Over 25 Ways to Use a Pressure Washer at Home
How to Use a Pressure Washer at Home
Pressure washers are among the most versatile tools available for any garage, providing an effective way to handle a wide range of cleaning tasks. By practicing proper safety, users can utilize these machines for dozens of creative applications. The following list highlights over 25 ways to use a pressure washer at home.
1. Cleaning a Driveway
Arguably the most common application, driveway cleaning is a straightforward task that significantly improves a home's curb appeal. Using a standard spray tip can be time-consuming, but tools such as turbo nozzles, surface cleaners, and water brooms can cut cleaning time in half.
2. Clean the Exterior Walls of Your House
Regardless of the siding type—brick, vinyl, fiber cement, cedar, or stucco—exterior walls can be cleaned easily with the proper technique. The related articles share the step-by-step process of cleaning each common type of home exterior wall. Follow the correct procedures listed to prevent water from getting underneath your siding.
Sometimes siding can become grimy to the point where cleaning becomes more of a necessity than a cosmetic fix. In those cases, there are some specific steps you can take to remove mildew from your siding without spreading the gunk around or damaging the surfaces. For second-story work, extension wands allow you to clean from the ground without the need for dangerous ladders or straining your back.
3. Cleaning Sidewalks
Concrete sidewalks can be restored to a like-new appearance quickly. For grimy or moldy paths, specific methods exist to safely and effectively remove mold from cement surfaces.
4. Brick Patios and Walkways
Pressure washers make easy work of clearing weeds and overgrowth between patio bricks. Users should avoid excessive pressure, as it may dislodge the stabilizing sand or soil between the bricks.
5. Clean Your Garage Floor
Oil stains, tire marks, and shoe scuffs can be removed from a garage floor using a pressure washer paired with a surface cleaner. This project can be completed in almost any weather to restore the appearance of a garage or recreation area.
6. Cleaning a Garage Door
To keep an expensive garage door looking new, it should be closed completely before cleaning. It is recommended to soak the door with soap before rinsing it with the pressure stream.
7. Clean Your Deck
Cleaning a deck requires a consistent motion and the correct pressure to avoid stripping away stain or paint. It is more effective to move the spray wand at a consistent distance rather than standing in one spot and spraying across a wide arc.
8. Stripping Paint Using a Pressure Washer
Pressurized water offers significant control and covers a large surface area, making it an efficient alternative to manual scraping. However, paint should never be stripped if it is suspected to be lead-based, as this launches dangerous lead particles into the air.
9. Power Washing a Fence
Wooden, vinyl, and chain-link fences all benefit from periodic cleaning to remove stains and rust. When power washing wooden fences, a gentle touch is required to avoid damage. Re-staining or painting after cleaning is often recommended to extend the life of the wood.
10. Cleaning a Car, Truck, or SUV
A pressure washer combined with the appropriate detergent can provide a professional-level car clean at home. This method is particularly effective for removing salt stains and road grime that automated car washes might miss.
11. Clean a Car's Engine
While a pressure washer can be used on an engine, all electrical components must be disconnected and protected beforehand.
12. Power Wash the Roof or Shingles
Extreme caution and proper safety procedures are mandatory when cleaning a roof. While removing growth is beneficial, high pressure can strip the protective "grit" from asphalt shingles. If a user has any doubts about their balance or the process, they should contact a professional.
13. Cleaning Gutters and Soffits
Clogged gutters can lead to foundation leaks and expensive repairs. Pressure washing gutters, soffits, and downspouts restores the roofline's appearance and ensures proper drainage.
14. Cleaning a Garbage Can or Recycling Bin
Using a pressure washer avoids the need for manual scrubbing inside a bin. Regular cleaning prevents grime from eroding the bottom of the cans, thereby increasing their lifespan.
15. Clean a Barbeque Grill
A pressure washer quickly removes blackened crust from grill plates that a wire brush cannot reach. Users must disconnect sensitive electrical components on gas grills before starting.
16. Cleaning Chairs and Patio Furniture
Outdoor furniture often loses its luster due to algae or dirt. Pressure washing is a simple way to restore the original colors to plastic, metal, or wood patio sets.
17. Pressure Washing an Awning
Season-battered awnings can be restored to look factory-new. Because the kickback from a pressure gun can cause a person to stagger, ladders should be used with extreme care during this process.
18. Cleaning a Lawn Mower Undercarriage
Using a lawnmower when the grass isn't quite dry can result in a caked-on mess of green sludge-like clumps above and around the mower blades. Fortunately, you can clean your mower's undercarriage in seconds with a power washer.
After cleaning, it is beneficial to check and reapply appropriate grease to any lubricated parts that may have been sprayed.
19. Cleaning Farming Equipment
Farmers and those who own an agricultural business rely on large machines to get the job done. Not only do you invest time and work long hours every day of the week, but those large machines are even bigger investments, so it's important to keep them clean to make sure each part is running properly.
A hot-water power washer can get the job done in a matter of minutes, not hours. Cleaning agricultural equipment is easy and fast with the right pressure washer.
20. Restore Bird Baths and Fountains
You can also make a 100-year-old water feature look like it was chiseled yesterday and shine like it hasn't in years with minimal effort with a pressure washer.
Even large historic landmarks are pressure-washed every so often, so it's never a bad idea to restore the historical monuments on your property from time to time.
Pressure washing a water feature is not only something anyone can do, but it can add to the aesthetic appeal of property, too.
21. Power Washing a Pool
Even the chlorine that cleans a pool can leave a resin-like coating on the walls and pool floor if it’s left alone for too long. Seasonal cleaning and winter storing can also stain a ring around the pool's rim if the cover shifts during winter storage.
Using a pressure washer to clean a pool cuts the job time in half. A concrete below-ground pool can be easily cleaned with a pressure washer. However, the vinyl or fiberglass walls on an above-ground pool cannot withstand high-pressure blasting.
22. Pressure Washing a Hot Tub
Power wash a hot tub with the lowest pressure setting and use discretion when cleaning. Use the widest-angle spray tip and don't spend too long spraying the same area. It’s also recommended to pre-soak the tub with soap before cleaning.
23. Power Washing a Boat or Trailer
Travel, weather, and road conditions can all have an impact on muddying up equipment. Power washing a boat or trailer is a simple way to keep gear clean and road-ready.
24. Power Washing 4 Wheelers and All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)
Off-road vehicles are meant to play in the mud, but a good mudding-run can easily cake on the machine, the garage floor, and the bed of a truck or trailer. With how portable pressure washers have become, it's never been easier to clean an ATV or off-road vehicle out in the field or at home in the driveway.
When cleaning power sports equipment, avoid cleaning the engine directly and try to avoid the electrical components and casings as well. Also, don't spend too much time cleaning the same area since some power sport vehicles are not watertight.
25. Graffiti Removal Using a Pressure Washer
Power washing graffiti is an effective way to clean off spray paint and doesn't cost you more than the water if you already own a pressure washer. This offers substantial cost savings rather than calling a graffiti removal company for unwanted spray paint vandalism.
26. Clean Venetian Blinds
Sometimes Venetian blinds, or mini blinds, get a bad reputation for being cheap utility blinds that are hard to clean and are easier to replace. Learning how to clean mini blinds with a pressure washer is a simple, quick solution for an otherwise frustrating job. Arguably, using a pressure washer is the best way to clean blinds made from metal or plastic. Unless, of course, you'd rather scrub and dust every row one by one instead.
Things You Should Never Pressure Wash
Whether it's due to safety or causing damage to the surfaces, there are some items you should never pressure wash. Below is a list of things you shouldn't clean using a pressure washer.
1. Do Not Pressure Wash People or Animals
Unfortunately, some people hurt themselves or others every year by irresponsible use of a pressure washer. They are dangerous tools when misused. The high-pressure spray can lacerate arms and legs, slice toes off, blind someone, and, sadly, can harm or kill small animals. Be safe, and do not spray living things with a pressure washer, ever.
2. Do Not Pressure Wash Electrical Panels
Electricity and water do not mix. Even though electrical panels and meters are protected from rainfall and storms, using a high-pressure water cannon can blast water into cracks or wiring and cause a lot more damage than it's worth. It isn't safe for you or anyone else.
3. Do Not Power Wash an Air Conditioner
Air conditioners are another electrical appliance that shouldn't be power-washed for a few reasons. First, high-pressure washing can damage the metal fins on the unit and restrict flow ,and shorten its life span. Second, it has sensitive electrical components that are expensive to replace.
4. Do Not Strip Lead Paint with a Pressure Washer
Blasting lead-based paint with a pressure washer can launch lead particulates into the air and can be inhaled by you or those around the area, which is unsafe.
5. Do Not Pressure Wash Windows
If you have single-pane or insulated storm windows, do not use high-pressure water on glass surfaces. Glass is fragile and can break under high PSI contact, so it's often better to use some elbow grease and a cleaning solution instead.
6. Do Not Pressure Wash Plants, Flowers, or Gardens
High-pressure spraying can destroy plants and splatter soil everywhere. It's best to avoid using a pressure washer for any type of plant or garden watering.
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