
When the weekend comes, the last thing you want to worry about is keeping your home clean. Fortunately, tools like hot water pressure washers exist that let you clean your home quickly so you can have fun on your days off. Knowing how to use pressure washers will make your weekend projects quick and efficient.
1. Test water flow
Pressure washers need the correct flow to deliver a powerful stream. It’s easy to test your water flow by filling a standard bucket. If you need more than two minutes to fill it, then your water flow is too slow for a pressure washer. You can improve water flow by keeping the nozzles and connections clean.
2. Respect the pressure
Pressure washers have speed and power, which makes them efficient at cleaning. The pressure can cut through skin, so practice safety measures like wearing gloves and goggles. Hold the wand tightly and never point the stream at another person, a pet, or your favorite rose bush. The best method involves using sweeping motions to avoid putting too much pressure in one location.
3. Use the correct nozzle tip
Pressure washers have several nozzle tips that adjust the stream. Some have wide-spray patterns and others have narrow streams. In general, a wide spray has less pressure than a narrow stream.
If you are cleaning a concrete driveway, you can use a narrow stream. But, if you are cleaning your home’s siding, you’ll want a wider one. While you can use a wide nozzle for most jobs, you can’t use a narrow stream for all jobs because the pressure will damage softer surfaces.
4. Adjust the spray angle to get the desired force
The nozzle you use will change the pressure, and you can adjust the force from the pressure washer by changing the nozzle’s angle. In most situations, you’ll hold the nozzle perpendicular to the surface you are cleaning.
Sometimes you’ll need to clean at an odd angle. If you use a rotating nozzle, you won’t have to contort your body into odd shapes to clean objects that aren’t perfectly vertical or horizontal.
5. Start with a light touch
If you’re new to pressure washing, you’ll want to start farther away than you think. If you stand too close to an object, you could damage it. Stand at least 10 feet away from what you are washing, then move in if you need more pressure. It’s better to take more time cleaning than to damage items and spend the time and money it takes to repair or replace them.
6. Pressure washers can’t clean everything
Some items are too soft for pressure washing. For example, finishes on cars can often be damaged by pressure washers. When you want to wash your car, it’s better to use a hose or visit a car wash.
7. Learn the pressure washing technique
The best to remove caked-on grime is by soaking the area, then using sweeping horizontal strokes. If you start at the top and work your way down, you won’t end up with streaks.