What is a Surfactant? 

The word “surfactant” stands for “surface acting agent.” But what does this mean?  

Surface tension is what makes molecules cling together while rejecting other types of molecules. If you've ever seen water droplets form beads on glass, that's an example of surface tension. The water droplets cling together rather than spread out.

Adding a surfactant weakens the surface tension, in turn making the water more “relaxed” so it can spread out more and cover larger surfaces. This is what is meant when it’s said that surfactants make water “wetter.” The water is more relaxed and spreads out more on the surface.

Surfactants are made of two parts, which we'll refer to as the head and the tail. The head is hydrophillic, or water loving, but the tail is hydrphobic, or a water hating. The hydrophilic head loves water because it is water soluble, so it easily absorbs into the water. The hydrophobic portion of the surfactant, however, does not like water. 

When a surfactant is added to water, the water-loving head is drawn to the water while the water-hating tail tries to get away from the water by getting closer to the surface. This, in turn, loosens the dirt and grime on the surface. Because dirt is not water, the hydrophobic tails cling to the dirt, which is suspended in the surfactant/water solution so it does not return to the surface, and can be rinsed away without the need for scrubbing.

Why ProTool Sticky Concentrate Is the Smart, Cost-Saving Choice for Roof Cleaning

When it comes to choosing a surfactant for soft washing, you need something that's really going to help bleach and water mix cling to the surface. Nothing on the market sticks like Sticky. Like it's name says, it's specially prepared to be super sticky, so your mix clings, allowing for longer dwell time. That means a cleaner surface and lower chemical cost.

Sticky is also super concentrated. One bottle is all you need for a 55-65 gallon batch! With Pro Tool Sticky, you're not paying to ship water and you're using only a tiny bit each time.

In fact, one 16-ounce bottle of Sticky is the perfect amount to use with the ProTool Clever soft washing system! There's no need to measure. Just pour in the entire bottle in with 7 gallons of sodium hypochlorite, set the Clever's smart dosing system to the correct mix ratio, then wash away!

Sticky is also available in 1 gallon and 5 gallon sizes.

Sticky Surfactant is the perfect addition to your soft washing chemical arsenal!