Pressure washing can make your outdoors look new and beautiful again. Call us to make sure it is done right. 

Milwaukee weather can make a mess of our outdoor surfaces. Thankfully pressure washing can transform the look of your home, fence, patio, porch, and outdoor furniture. We have the equipment, experience, and the expertise to ensure that your property is cleaned properly and safely. This also means that you do not have to purchase or rent the equipment, which can be expensive. Renting can cost as much as $100 a day, not to mention detergents and your time.

Professional pressure washing also helps extend the life of your deck, porch, siding and gutters by removing debris, algae, and mold that can eventually erode your wood and masonry surfaces. Knowing how to properly prep and clean each surface type without causing damage takes time to learn and master. Luckily our professionals have years of experience cleaning various surfaces. We also come with all of the safety equipment necessary so that you don’t have to. And we always put safety first.

Hiring Best Handyman for your pressure washing needs saves you time, money, and the hassle of having to purchase or rent a huge pressure washing machine. We have it all and the expertise to get it done right the first time. So give us a call today.

---

How to Pressure Wash Your Home

Homeowners often fall into the trap of believing their electric pressure washer is a magical tool that can cure any cleaning issue currently taking place at the residence. However, simply pointing the pressure washer and spraying is not enough to get rid of all their grime and mildew.

If you’re struggling to get the desired results from pressure washing, you are probably not using the correct methods. Homeowners are typically inexperienced at using pressure washers, and they view them as a foolproof house cleaner, when the opposite is true.

While most homeowners view their pressure washer as a magic wand of sorts, those who do not know how to use them properly are not getting the most out of the experience. You cannot simply wave it over the home or vehicle you are trying to clean and expect instant results.

A pressure washer is a great option for cleaning your home or vehicle, but they are also a heavy piece of outdoor equipment. You will need to choose the correct machine to accomplish the task at hand.

First, a homeowner must consider the size of their residence when making their selection. Unless the home is small or particularly well maintained, an electric power washer is usually not going to be powerful enough to do the job.

Electric machines are best used on patio furniture, boats, and motor vehicles. To find the right pressure washer, you’ll need to learn about the capacity of each machine. An electric pressure washer used to clean a car or boat operates at a capacity of 1600 PSI, or pounds-per-square-inch. Conversely, a gas engine model used by a homeowner to clean their residence can operate at roughly 4000 PSI. A professional grade pressure washer can even hit a whopping 12,000 PSI. So this is something to consider when buying a pressure washer.

If mildew is the issue, but the buildup is not too severe, pressure washing can do the trick. However, areas where mildew has been allowed to build up over time need to be pre-treated for best results. To pre-treat problem areas, use a pump garden sprayer loaded with a mixture of water, liquid bleach, and mildewcide.

Spray the area with the mixture, scrub, then rinse. From there, you can pressure wash the area by using a multipurpose ­siding cleaner. This method leaves the surface free of streaking, and homeowners should also wash from the bottom up and rinse the area from the top down.

There are also steps for homeowners to take when trying to avoid injuries during the cleaning process:

1. Don’t Mix Water and Electricity

You will get wet during the cleaning process, which puts you at risk of receiving a painful electrical shock. Check overhead for power lines before extending a ladder and do not blast any outlets, lights, meters, or cables.

2. Position the Ladder Firmly

When using a pressure washer, position the ladder at the correct angle (75-78 degrees). You should be able to stick your arms straight out and comfortably rest them against the next rung of the ladder. If you are at all uncomfortable with the concept of using a ladder, contact a professional.

3. Avoid Damages

Begin by using a pressure nozzle with a much wider fan pattern, before making the switch to a pressure nozzle with a narrower spraying pattern. While many homeowners like to start with the zero degree red nozzle, this nozzle should be reserved for more difficult tasks, such as stripping away mud that has hardened. Don’t blast water at an upward angle when you are cleaning your siding. Directly blasting water into corners, underneath window edges, and into vents must also be avoided. Whatever you do, be care. Too strong of a spray can damage wood, siding, decks, concrete, or basically any surface.

Additional Items Needed

The pressure washer is simply the first item you must obtain, as there is additional gear to collect before taking on this task. Five gallon buckets are needed for mixing the cleaning solutions and house wash must be purchased. This is a solution that has been specifically created with pressure washers in mind.

Planning on using household cleaners? Use these for your hand washing only, as they can damage the internal workings of a pressure washer. The mixture of water, liquid bleach, and Jomax mildewcide can be used for severe mildew buildup.

Are there areas you cannot reach with the pressure washer? Use a fiberglass extension pole for the hard to reach areas. A lowered dryer vent that cannot be reached through normal methods should be scrubbed with a soft siding brush to avoid damage.

When mixing cleaners, use a measuring cup, as guessing is not recommended. The tougher scrubbing jobs can be handled with a stiff deck brush.

When struggling with the task of pressure washing, the aforementioned tips and helpful hints can help you to do the job and get the most out of your equipment. Utilizing this useful guide for pressure washing provides you with the assistance for getting your home its cleanest.

Or if you don’t want to deal with all that, give us a call and we’ll get your house cleaned!

Whether you are looking to improve your curb appeal, protect your home, or just want a clean home so you can sell your house fast, give us a call and we’ll come clean up the outside.