The Pressure Is On: Blast Your Way to a Clean House

Pressure washers make great, all-in-one outdoor cleaning tools, making quick, easy work of cleaning all outdoor surfaces.

“There is something very satisfying about blasting dirty surfaces clean with a powerful pressure washer and watching the dirt and grime dissolve in seconds,” says Dan Roche from renowned engine and power equipment manufacturer, Briggs & Stratton^®.

“The beauty of a pressure washer is that is has so many uses around the house – from cleaning sidewalks, driveways, windows, exterior walls, to patio furniture and children’s playsets. And the more you use a pressure washer, the more things you find to clean with a pressure washer – it’s addictive.”

Pressure washers can be used to wash your car or boat and work to help restore wooden fences and decks to like-new conditions in a fraction of the time it would normally take.

“The trick is to adjust the spray according to what you need to clean. A wider spray is less intense, but for areas with stubborn stains, a narrower spray will effectively blast it clean. You can also move the spray gun closer for stronger cleaning and stand back a bit to reduce the pressure,” says Dan.

Durable materials such as concrete and masonry can withstand higher PSI (pounds per square inch), however softer, more delicate surfaces such as timber and painted surfaces may be damaged by a high-impact PSI.

Delicate areas can be cleaned with lower PSI but often still need high water flow. Water flow is measured in gallons per minute, or GPM. Higher GPM settings allow for gentle, yet effective cleaning as well as extended reach and faster rinsing capabilities.

The only pressure washer units we know of that offer high pressure and high flow capabilities are the new Briggs & Stratton pressure washers with POWERflow+ Technology. While in high flow mode, Briggs & Stratton POWERflow+ units up to 5.0 GPM – that’s five gallons of water per minute – and can boost water and soap up to 25 feet away, reaching second story windows, eaves and gutters, and even blasting away hard-to-reach cobwebs and insect nests.

PRESSURE WASHING TIPS

Here are six useful tips that the experts at Briggs & Stratton^® shared for cleaning with a pressure washer that will save you valuable time:

• Get close: Start with a wide spray pattern and hold the nozzle three to four feet from the surface. Move closer until the desired effect is achieved.
• Keep it steady: Keep the nozzle in motion, spraying at a steady speed with long, even strokes.
• Avoid ‘tiger’ stripes: Maintain a consistent distance between the nozzle and the cleaning surface.
• Make detergents work for you: Use pressure washer cleaning detergents for heavily soiled or stained surfaces; let it work its magic for a few minutes and then spray the surface down in high pressure mode.
• For stubborn areas: Try brush attachments or a turbo nozzle to help remove stubborn dirt, grime and stains.
• Release the tension: Remember to squeeze the trigger after turning off your pressure washer. Leaving a machine under pressure after use is one of the most common causes of faults and breakdowns, so make sure you squeeze that trigger after you’ve finished and you’ll be pressure washing for years to come!

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