Patio & exterior
Jeyes 4-in-1 Patio Power dupe
Why pay around £16.00 for Jeyes? The bulk active is Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC 50) — 90% less per working litre than a typical shelf pack.
From the retail pack to the active and the mix
1 · Retail
Jeyes 4-in-1 Patio Power
4 litres · £16.00 typical snapshot
Water, non-ionic surfactant and foam
2 · Active
Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC)
1.75% on the label
7173-51-5C22H48ClN
Bulk Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC 50)
3 · Mix
1:140 (≈0.35% DDAC, matching 4-in-1 diluted 1+4)
£0.04 per working litre · 90% less than the shelf pack
- Active
- Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC)
- CAS
- 7173-51-5
- Dupe
- Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC 50)
- Saving
- 90% / L
Saving is per litre of working-strength mix versus a typical pack price, not versus the DIY kit total. Shop prices move — always check the listing.
Label teardown
What the pack promises versus what the label chemistry actually is.
The marketing claim
“Kills 99.9% of germs — no scrubbing”
The chemical reality
This is not old Jeyes Fluid (tar acids are gone). Patio Power is 1.75% DDAC — a twin-chain quat, not the benzalkonium in Patio Magic. Dilute DDAC 50 to about 0.35% and you have the same working spray as the 4 L bottle mixed 1+4.
Active vs filler
1.75% Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC) · 98% carrier / filler — Water, non-ionic surfactant and foam
- Typical retail
- £16.00
- 4 litres
- Estimated active cost
- £0.84
- Scaled from bulk £29.99 / 5 litres
- Indicative markup
- 19.1×
- Snapshot maths, not a live shop price
The Marketing Claim & The Catch
A 4 litres pack of Jeyes 4-in-1 Patio Power typically retails around £16.00 in patio & exterior. That is a UK shelf-price snapshot for the maths on this page — not a live shop quote or a manufacturer RRP. Listings, sizes and deals move. The marketing line is that you are buying a finished lifestyle product, not a weighed chemical.
On the pack: Kills 99.9% of germs — no scrubbing; Removes algae, mould and mildew on paths, patios and brick; and Covers up to 180 m².
The catch: This is not old Jeyes Fluid (tar acids are gone). Patio Power is 1.75% DDAC — a twin-chain quat, not the benzalkonium in Patio Magic. Dilute DDAC 50 to about 0.35% and you have the same working spray as the 4 L bottle mixed 1+4.
- “Kills 99.9% of germs — no scrubbing”
- “Removes algae, mould and mildew on paths, patios and brick”
- “Covers up to 180 m²”
Proprietary Blend & Dosage Breakdown
The labelled active is Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC) at 1.75%. Everything else in the pack is water, non-ionic surfactant and foam.
At 1.75% active, most of what you pay for is carrier and packaging. The brand is selling convenience, fragrance and a label — not a uniquely potent molecule.
Branded working strength is whatever comes out of the bottle. The bulk alternative is 50% Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC 50), mixed to 1:140 (≈0.35% DDAC, matching 4-in-1 diluted 1+4).
- Labelled active
- Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC)
- 1.75%
- Carrier
- Water, non-ionic surfactant and foam
- Retail pack
- 4 litres · £16.00
The Active Chemical Alternative (Dupe Stack)
The dupe stack is Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC 50) at 50% bulk. Indexed as CAS 7173-51-5, formula C22H48ClN. Buy it as 5 litres for around £29.99 from Amazon UK.
Working strength: 1:140 (≈0.35% DDAC, matching 4-in-1 diluted 1+4). Indicative cost £0.04 per diluted litre — 90% below a typical branded pack on a per-litre basis, before you reuse leftover bulk.
Follow the mixing method and the supplier SDS. Wear the listed PPE. Do not mix incompatible oxidisers, acids or ammonia.
- Quat biocide: nitrile gloves and splash goggles. Work outdoors. Toxic to aquatic life — keep off ponds, drains that run to a watercourse, and keep cats and fish away until the surface is dry.
- Some 50% DDAC drums are professional-use biocides. Buy a listing a householder can legally purchase, the same way we buy BAC 50. C8–10 DDAC (CAS 68424-95-3) is the same twin-chain family if that is what the drum is.
- 1 part DDAC 50 + 140 parts water lands near 0.35% DDAC — the same order as Jeyes 4-in-1 diluted 1+4 for normal growth (35 ml concentrate in a 5 L sprayer). For light growth, 1:280.
- Apply to dry masonry until wet. Do not mix with bleach, acids or anionic detergents. Leave to weather; do not rinse unless the pack says to. Brush off heavy moss first.
- 5 litres of 50% makes about 700 litres of working spray. Store the concentrate labelled and upright, away from food.
Dilution recipe
5 L sprayer
Working strength 1:140 (≈0.35% DDAC, matching 4-in-1 diluted 1+4). Educational estimate from the listed ratio — check the SDS before you mix.
Chemical
35 millilitres
Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC 50)
Water
4.96 litres
Carrier / diluent
1% concentrate · 99% water by working volume (solids are dissolved into the water share).
Required PPE
Loading calculator…
Side-by-Side Price & Potency Comparison
Head-to-head comparison
| Measure | Retail brandedJeyes | Raw active dupeDupeStack |
|---|---|---|
| Product | 4-in-1 Patio PowerAmazon UK search — listing, not a confirmed seller | Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC 50) |
| Pack / unit | 4 litres · £16.00 | 5 litres · £29.99 |
| Active | Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC) at 1.75%Carrier: Water, non-ionic surfactant and foam | 50% bulkC22H48ClN |
| CAS number | Not disclosed on pack | 7173-51-5 |
| Working strength | Ready-to-use pack | Dilute 1:140 (≈0.35% DDAC, matching 4-in-1 diluted 1+4) |
| Cost per litre | £4.00 / L typical pack | £0.04 / L mixed from bulk |
| Headline saving | Baseline | 90% cheaper |
| COSHH / PPE | Follow the branded SDS | Gloves. Chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile or neoprene)Eye protection. Indirect-vent splash goggles — not ordinary spectaclesVentilation. Use outdoors or with mechanical extraction |
Active ingredient and cheaper alternative — FAQ
Is Jeyes 4-in-1 the same as original Jeyes Fluid?
No. Classic Jeyes Fluid was chlorocresol (CAS 59-50-7) plus tar acids. That formula is discontinued. A 2023 SDS for current Fluid lists benzalkonium chloride plus formic and lactic acid — dilute BAC, the same family as Patio Magic. 4-in-1 Patio Power is labelled didecyldimethylammonium chloride 1.75 g/100 g (DDAC, CAS 7173-51-5), a different quat. Do not buy chlorocresol to ‘match Jeyes’.
Is DDAC the same as Patio Magic / Wet & Forget?
No. Patio Magic and Wet & Forget are benzalkonium chloride (BAC, CAS 68424-85-1). DDAC is didecyldimethylammonium chloride (CAS 7173-51-5). Both are quats used on algae film; they are not interchangeable on the label, and you should not mix them with bleach, acids or washing-up liquid (anionic detergent).
How do you mix the 4-in-1 Patio Power dupe stack?
Quat biocide: nitrile gloves and splash goggles. Work outdoors. Toxic to aquatic life — keep off ponds, drains that run to a watercourse, and keep cats and fish away until the surface is dry. Some 50% DDAC drums are professional-use biocides. Buy a listing a householder can legally purchase, the same way we buy BAC 50. C8–10 DDAC (CAS 68424-95-3) is the same twin-chain family if that is what the drum is. 1 part DDAC 50 + 140 parts water lands near 0.35% DDAC — the same order as Jeyes 4-in-1 diluted 1+4 for normal growth (35 ml concentrate in a 5 L sprayer). For light growth, 1:280. Apply to dry masonry until wet. Do not mix with bleach, acids or anionic detergents. Leave to weather; do not rinse unless the pack says to. Brush off heavy moss first. 5 litres of 50% makes about 700 litres of working spray. Store the concentrate labelled and upright, away from food.
DupeStack provides chemical concentration data and educational mixing guides only. Wellness pages compare food supplements, not medicines or prescribed treatments. Always review the supplier Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and comply with UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and COSHH regulations when handling concentrated substances. Mixing and storage are at your own risk. Some links are affiliate advertisements (Amazon Associates, eBay Partner Network, and Awin when those programmes are live). Commissions do not change listed concentrations or calculator output.
Related guides
Patio guide
Patio cleaners decoded: BAC, DDAC, bleach, acid and degreasers
Which patio bottle is which molecule? Benzalkonium, DDAC, hypochlorite, brick acid, metasilicate, strippers and a silane sealer — matched to DupeStack teardowns.
Patio guide
How much patio chemical do you need? Measure first
Convert a patio or drive into m², then into concentrate and water using DupeStack teardowns and the area estimator.
Patio guide
BAC vs DDAC vs bleach on patios — which active for which stain?
Quat biocides, twin-chain DDAC and hypochlorite do different jobs on paving. When to use each — and what never to mix.
More teardowns
Patio & exterior
Wet & Forget Exterior Surface Cleaner
Wet & Forget
- Retail pack
- £34.005 litres
- Raw active
- Benzalkonium chloride (BAC 50)68424-85-1
A dilute quaternary ammonium biocide sold as a lifestyle patio product. The active is commodity BAC 50; the brand is paying for the trigger bottle and the television advert.
Patio & exterior
Patio Magic!
Patio Magic
- Retail pack
- £24.995 litres
- Raw active
- Benzalkonium chloride (BAC 50)68424-85-1
Another BAC patio biocide in a different coloured bottle. Same quaternary ammonium as Wet & Forget; same bulk drum of BAC 50. You are paying for the brand, not a different molecule.
Patio & exterior
HG Rust Stain Remover
HG
- Retail pack
- £8.50500 millilitres
- Raw active
- Oxalic acid dihydrate6153-56-6
Oxalic acid is the classic rust and tannin bleach for masonry. HG bottles a dilute solution; a kilogram of crystals makes tens of litres of the same chemistry.
£52.96Save 90% / L
Indicative DIY stack