleanerToday acknowledge on a daily basis that without you, our customers, we have no business, and therefore we strive to provide the best service possible.  We hope the information below will, therefore, be of value in helping you make your decision about purchasing and using our products.

Quite recently, we had an inquiry from a potential customer about the best CleanerToday product to use when cleaning a wooden shingle roof.  Our top pick for cleaning any wood surface, even those wood surfaces that have been stained or painted, is a member of the OX family of products, in this specific case, Roof OX.

The Power and Safety of Roof OX

Roof OX is an easy to use powder that is dissolved into water, sprayed onto the surface to be cleaned and then rinsed away to reveal excellent cleaning results.  In cases of extremely heavy staining or in cases where large pores are present in the surface to be cleaned, light agitation may be necessary.

The secret to the power of the Roof OX is sodium percarbonate, exactly the same cleaning compound found in cleaners sold by “big box” and grocery stores, but whereas those cleaners may contain no more than 30% active ingredient, with the rest being inactive fillers such as salt or sand, our OX products contain a whopping 80% sodium percarbonate with the balance being detergents and surfactants, which means that our cleaners are 100% active ingredients.  We make our cleaners this way because we want you to have the best cleaning power money can buy and we don’t see the sense in selling and shipping salt instead of cleaner. 

And the OX line of products has an excellent environmental profile.  These cleaners decompose into environmentally safe water, oxygen, and sodium carbonate, otherwise known as washing soda, a well-known non-toxic water softener and washing aid that is also benign enough to be used as an additive in common foods, including pretzels and ramen-type noodles.

Ramp It Up with QSE

An alternative option would be to use the Roof QSE product.  The QSE line of products from CleanerToday is intended more for contractors and other cleaning professionals, but individuals who are comfortable with handling stronger chemicals can also find success using QSE, in this case, Roof QSE.

Before using QSE on ANY surface, the customer must be absolutely certain that there are no painted surfaces that the QSE can come into contact with because QSE can remove most paint, especially low quality sprayed on applications.  When used on roofs, especially check for painted trim pieces, including painted aluminum gutters and downspouts, before application of the QSE cleaner. 

In the case of a wood shingle roof, make absolutely certain, ideally by testing a small inconspicuous area first, that any color present on the wooden roof is not a surface treatment but one that has penetrated the entire shingle and which therefore will not be damaged or destroyed by the application of Roof QSE.  If in doubt, use the OX line of cleaners.

If QSE accidentally contacts a painted or otherwise unintended surface, flood the area with water immediately for several minutes to prevent or minimize potential damage.

Rinse Process Is the Key to Success

Regardless of which option you choose, remember that the most significant key to success with roof cleaning is the rinse process.

Truly effective rinsing after the application of either Roof OX or Roof QSE must be done from the roof itself, not from the ground or even from the edge of the roof at the gutter line while standing on a ladder.  Being on the roof while rinsing is critical.  There simply is no product that can be sprayed up on to your roof from the ground that will deliver acceptable results.  If there were, we would absolutely be selling it.

It is also very helpful to rinse with a pressure washer.  The amount of pressure available from a garden hose, even with a sprayer attachment, is highly unlikely to be adequate to remove roof stains caused by mold and algae.  While the Roof OX and the Roof QSE will kill the mold and algae on contact without question, the roof won’t look clean until the now dead debris is rinsed away.  Many customers are worried that the use of a power washer will damage their roofs, and it could if done improperly.  But, if a white or green fan tip is used with the pressure set to no more than 150-200 psi, you will not harm your roof but you will have adequate pressure to remove those ugly stains caused by the now dead mold and algae.

We Are Here to Help

We hope that this example proves helpful in your decision making process about how to tackle your roof stain removal challenges.  And as always, please feel free to contact us here at the CleanerToday.com Customer Inquiry and Response Unit at any time for free guidance and advice on roof cleaning.