As you pull into your driveway, you notice that your house looks a bit dingy. There are mildew spots and caked-on dirt all over the outside, making your home look horrible!
It’s time to give your house a good scrub down. But, don’t think you can go out and try your hand at pressure washing your house without doing your research.
Pressure washing without knowing what you’re doing is dangerous! In one year alone, over 6,057 people rushed to the emergency room with pressure washing related injuries!
Once you know how to pressure wash a house, the risk of injury plummets. Keep reading to learn our best tips for using a pressure washer to clean the outside of your house.
Know Your Limits
If you struggle with standing for a long time or you have weakness in your arms, you might have a hard time pressure washing by yourself. Be honest about your body’s limits and what your body can handle before you take on a job like pressure washing.
Also, if you need to pressure wash any higher than one story, don’t attempt the work yourself! Pressure washing on the ground is dangerous enough. Consider hiring a pressure washing professional instead of attempting the job yourself.
It’s better to err on the side of caution than to attempt to use a pressure washer if you have any doubt that you can handle the job.
Prepare the Area
No matter if it’s your first or your fiftieth-time pressure washing your house, the first step is to prepare the area so you don’t damage any of your belongings. Anything you can pick up you should move away from the house and out of the area you are working in.
Pay attention to your plants too! Move any potted plants and, if you have plants in the ground, you should cover them to avoid any of the chemicals getting on the plants or into the soil. If you can’t cover your plants, be sure to water them well before you pressure wash and again afterward to dilute any chemicals that might get on the plants.
Focus on Safety Above All Else
It’s important to stress that using a pressure washer in the wrong way can injure you and/or damage your property. The name of the game is safety!
Be sure to wear the proper gear. Professionals recommend long sleeves, boots, heavy-duty gloves, eye protection, and ear protection.
Before turning on the water, be sure no one is in the area. You don’t want to hurt someone on accident.
Also, make sure you know which direction the water stream will go, so you can aim it before you turn on the water. Take note of the wind direction because that will affect the direction of your stream as well.
Start Slow… Even If You Know How to Pressure Wash a House
Most pressure washers have several settings and nozzles to adjust the stream shape and pressure. It’s best to start out using the least pressure you can and ramp up the power if you need to. Check the manual for your model of power washer to learn about all the settings your machine has.
Also, go for a small section instead of trying to do the whole side of the house at once. The goal is to spray on the cleaning chemicals from the bottom to the top, then rinsing the chemicals off from top to bottom, but you have to rinse before the chemicals dry. If you attempt too big a section, the chemicals will begin to dry before you can get to the rinsing step.
Be Realistic About the Results
Pressure washing is a great way to remove stubborn dirt, grime, and stains from your house and driveway. Most of the gunk that accumulates on your house is easy to remove with a pressure washer.
Yet, pressure washers aren’t able to perform miracles! Some stains are too tough and no pressure washer (no matter how powerful) will lift them.
For instance, if you have a motor oil stain on your driveway and you never got around to sealing the concrete, chances are that the stain is there forever. Save yourself the time and frustration and don’t try to remove impossible stains.
It’s tempting to kick up the power when you come across hard-to-remove gunk, but if you aren’t careful, spraying with too much pressure can damage the paint, siding, or other exterior details of your home.
You Are Where You Live
Your home is an extension of who you are. Like when you shower and groom yourself, your house needs a good scrub down every now and then too! You don’t want to become known as the neighbor with the filthy looking house.
Remember, as long as you’re focusing on safety, figuring out how to pressure wash a house isn’t scary. Be sure to take your time and don’t overexert yourself the first time you try using the pressure washer. You may notice that your muscles are sore afterward because you aren’t used to using those muscles in that way.
Don’t worry, after you get the hang of it, pressure washing is like watering the lawn… but with a lot more water!
We hope you loved reading this article and that you learned a thing or two about pressure washing your home. If you need more advice about home projects, home design, or gardening, check out the rest of our blogs today!