Ready For Clean! - How to Start Pressure Washing

Some cleaning jobs take a lot of force – water force. Pressure washing uses a pressure washer that sprays water with high powered force so you can clean even the toughest grime, grease or mold. Learning how to start pressure washing the right way can make the job easier and quicker.

Learning how to start pressure washing isn’t hard, but the actual preparation depends upon the job you are planning. There are lots of areas around the house that can be pressured washed.

House vinyl siding or brick
Garage floor
Driveway
Sidewalks
Statuary
Porches
Decks
Sidewalks
Engines

How to Start Pressure Washing

The first thing you should learn about how to start pressure washing concerns your personal safety. You should remove all jewelry and don’t wear loose clothing, but always wear gloves and eye goggles. The pressure washer has a motor and a compressor and you don’t want anything to get caught in the equipment. Also a pressure washer gets very hot on and around the metal casings. Many homeowners have burnt themselves on pressure washers. They equate water with cool and forget how hot motors can get.

Before starting your job, attach the water hose and make sure the motor is prepped and ready to operate smoothly.

Next, you should make sure you have a clear area to work in because the water has a lot of force. You can unintentionally ruin other items that get in the way. For washing vinyl siding, you can add bleach to the water and spray both on together. For built up grease on garage floors, use an oil absorber on the floor first and then pressure wash the floor, or add detergent to the water.

When you are cleaning with bleach or cleaners, don’t forget to protect anything that might be damaged as a result of spray exposure. You don’t want to kill all the shrubs around your house by coating them with cleaner or bleach. If you don’t cover them at least make sure you wash the chemicals off right away.

When pressure washing floors or driveways, start the cleaning in one corner and proceed across the room. You can let the first spraying sit for ten minutes to give the detergent time to soak up the oil and grease. Then you can spray again. When you pressure wood wash decks or porches, use only a cleaner recommended for wood. Spray once with the water and cleaner, let sit and then spray with just water.

Learning how to start pressure washing is easy. Though you have equipment doing the job, it does take some work to clean a house. Most pressure washers come with wands, wand extenders and nozzles to increase area access. Also remember, the smaller the nozzle, the higher the water force.