Nobody wants a dirty looking house, right? Pressure washing keeps your home’s exterior looking fresh and clean, whether your home’s siding is vinyl, brick, stucco, wood or aluminum. It’s also a wise way to prep your home for painting. Using a pressure washer isn’t hard – just follow these steps to make your house shine!
1. Assemble Your Equipment
Even if you don’t own a pressure washer yourself, you can still clean your house using a pressure washer rental. For most homeowners, this option is going to be far less costly than buying one yourself.
In addition to a pressure washer, you’ll also want to make sure you’ve got detergent and eye protection. If you’ve got a tall house, an extension wand for the power washer is also recommended.
2. Prepare the Area
Before you begin cleaning, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got your home ready. Move outdoor furniture, toys, potted plants and other objects away from the area so that they won’t be damaged or in your way during cleaning.
If there are any damaged areas on your home’s siding, you’ll want to repair those before cleaning so that water doesn’t cause any damage to your walls. Cover any lights, as well as outlets to make sure you don’t harm your home’s electrical system, and close all doors and windows.
Finally, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for setting up the pressure washer and filling it with the proper detergent so that it’s ready to use.
3. Be Safe!
It’s important to stay safe while you clean. In addition to wearing eye protection, you’ll also want to avoid using ladders, since the water pressure can make them unstable and dangerous.
Also note that lead paint is still present on some older homes which haven’t been painted in a long time. If you suspect lead paint may be present, test to confirm – and if it does, don’t wash it until you’ve had the lead paint removed by a professional.
4. Spot-Clean Trouble Areas
If there’s an area on your house with a lot of mold or mildew, it will benefit from some extra cleaning. Scrub it with a mixture of bleach and water to help kill the mold and keep it from returning.
5. Pressure Clean
Now it’s time to clean! Start out slowly to get a feel for the machine, and adjust the nozzle or your distance from the house as needed. Work at a steady pace, tackling one section at a time and cleaning from bottom to top.
If you’re cleaning vinyl siding, then you’ll want to hold the nozzle downwards to keep it from damaging the siding. Avoid spraying water into seams, since you don’t want water to get behind the siding.
6. Rinse and Finish Up
After you’ve let the detergent sit for a few minutes you’ll want to rinse it off. Using clean water, spray from top to bottom until all of the soap and dirt is rinsed off.
That’s all there is to it! You can now uncover your outlets and return your pressure washer rental, and enjoy your freshly cleaned home.
Contractors and do-it-yourselfers can find all the essentials to get the job done right at One Stop Rental. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff will be happy to help you with your next project. Call today.