Conference 7.286::home_work

TSP is Trisodium Phosphate, which is the principal ingredient in powdered
cleaners such as Spic'N'Span.  I can't comment on how toxic this is to plants,
though I think it's mostly benign.

			Steve

    TSP stands for Tri Sodium Phosphate, it is a very strong cleaner, it
    removes dirt like you would not believe, the bleach is to kill mold and
    mildue, on the TSP box it is recommended that the to be combined when
    doing bad areas.  You will want a nice clean surface for the paint to
    go on to, this will do it.  As for what it will do to plants I have no
    idea, you may want to cover trees and things with plastic tarps and
    once cleaning and painting is done use a lot of water to dilute any of
    the chemicals that have come in contact with the soil.
    
    Good luck,
    Cal

The bleach will probably kill everything it hits unless it is very watered down.
The year I got out of hi school someone wrote "class of '77" in the front
lawn of the school in bleach it took almost a year for it to go away even after
sodding the area. I would inquire about what precautions they take to protect 
the plantings and what insurance they have to cover damages. At least a covering
to keep most of the solution off the foalage.

You might also want to ask this at PICA::GARDEN

-j

    Beware of TSP. It can be dangerous in concentration. It is also
    an ingredient in Wheaties breakfast cereal!

However, if diluted enough, TSP will make for a pretty good fertilizer
(phosphates)

-Mike

    .4:
    
    So "Wheaties" will make you not only strong, but clean?
    
    Dick

    Bleach will kill any plant it comes in contact with.  It doesn't
    have any lasting toxicity; it's just a very powerful oxidizing
    agent.
    
    Tri Sodium Phosphate is indeed an excellent cleaner.  Concentrated,
    I would expect it to be caustic to plants.  However, diluted
    sufficiently, its phosphorus content would make it beneficial to
    plants (that being one of the three elements usually regarded as
    most important to plants).  It is also very alkaline - which could
    be a disadvantage or advantage, depending on the kinds of plants
    and your soil pH.
    
    In summary, I wouldn't worry about TSP, as long as it's very well
    diluted and watered in, and any concentrated solution was washed
    off of foliage immediately.  But, I wouldn't want to get bleach on
    any plants I didn't want to kill.
    
       Jay

>    Tri Sodium Phosphate is indeed an excellent cleaner.  Concentrated,
>    I would expect it to be caustic to plants....

>    In summary, I wouldn't worry about TSP, as long as it's very well
>    diluted and watered in...

Concentrated TSP is also caustic to flesh.  Use rubber gloves if you
envision using it for more than a few minutes.

    Over the last couple of weekends I scrubbed down my siding with a TSP
    and bleach solution (about 1 cup of each in 2 gals of water).  I used
    lots of water to rinse everything well, including the ground, and
    haven't noticed any ill effects on the lawn/shrubs yet.
    
    BTW, as a cleaner, the TSP/bleach works great!  It even took a lot of
    the color out of the stain, which is exactly what I wanted to do
    anyway.  
    
    /Don

    Re:  .9
    
         Will TSP + bleach do any harm to my vynil siding? I have 3 large
    Catalpa trees that stained the yellow/brown siding quite bad. The TSP +
    bleach will clean it nice, I'm sure; But I don't want to turn it one
    shade lighter (in color) in the process.
    
         Will the vynil siding be the original color after cleaning with
    this combonation of chemicals?
    
    P.S. The home handman column in Sundays paper (5/27) said to use TSP +
         bleach + non amonia soap. I guess I'll add in some Ivory liguid.

    
    	The paint store that I go to suggested that I use TSP to clean
    the logs on our newly (2 years old) built cabin.
    	I have read the instructions on the box, but don't remember any
    thing about bleach.  Do I add this for washing the logs?  And how
    much rinsing is involved.  
    	On the back of the cabin is a deck made of pressure treated wood,
    will the TSP bleach/stain the deck?  If so, what should I cover it
    with to prevent marks?
    	Luckily the cabin in only 20' by 24' with an enclosed porch on
    the front.
    
    	Linda 

    re .9
    I used TSP on vinyl siding with no ill effects to the siding.  Go for
    it.
    
    tony

    .re -2
    
    There is a log cabin notes file SUSHI::LOG_HOMES.  You might try asking
    the same questions there.  They are more familiar with the log side of
    home building.  Hit keypad 7 to add it to your notebook.
    
    The solution will problably lighten your deck where you spill or splash
    it.

Re: .11

My understanding is that the bleach is to kill mold/mildew on the siding.
If you don't have any, don't bother with the bleach.

				>>>==>PStJTT

    Bleach is only appropriate if you need to kill mildew, and then ONLY if
    you plan to paint/stain.  It will most likely change the color of the
    siding.
    
    Also, the TSP container warms against using it on aluminum.  Our storm
    window frames got discolored/streaked a little bit - not sure if it was
    the TSP or the bleach that did it.  It doesn't matter, anyway, since
    I'm painting them, too.
    
    /Don

    Re. .10
    
    I know this is late, but there is a VERY good reason for using a
    non-ammonia soap.  Bleach + ammonia = mustard gas (re: WWI).  One whiff
    of this combination and you might live.  Always be careful mixing
    cleaning agents!
    
    

re .16:

Not mustard gas, but a noxious mix of nitrogen chlorides, hydrazine, etc.
Regardless, these substances are dangerous, and you don't want to breathe
them!

-Mike