Who wants to live in a dirty house? No one.
But who wants to do home cleaning, especially against tough dirt, oil, grease, and stains? Absolutely no one, right?
Home cleaning is necessary to ensure that your home looks nice and smells fresh. The cleanliness of your home can directly affect the health of your mind and body. It also preserves the good condition of the house to last for a long time.
Pressure washing is the most efficient method to remove all dirt out of gutters. It’s convenient, portable, and makes cleaning nth times faster than manual effort.
The Basics of Home Pressure Washing
What do you need? An electric or gas-type pressure washer? Let’s clarify this issue first.
Electric types work better since they are powerful enough for most home cleaning tasks. It can clean the siding, car detailing, and decks. Since there are electrical outlets in every part of the house, it’s easy to take them anywhere to clean all the nooks and crannies. Gas pressure washers are powerful but can easily damage the surface if you don’t know how to use them.
There are also preparatory steps that you need when using a pressure washer. These steps are applicable for any part of the house to be cleaned.
- Get suitable materials. Aside from the machine, you also need the right accessories and cleaning agent. If nozzles and wands are not part of the package, you must buy them separately. Always check for the recommended brands of the attachment or detergent by checking the user manual.
- Check the area that needs to be cleaned. Make sure that the siding and gutters are in good condition. See if they have loose parts or if they wiggle. Fix the problems first before pressure washing.
- Move all objects. Give yourself enough room while cleaning by removing things from the surface you intend to clean. Remember that water pressure can mark anything in contact with it. One wrong move and the machine can destroy your favorite decoration or painting.
- Protect your plants. High pressure, detergent, and too much water are enemies of any plant. Cover them with a tarp before pulling the trigger of the machine.
- Keep the water stream at eye level. While using the device, ensure the water jet is at or below eye level. This will give you the most control over the direction and power of the stream. If you aim too high, the pressure will not be enough to provide thorough cleaning.
- Dry the corners after power washing. Never leave water accumulating in unwanted areas. When left unattended, this pool of water can be the breeding ground for mosquitoes or molds. You can avoid this by hand-drying all the corners with a dry towel.
- Consider the right Pounds per square inch (PSI). A PSI between 1,000 to 1,400 is ideal for home cleaning. If you go above this range, the water pressure can damage the surface it comes in contact with.
How to Pressure Wash Siding
A pressure washer works great in cleaning siding since it can shoot a strong jet that can penetrate into the tiny spaces between the siding. Once the water is inside these pores, the detergent breaks up the debris and stains on the surface. You can start with high-pressure mode to loosen up tough dirt, then finish off with low pressure to remove the detergent.
- Use a sturdy ladder to reach the high spots. Also, use safety glasses to protect your eyes.
- Remove obvious dirt using a broom and a bucket of water. Take away moss, leaves, twig, or other foreign debris from the siding.
- Using a power washer, aim the nose directly at the surface of the siding. Move the hose from side to side.
- Follow these steps until all sides of the house are clean.
How to Pressure Wash Gutters
Gutters are essential as they collect and drain rainwater from your home’s roof into the ground. The rainwater slides down from the roof into the channel and goes into the downspouts.
To clean the gutters, follow these steps:
- Use a sturdy ladder to reach the high spots. Also, use safety glasses to protect your eyes.
- Remove leaves, twigs, dead birds, and any dirt collected in the gutters.
- Pull the device’s trigger while the wand points directly into the dirty spots.
- Do the steps above until all the gutters are clean.
Cleaning dirty siding and gutters prevent the growth of plants and other unwanted organisms in your house. It is a great maintenance routine that can save you time and money and highlight your property’s market value in case you sell it in the future.
It doesn’t have to be complicated. All you need is a good pressure washer. This machine can help you reach high places with the right attachments like wands and nozzles. You can finish cleaning the entire siding and gutter in no time without needing to hire professional cleaners. A real value for your time and money indeed.