Tips for pressure washing

Pressure washing

Last Updated on May 31, 2019 by Royal Stone Care

If, over the summer, you’ve started to notice a build-up of dirt on your walls, patio, decking or any other surfaces, pressure or jet washing is a great way of blasting it away effectively, with minimal time and energy spent. It could be especially useful if you’re deep cleaning ahead of a house sale.

And if you’re thinking about jet washing, and doing the work yourself, there are any number of options for buying or hiring a good quality pressure washer. However if you prefer to use a professional pressure washing services for patio cleaning or driveway cleaning, please see the last section of this article.

Safety first

Safety is always an important consideration, and that applies to pressure washing as much as it does to anything else.

Here are some key safety points to bear in mind:

  • Wear safety glasses and gloves.
  • Never use the washer on any kind of ladder. The consequences of what could happen if you fell don’t bear thinking about.

What can be cleaned by jet washing?

While this kind of high-pressure washing is ideal for blasting away grime, mould and mildew, you can also clear things like cobwebs and loose paint. Surfaces like wood, concrete, vinyl and Tarmac can all be cleaned this way. But try and keep the jet of water away from windows and plant life.

Understand the strength of our machine, and take particular care with wood.

Using a power washer

Most washers have up to four different nozzle sizes. Start with the smaller sizes at first, and be guided by the operating manual so that you have the best size of nozzle for the task in hand. Too strong a water stream on vinyl, for example, can really damage it.

While various detergents can be added to your water, a weak solution of bleach is one good choice. Although we always suggest to use environment friendly solutions.

Hot or cold?

For straightforward grime on decking, driveways and the like, cold water washers will work perfectly fine. If, however, you are trying to shift oil or other greasy material, hotter liquid may be more effective.

Terminology

GPM stands for Gallons Per Minute, the volume of water that will flow over a particular time. Clearly the greater the GPM, the quicker cleaning will be.

PSI is pounds per square inch or the amount of pressure created per square inch. Again, if it is higher, efficiency is increased.

Looking for pressure washing services?

If all this sounds too complicated, you may want to look into professional pressure washing services rather than trying to tackle the job yourself.

If you’re based in or around the capital and looking for pressure washing London has a number of providers. But at Royal Stone Care, we really know what we’re doing when it comes to jet washing in London.

We’re fully insured, and very experienced so have the training and know-how to do an excellent job. Equally, we won’t use harsh chemicals in our pressure washers, and we’ve achieved the ISO: 9001 standard for environmental responsibility.

Talk to us about using our jet washing services as part of an ongoing maintenance programme for your property.