Project Snapshot
- Soft Wash Exterior Clean at The Merchant in Plymouth.
- Cleaned using a Sodium Hypochlorite Based Cleaner.
- Cherry Picker used to reach high level areas.
- All windows cleaned after chemical was applied.
The Challenge
The client for this project required the exterior to be cleaned, removing the algae, moss and lichens growing in the substrates. This had to be removed with minimal pressure, and there was no access to a water supply on site.
We had to plan this project around the client, as The Merchant is a working office on Monday to Friday, with a high volume of staff members walking in and out of the building.
The Merchant is close to the city centre and has many public footpaths around the building, with members of the public walking around at all hours. We required a cherry picker close to these footpaths to reach the high-level areas, which meant that members of the public would need to be diverted whilst the building was being cleaned.
There are public parking spaces outside The Merchant which needed to be occupied to stop people parking, and allow us access to drive the cherry picker on the street.
The front of the building cannot be accessed using a cherry picker and would require cleaning from ground level.
The Solution
To clean The Merchant, we used a Sodium Hypochlorite based cleaner. This was the best method to use as this uses low pressure, causing no damage to the substrates, and requires less water than steam cleaning.
As The Merchant is a working office, we completed this project over a weekend, to avoid interrupting staff members.
We applied for an S171, and already hold a Street Works Licence, which allows us to close public footpaths. This meant that we could close the footpath in the areas we were cleaning, and divert members of the public a safe distance away from the chemicals and machinery.
We paid to have the parking bays occupied outside the merchant which allowed us to move the cherry picker safely up and down the road. This was organised through Plymouth City Council.
Our full team worked over the weekend. This meant that one person was in the cherry picker applying the chemical, and three people remained on the ground, observing, and being vigilant regarding chemicals possibly over-spraying, and members of the public walking too close the cordoned off area.
As we couldn’t access the front of the building using a cherry picker, we used our super light, carbon fibre pole to clean the front of the building from ground level, as this can reach up to 60ft.
The Results
Overall, the outcome of this project was extremely successful. We were able to remove all of the organic matter using HSE approved chemicals and filled our 800 litre tanks with water before each working day.
Our IPAF and Street Works Licences allowed us to complete the projects safely, protecting both our staff and members of the public.
Clear and Clean will always work alongside our clients, and are happy to work over a weekend in order to not interfere with opening hours.
We started at around 0800hrs, when there were limited numbers of members of the public waking by. Later in the day, when more people were circulating, we had all of the appropriate signage erected to keep people at a safe distance away from where the chemicals were being sprayed.
This is the second time we have cleaned the exterior using our Soft Wash method at The Merchant, and we are always proud when a client returns to us, to use our services.
Contact Us
If you are interested in Domestic Exterior Cleaning incl: Render Cleaning, Driveway & Patio Cleaning, Gutter & Fascia Cleaning or Roof Cleaning; Commercial Exterior Cleaning incl: DOFF Cleaning, Soft Wash, Pressure Washing, Gutter Cleaning, Roof Cleaning, or you are looking for someone to carry out either Domestic or Commercial Window Cleaning in Plymouth, Devon or Cornwall, please contact us.