How Do I Get the Best Results from Pressure Washing?

Pressure washing is a powerful process that can boost the curb appeal of your home or business while helping to preserve the property from the elements. Pressure washing seems simple enough, you just spray water on the house exterior, and it gets clean. It isn’t that simple, though. Do it wrong, and you’ll damage the property, leave behind unsightly streaks and make the property worse than when it started. This is why it’s essential you know the pressuring washing dos and don’ts before you clean any property using a pressure washer. 

How Do You Pressure Wash Like a Pro?

There are a few essential pressure-washing secrets that will enable you to get pro-grade cleaning results. The first is to select your pressure washing nozzles and the pressure washer you use carefully. Get a gas model with 3,500 PSI or more, and use the appropriate nozzle tip for the material you’re cleaning. Use a 15 for concrete, brick, or stucco, a 25 for sidewalks, vinyl siding, gutters, aluminum siding, and trim, and rely on a 40 for delicate painted surfaces, vehicles, and wood. You should also choose the right pressure-washing chemicals, including surfactants, sodium hypochlorite, and an industrial degreaser for a fully cleaned finish. If all this sounds overwhelming, that’s why most people hire pros to do the work for them. The time of year you clean matters too, and we recommend spring or fall months specifically. 

Power Wash Your House in Spring or Fall

Whether you’re hiring professionals, or doing it yourself, try to clean your home in the spring and fall months each year. During spring and fall, the weather is the best for successful pressure washing a property because the temperatures are above freezing but not so hot that your water could evaporate and create spots. Cleaning during these times will help prepare your home for winter too, preserving its health effectively. Combine these cleaning times with the right power washer nozzle tips, and you’ll achieve the most thorough and effective clean. 

What Should You Not Do When Pressure Washing?

Some of the most important professional pressure washing tips are about what not to do rather than what you should do. For instance, you shouldn’t clean without protective safety equipment like goggles and protective pants, shoes, and a shirt. You also should avoid using the wrong nozzle, or you risk damage or not getting an effective clean. There are more specific tips, too, such as not to spray upwards when cleaning siding and to avoid running a gas washer while inside a building. There are even more specific details, such as pressure washing tips for concrete, that you should not run bleach through your washer and instead use a downstream injector. You should also avoid spraying bleach onto a surface that hasn’t been nearly fully washed already. Bleach is a post-treatment tool that lightens concrete and creates a final clean, but that doesn’t work well on dirt and other debris. 

Learn about what not to do before using a pressure washer, and you’ll avoid damaging property and hurting yourself. 

Should I Pressure Wash My House Before Painting?

If you’re planning on painting your home, you must fully prep all the surfaces of your house to achieve an even finish that lasts. The best way to prepare your house is to hit it with a pressure washer to remove any contaminants, old paint, and debris. Learning how to pressure wash a house before doing this is essential, and then allowing your house between 24 and 72 hours to fully dry before painting will give you the best results. 

How to Pressure Wash a 2-Story House Without a Ladder?

If you’re pressure washing your house without a ladder, you may struggle to get a good clean in some areas without using a few useful tips. Since it’s essential to avoid pointing upwards when washing siding, you will have to clean using an extension pole. Equip your pressure washer with a pole and try to spray at a downward angle or straight on instead of upwards. Extension poles are available in many different sizes, try and get an option that gives you the perfect height for the second story of your home. Spray soap on starting from the ground and moving up, then rinse off from the top down for an excellent finish. 

Is it OK to Pressure Wash Concrete?

Yes, power washing concrete or pressure washing this rugged surface is one of the best ways to clean it effectively. It’s best to use a pressure wash driveway attachment to get a deep and even clean efficiency and to overlap your passes to avoid striping. You should also utilize effective pressure-washing driveways chemicals such as surfactants, degreasers, and bleach to get a deep clean. You shouldn’t pressure wash the driveway with bleach until the end, and you should only inject bleach using a downstream injector to keep the bleach out of your pump to avoid damage to your equipment. A pressure washer is one of the best ways to clean concrete and most driveways, but you must do the work properly, or you could damage the surface or end up with poor results. 

Whether you’re cleaning a home or business, a pressure washer is the best way to get the work done fast. You must know how to clean like a professional and what not to do to achieve pro-grade results. Hopefully, the tips above help you achieve the results you want. 

Skip the Learning Curve and Work with Trained Pros Now

If you feel overwhelmed by the information explained above, you may not be ready to use a pressure washer yourself. You can still achieve a deep and effective clean by hiring a professional team to do the work for you. Contact our team at S&K Builders and get a quote for our pressure washing service to get your property cleaner than it’s been for years.