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Renting a pressure washer costs $40 to $100 per day from home improvement stores, while hiring a pro costs $173 to $311 on average. Pressure washing a home is risky if you do not follow the proper safety measures, and can be quite demanding physically. If it has been a long time since you last pressure washed your home you’re probably in for a lot of scrubbing by hand, and hours of reaching high and low on a vertical surface. If your home is taller than one story and you’re not up for standing on a scaffolding, you might consider hiring a pro for the job. For single-story homes, however, the steps below will guide you through how to pressure wash a house—and boost your curb appeal.
To clean your concrete curbs, it costs $0.25 to $0.60 per linear foot because it requires more fine-tune cleaning with a turbo nozzle. Pressure washers generate a high-pressure water spray that’s ideal for cleaning boats, sidewalks, decks, and houses. Their power is measured in pounds per square inch , which is the amount of pressure the liquid contents put on the walls of the container. Pressure washers are available in gas and electric models; the gas variety can create greater psi and is advised for tougher jobs and hardier material. Because they don’t have to be plugged into an electrical outlet, gas pressure washers are also more mobile, so they’re better suited for hard-to-reach areas.
Where to find local pressure washing services?
You’ll also want to look at how different pressure washers are powered. There are both gas and electric models available, and each of these styles has its own pros and cons. Our tester concluded her testing by summarizing this pressure washer as an easy-to-use, effective choice for just about any light-to-medium cleaning job around the house. She noted that this model had already been recommended to her by a pleased neighbor even before she received her unit for testing. If you soap the entire house and then start rinsing, it could dry and cause streaking. If your home is painted, you only want to clean it, not remove the paint.
Gently brush the sprayed areas and spray a second time as a way to loosen the mold and mildew. Set up the pressure washer so it will be ready to go when you’re finished with the garden sprayer and scrubbing. Attach the garden hose to this mount, making sure that the other end is attached to the spigot outside of the house. While some people use dishwashing detergent, this isn’t recommended, as there’s a good chance you’ll end up with an overflow of suds. And pouring dishwashing detergent into your pressure washer’s tank could destroy or damage the machine. And it boasts a durable, 50-foot, steel-braided hose that’s more abrasion-resistant than rubber hoses.
Power washing vs. pressure washing — what's the difference?
Along with the nozzles, the pressure washer comes with a 25-foot kink-resistant hose, 35-foot power cord, wand, and onboard detergent tank. However, that can be an issue with any electric pressure washer. Along with the 11-inch surface cleaner, it comes with three nozzles, a cleaning wand, 20-foot heavy-duty hose, and 35-foot power cord.
Apply duct tape to seal the outlets, even if the outlets are already equipped with spring tension covers. For instance, Dupont-Patz says her husband ruined their wooden front door when power-washing the house on high pressure—and ended up having to buy a new door. “Keeping the outside of your house clean is very important to prolong the siding, hardy plank, stucco, or whatever the outside surface of your house is made of,” says Fisk. A dirty exterior can sometimes mask issues with the siding of your house that need to be repaired. Part of prepping your home to sell should include a good power wash so the exterior of your home will impress potential buyers at first glance. Here at The Spruce we want to ensure we fully stand behind every product we recommend, and that when we say something is the best, we mean it.
DEWALT 4400 PSI at 4.0 GPM Gas Pressure Washer Powered by Honda
Certain building materials deteriorate over time if left unwashed. Pressure washing helps to decrease these risks and ends up saving the business money in maintenance costs in the long run. Once the first section is thoroughly scrubbed, put on the safety goggles. Make sure that you have a 3-foot nozzle-to-wall distance, then turn on the pressure washer.
It’s worth noting that pressure washers are bulky and oftentimes quite heavy—some models weigh more than 100 pounds. You may need a helper and a truck to get the pressure washer home. One nice feature of this pressure washer is its Total Stop System, which switches off the pump when pressure on the trigger is released, thus extending the pump’s life and saving energy. Our technicians are trained in the art of power washing and how to safely handle chemicals and commercial grade equipment.
Depending on what you’re using for a water source, you might not be able to support a high-gpm machine. While using the pressure washer, each tester evaluated the machine for noisiness, maneuverability, power, and ease of changing the spray settings. On pressure washers with power cords, the tester also evaluated how easy it was to work around the cord, and whether or not it was an adequate length.
To power-rinse, switch to the 25-degree nozzle and sweep it from the top down in overlapping passes, avoiding windows and frames. Use the more forceful 15-degree one for stub-born regions, and the gentler 40-degree one for soft materials like wood. These machines are much more powerful, and because you’re not confined by a cord, they’re more portable and versatile. The downside is that gas machines need regular maintenance, have extra requirements for long-term storage, and they’re louder and worse for the environment due to the gas combustion engine.
You might have noticedThe Spruce Approved badgenext to the products on this list. Every product with this badge has been rigorously tested in person and carefully selected by our expert team of lab testers and editors. In most cases, we buy all these products ourselves, though occasionally we get samples provided to us directly by companies. No matter how we procure products, they all go through the same tests and must meet the same strict criteria to make the best-of cut. We also pride ourselves on transparency and will always let you know if we received a product for free. This article was edited and updated by Michelle Ullman, who is the tool and home improvement expert for The Spruce.
What’s more, if you don’t wash the house first, you’ll trap all kinds of built-up grime and dirt in the paint, and your expensive, time-consuming paint job won’t look good. According to Macfarlane, you shouldn't need to power wash your house more than twice a year—but there is one spot in particular to keep a close eye on. "The northern exposure of a home is more prone to a buildup of moss and lichens because the area receives less direct sunlight, which may need more frequent power washing," he says. The red nozzle creates a very focused, powerful stream of water. It’s best used for spot-cleaning very tough stains or dried materials on hard surfaces, such as concrete or steel.
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