Winter Season Guide

Power Washing Your Home

Updated March 15, 2019

Top Tips For Power Washing Your Home

If you are thinking of power washing your home, you need to be careful. There are a lot of things that could go wrong if you do not do this correctly. To ensure that you are successful, you should know some of the best tips for power washing your home.

Choose The Right Tool

When it comes to choosing the power washer, you need to know how to choose the right one. A lot of people focus on PSI or pounds per square inch. While this is important, it should not be the only factor that you look at.

You also need to consider the water flow in gallons per minute. This combined with the PSI will provide you with the best tool. A 4 GPM machine that offers 4,000 PSI will not actually clean as well as a 5 GPM one offering 3,700 PSI.

When looking at the machine, you should also consider one that is able to dispense cleaning product along with the water. You could clean your home or driveway without cleaner, but it will generally take longer. Of course, you will need to ensure that the cleaner you use is safe for your home.

Be Safe

If you operate a power washer incorrectly, you could be seriously injured. The high-pressure blast of water can not only hurt you or other people, but it can also cause serious damage to your home. This is why you need to be safety conscious.

Eye and ear protection are essential when you use a power washer. Professionals also recommend wearing a long-sleeve shirt, gloves, and boots.

When you activate the spray, you also need to be aware of where the nozzle is pointing. Make sure that there is no-one close and always plan to ahead when you move the spray. You also need to be very careful when you are working around windows and doors because they are vulnerable to the pressure.

If you are going to be working when it is windy, you need to know the direction of the wind. If you do not take this into account, everything that you remove from the house could be blown back at you. You also need to ensure that all of the parts are on securely.

Do Not Overdo It With The Pressure

Cleaning your home may not require the highest pressure setting that the machine has to offer. In fact, professionals recommend using the lowest setting when you are cleaning your home. Of course, each machine will have different levels of settings and you do need to consider this.

You should also consider the nozzles that you can use to regulate the pressure. There are some nozzles that will be ideal for cleaning your home and you need to know about this. The best way to get this information will be to carefully look through the manual that comes with the power washer.

Know The Machine’s Limits

All power washers will have a limit and you need to know what this is before you start. There are some stains on your home that may not leave regardless of the pressure that you use. Turning up the pressure could damage your home and will not result in the stain going away.

The machine that you use will have a limit when it comes to certain types of stains. Rust and corn stains will be almost impossible to remove regardless of the machine that you have. There will always be a mark and increasing pressure will not help.

Know Your Limits

While it is important to know the limits of the machine, you also need to know your limits. Basic cleaning with a power washer can be done by anyone who takes the time to learn about this. However, there are times when things get a bit complicated and you need to call in the professionals.

You should consider calling someone in if your home is more than one story and if you want to clean the roof as well. Professional cleaners will have equipment that helps them reach higher areas safely. Standing on a ladder to clean these areas can be dangerous and is something that you should avoid doing.