The Ultimate Guide to Pressure Washing
Pressure washing, or water blasting as it is also known, has become a popular cleaning device in recent years. It’s effective, efficient, and super satisfying to watch. If you’re curious to learn more about pressure washing, today’s your lucky day. We’ve created the ultimate guide to pressure washing in Australia and New Zealand. Read on to learn more about how pressure washing can completely transform your home.
What is pressure washing?
First thing’s first: what exactly is pressure washing? The answer is pretty simple. A pressure washer is a tool used for cleaning surfaces and exteriors. As its name suggests, it works by blasting water at high pressures onto cleaning surfaces. The higher you set the pressure, the tougher the washer will be on grime and dirt.
Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, pressure washing and power washing aren’t quite the same things. Like pressure washers, power washers also use pressurised water to clean surfaces. However, power washers also incorporate hot water into the cleaning process, differentiating them from the standard pressure washer. In most cases, a pressure washer is more than enough to clean most surfaces. A power washer is usually only necessary when you need to beat tough oil stains and other heavy buildup.
A guide to PSI
PSI stands for Pounds per Square Inch. A pressure washer’s PSI simply calculates the equipment’s cleaning power by measuring the pressure of water generated by its motor and pump. A higher PSI is usually reserved for heavy duty jobs, while a moderate PSI is sufficient for most home cleaning projects.
Generally speaking, 1,300 to 1,900 PSI is more than enough pressure for domestic cleaning tasks like removing light mildew or mould, cleaning outdoor furniture, or washing cars. A higher PSI of 2,000 to 3,000 is better suited for heavy duty jobs like cleaning decks, cleaning pavements, and cleaning machinery (e.g. farm equipment).
A reputable professional will know exactly which settings to use for your specific cleaning job. This means that you don’t have to risk damaging any of your surfaces by miscalculating the amount of pressure needed for the task.
How much does pressure washing cost?
When it comes to pressure washing, you have two options. You can either rent a pressure washer and do the job yourself, or you can hire a professional pressure cleaner to do the job for you. If you’re planning on renting a pressure cleaner, it could cost you as little as $40 a day for the equipment. If you’re planning on hiring a professional, you’ll likely pay based on square metres. Usually, as the job gets larger, the cost of pressure cleaning comes down proportionately. Bear in mind, however, that the price also depends on the type of area or surface that’s being cleaned. Some surfaces require more attention than others, so you can expect prices to vary accordingly.
Although hiring a professional is more expensive, it’s usually the easiest option. Water blasting isn’t as easy as it looks, and it requires patience, training, and technique. A botched DIY job could result in expensive damage to your property as well as other environmental damage.
What can I pressure wash?
There’s something extremely satisfying about watching layers of dirt and grime melt away with the blast of a pressure washer. It’s a powerful tool that can remove built-up dirt and other debris from many surfaces. Driveways, garage floors, decks, fences, wheelie bins, and outdoor furniture are just some of the most popular surfaces for pressure washers. You can also take your pressure washer indoors and use it to clean grout and bathroom tiles (just make sure that the tiles are perfectly intact and that you’re using a low PSI!).
If you’re unsure, it’s always wise to do a patch test before spraying the entire surface. That way, you can be sure that you won’t cause any damage. You can also choose to hire a professional pressure washer to do the job if you’d prefer an expert who knows a bit more about what they’re doing.
What should you not pressure wash?
The beauty of pressure washing is that it can be used on a wide variety of surfaces and exteriors. That being said, there are definitely some exceptions. Since pressure washers work by spraying water at high pressures onto surfaces, some exteriors are just too delicate to be able to withstand the force. Some of the surfaces that should not be pressure washed include painted surfaces, oil surfaces, stained wood, and asphalt roofing. If you’re unsure about what you can and can’t pressure wash, you should reach out to your local pressure washing expert for some advice.
There’s no reason why you have to spend hours and days manually cleaning grime and dirt off your surfaces. You can save yourself time and energy by simply getting these surfaces pressure washed. Our friendly pressure washing professionals will be able to get your surfaces looking bright and new in no time. If you’re in Australia, give us a call on 13 15 46 or enquire online today to get an obligation-free quote.
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