Power washing, as a cleaning method, has been increasingly popular in the past several decades and will become even more popular in years to come. A lot of times people put too much effort into cleaning their cars, boats, patios, grills and the exteriors of their houses. By practicing these pressure washing techniques, you will overcome the burden and you will finish any of these jobs much faster than any of your neighbors. If you just follow these simple pressure washing basics, your home exterior cleaning will be short and painless process by using the right tools.
Professional Power Washing Techniques
Choosing nozzles. For using pressure washer efficiently, you need to choose the correct nozzle and/or tip. The majority of our machines come with interchangeable spray tips that serve two purposes. One is to lower the pressure and draw the detergent; and the other is for high pressure rinse at the different spray angles. Our pressure washers come with several color-coded tips/nozzles (red, yellow, green, and white) that vary from 0 degrees to 40 degrees. As a general rule the smallest angle delivers the most powerful “punch.” For example, if you want to remove a stubborn smudge from your driveway you will use a 0 degree angle. However, if you want to move debris (such as leaves, sand, etc.) away from your house you will use a wider angle such as 25 or 45 degree nozzle. Caution: be sure the nozzle/tip is completely attached before using the trigger gun. Failure to do so may result in the tip becoming the projectile and may be lost or it may damage the property and/or harm persons.
Using chemicals. Use only chemicals and pressure washer cleaning solutions that are approved for pressure washer use. We offer a Super Film Remover and Citrus Degreaser. Super Film Remover is mainly used for car washing and light dirt or road film. Citrus Degreaser is used for removing heavy greaser and industrial cleaning. All of our pressure washers come with a detergent injector, which allows for continuous, uninterrupted flow of the cleaning solution into the water stream. If you buy unapproved detergents, they may not be environmentally friendly and they may be dangerous for pressure washer components. One solution might work well for the concrete, but it could harm the wood.
Testing the power. Test your pressure washer for its power. The best is to start spraying a few feet away from any object. Slowly bring your wand to 3-4 feet distance from the surface you want to clean. Move your wand side-to-side a couple of times and check if the surface is clean. If additional cleaning is needed, move your wand gradually closer to the surface (approx. 1-2 feet). The reason for the gradual cleaning is because pressure washers are extremely powerful and if you start too close you could damage the object instead of cleaning it.
Planning what to clean. Be careful when spraying around windows, postage boxes, flowers, vents, eaves, or light fixtures. They can break or become damaged if aimed directly at them. In addition, keep the trigger gun pointed downwards so that you don’t spray under the siding. This will prevent the siding from collapsing. Also, be cautious when cleaning the edges around the windows. Small, unnoticeable holes can leak water inside your home. In order to prevent this check for any holes, dents and scratches on the frame of the window.
Pressure washing is similar to painting. If you get into “happy mode” you may start spraying everything and everywhere. These random power wash sprayings are not thorough and detailed, they will make you miss spots, and you will waste your time by cleaning places twice. To overcome this, spray horizontally with smooth left to right movements. In one strike cover 3-4 feet wide area. To prevent streaking, start from the top and work your way down to the bottom.
Pausing before rinsing. Since you used the cleaning solution, you have to give time for it to do its job. You should allow 5 to 10 minutes for the detergent to start dissolving the dirt, but do not let it sit too long so that it dries out. When ready to rinse start at the top and work towards the bottom until the entire area is detergent free.
Contact Us
Our expertly trained technicians utilize best-in-class equipment and biodegradable cleansers, applying the appropriate professional power washing techniques to lift tough stains without causing damage. Service towns in Mercer County, NJ area include Princeton, Pennington, Lawrence, East Windsor, West Windsor, Hamilton, Hopewell, Robbinsville, Hightstown, Windsor, Trenton, and Groveville. With 20 years’ experience, Bearclaw is a professional, high quality Power Washing Service. Phone 609-882-1688 Email NJBEARCLAW@AOL.COM