Pressure washers can be used to clean driveways, sidewalks patios, decks, siding and fencing.

But if you’re not careful, a pressure washer can damage softer surfaces like wood.

Here are some tips on how to use a pressure washer to clean your home:

  • Use a wide tip on softer surfaces to reduce the chance of damage.
  • Find the distance from the tip to the surface that cleans best without causing damage.
  • When cleaning wood, move the tip with the grain of the wood to avoid damage.
  • Use a cleaner made for pressure washers, and the tip made for applying cleaners.
  • Do not use chlorine bleach in a pressure washer; use oxygen bleach instead.
  • Use a surface cleaner attachment on your pressure washer when cleaning large horizontal areas.

Watch the video above to find out more.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Of course, you’ll be using water for just about all of your exterior cleaning chores, why not make that water work a little harder by using a pressure washer. Now, a pressure washer is essentially a gasoline motor or an electric motor that powers a compressor that will multiply the PSI or Pounds per Square Inch of the water coming out of your water hose by 60 to 80 times.

Now, this model from Generac produces 2700 PSI, now that’s plenty to clean just about anything outside your home. I mean patio furniture, brick, fencing, decking, all of that type of cleaning is made a lot easier with a pressure washer. But that’s also powerful enough to cause all kinds of damage, so there are a few things you have to consider.

First of all, the selection of the nozzle which determines the spray pattern you have. Naturally, the wider your spray pattern, the less intense that pressure is. If it’s a little more narrow, that when you really need to be careful, because that’s when you can gouge fencing or any type of wood decking. So you have to be very careful when you’re selecting the right nozzle. Here are a few other tips.

Experiment with the distance you keep the cleaning nozzle from the surface by slowing moving it closer until you find the optimum cleaning range. On bare wood, it’s usually best to move the tip parallel to the wood grain, this will help prevent splintering.

Another way you can make your pressure washer work even better is by using the proper cleaner. Now, if you have a reservoir on your pressure washer, like I have here, it’s as simple as using a cleaner that’s designed for use in a pressure washer, pour it in, then use the tip that you use to apply the cleaner to the surface that you’re working on. It’s that easy. Now, if you don’t have a reservoir, you can always use the old garden, pump up sprayer to do the exact same thing. Now, I wouldn’t recommend using chlorine bleach, because it’ll damage your pressure washer and void your warranty, and might even kill a few plants around the house. If you feel like you have to use some type of bleach, use oxygen bleach, or one that’s formulated for use outside your home.

Now, if you’re cleaning a lot of horizontal surfaces, like driveways or maybe a deck, here’s a great tip to make that go a lot easier. This is a little accessory, it’s a horizontal surface cleaner that attaches to your pressure washer wand. And then, the real secret is here below, it keeps the nozzles in constant motion and at a consistent height off the surface that you’re cleaning. So that you don’t have any damage and get a nice, even cleaning over whatever horizontal surface that you’re working on.


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Danny Lipford

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Danny Lipford is a home improvement expert and television personality who started his remodeling business, Lipford Construction, at the age of 21 in Mobile, Alabama. He gained national recognition as the host of the nationally syndicated television show, Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford, which started as a small cable show in Mobile. Danny's expertise in home improvement has also led him to be a contributor to popular magazines and websites and the go-to source for advice on everything related to the home. He has made over 200 national television appearances and served as the home improvement expert for CBS's The Early Show and The Weather Channel for over a decade. Danny is also the founder of 3 Echoes Content Studio, TodaysHomeowner.com, and Checking In With Chelsea, a décor and lifestyle blog.

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