best chem for dumpsters

rando

rando

New member
i've picked up a local restaurant that has a dumpster that needs some real attention. i have never used caustic beads or flakes but do have a local supplier. what is the chem of choice for you guys that do a lot of this type of cleaning? do you spray it on the dumpster pad while you do the flat work and then come back or just do it all at once? sorry i'm so green but i have been mainly residential for so long but i am starting to branch out more in the commercial cleaning.

thanks in advance,

rando
 
rando said:
i've picked up a local restaurant that has a dumpster that needs some real attention. i have never used caustic beads or flakes but do have a local supplier. what is the chem of choice for you guys that do a lot of this type of cleaning? do you spray it on the dumpster pad while you do the flat work and then come back or just do it all at once? sorry i'm so green but i have been mainly residential for so long but i am starting to branch out more in the commercial cleaning.

thanks in advance,

rando
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Caustic works, but try a light solution and don't leave it on too long. I only let it dwell a couple minutes. If you try caustic, or whatever else, let your customer know some paint may flake if it is old or repainted. I've never had any issues with dumpsters that have a good paint job.
Here's a couple I've done with caustic. It really cuts the grease!...
 

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good work

i should have said dumpster pad instead of dumpster but still good looking work. what is your formula for the pad? beads or flakes?

thanks pal,

rando
 
I prefer to use caustic pearls.

Nice work Mike.
 
rando said:
i should have said dumpster pad instead of dumpster but still good looking work. what is your formula for the pad? beads or flakes?

thanks pal,

rando
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Ok, just pads... That's easier cuz you don't have to worry about any paint. Lately I've been using a backpack sprayer and mixing 4 cups caustic per 5 gallons water. Sometimes a cup per gallon. I always mix mine in a 5 gallon bucket. A backpack sprayer actually covers a good size area if you install the fan tip (You can spray about a 4 ft wide pass at a time).

The pics above were done with the 4 cups per 5 gallons. I spray it down on dry concrete, let it sit about 5 minutes, then pw at 175 degrees.

Bryan, all that grease in the above pad pics came up the first attempt.
There have been some nasty pads that had thick grease buildup that take a few cleanings. I usually let my customers know that those will take a couple cleanings. I also have a floor scraper if it's really bad.

The pics below are of a tough one I had. It took 3 cleanings because the grease was so thick and had not been cleaned for a long time. The last pic is what they all look like after regular cleanings.
 

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Mike, you ride a sprayer full of caustic right over one of the most delicate parts of your body? What if you get a leak?
 
Russ Johnson said:
Mike, you ride a sprayer full of caustic right over one of the most delicate parts of your body? What if you get a leak?
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That is a very good point. I've though about that, and will probably switch to a 4 gallon handheld pump sprayer. I downstream large areas, but like the sprayers when I don't want to get it on doors, etc.
 
Ron Musgraves said:
Mike, please becarful with the home brews, make sure these guys know that its very dangerous stuff.

We all use it, but you could be at the hospital if you dont handle it properly.

Thanks Guys
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Very true!! Ron is right, it is dangerous if not used properly. I was risking a leak using the backpack sprayer.

Caustic is a very effective grease cutter, but anyone unfamiliar with it, PLEASE do yourself a favor and research how to mix, how to handle it, etc., before you get some.
 
I mix 1 cup per gallon of caustic flakes into my degreaser mix (PowerStroke) and then downstream on my drive-thrus. Is this too weak (on the caustic side) to add any real benefit to my degreaser? Would it be better to just downstream the degreaser on the whole drive-thru then use a pump up sprayer for the caustic and use on just the heavier oil & grease stains? If the latter, should the caustic be put down first?
 
Keep a gal of vinager in your truck so when you get sprayd (and you will get sprayd) you can wash the area liberaly with vinager to neutralize the chem. A soda (Coke / Pepsi) also works but vinager is beter.
 
Ok I will admit that I am still learning alot when it comes to flatwork ( not my main line of work ). But what I would like to know is do you only use caustic beads/flakes on dumpster pads and drive thrus or do you use is it on most of all your concrete. Residential and commercial.
 
caustic on the walls

good info mike,

i noticed the walls looked cleaner too in the after pics. do you also spray down the walls with the caustic? does the caustic remove paint on walls if it dwells too long?

rando
 
Yes, that's all I use, on any type of concrete. If there's no grease at all, I don't even use a chemical.

Rondo, you may have seen the test area we did on the wall. Worked well with about a minute dwell time, but yes, it can damage paint.
 
rando said:
good info mike,

i noticed the walls looked cleaner too in the after pics. do you also spray down the walls with the caustic? does the caustic remove paint on walls if it dwells too long?

rando
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Again, when you say caustic what are you using?
 
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