Need a pressure washer recommendation

1. Get one with a long hose or buy the extension -- you want to be able to leave the unit on the ground and use a ladder on higher siding.

2. The attachments are key -- start with the wider nozzles and go smaller (more powerful) from there. You can literally rip the siding off your house if you use too concentrated a spray!

3. Get wheels.

4. A combination of "Oxyclean" (or similar) and Simple Green does a GREAT job!!!

Evie

I'm presuming you mean that under 2700 psi is a bit weak. Most of the units in the <$300 range run under 2500 psi and are physically larger. My wife is for renting one as needed. This takes too much planning as you'd need to figure how many things needed cleaning and how long it would take. The last thing I rented years ago was a cultivator to till up new garden space. It wasn't all that cheap but I have no space to keep one unless I get a backyard shed. It did a good job on the garden plot but more of a job on me. Renting was ok as I only needed it once a year. I am thinking a pressure washer might get more use but I hate get one too weak. I'm cleaning out the garage today to see how much space I can claim by throwing out as much of my wife's stuff as I can get away with.

... I really didn't think we needed something like it and bemoaned one more "toy" to take up space in the garage. But it has been a very useful thing to have around. I too thought it was something we could just rent when it was needed, but that too can be a royal PITA trying to schedule a whole bunch of projects, etc. It's something worth owning especially if you have a neighbor with a Roto-tiller you like to borrow The sharpest stream does a great job of edging the grass on the driveway/sidewalk. Better than the weedwhacker for that job!

Evie

Spray wand extensions are much safer.

... more difficult to control depending on just how much "power" washing you are doing. We are fortunate to have good ladders and even pump jacks/planks left from hubby's contracting days.

Evie

It was in my rear view mirror this AM while driving my kids Toyota.....thought it was gonna gobble me right up!

The small one I saw at Lowes was easy enough for me to pick up but would mean my wife wouldn't be able to use it. It was the most compact and storage is a problem for me. My daughter is working at Lowes and can get a discount. It's supposed to be for personal use only but Father's Day is coming up, isn't it? What better gift idea?

You don't want the thieves suing you for hurting their backs while carrying it away do you? Where did you say you live?

and pneumatic ones at that. I'll try not to get a flat. My wife says I looked like RAMBO on the patio last night and will look for some camos to give me for Father's Day.

High enough pressure to remove paint will also chew up the underlying surface unless it's masonry. even then damage can occur.

I found the pressure to be great at knocking off loose paint, but as you mentioned high pressure will destroy wood if one is not careful. I also found that an angle of between 15-25 deg. for the pressure stream worked great for what I was doing. I sprayed in a north - south direction and then reversed direction.

The wife just showed me our last months water bill and it?s double our typical amount.

We'll be looking at these today. It sounds like a mid range 2 -2.5k psi should be ok. Someone suggested sharing among neighbors. That sounds possible as I could use a tiller occasionally. My next door neighbor lady is a borrower and not a lender. She has lots of free roaming cats who think my back yard is their personal rest room (gotta watch yer step out there) so the pressure washer may have other uses.

Also great for blowing leaves into a neat pile. Of course, to burn they have to first dry. But wet they are jusr right for placing in a humus/decomp bin.

play on words there as you were able to avoid inexact comparisons such as "twice as long" or "half again as long" or "two to four times as long" and at the same time enabling a complete avoidance of any need to specify material or surface condition.

"Don't bother trying to pressure wash these surfaces with just water as it would take vary, vary long."

My hat is off to you on that one!

Generally doesn't matter. Usually dirt, dust, pollen are of concern (or most popular). Are you concerned about something in particualr?

Boric acid is supposed to be good for use on wood. Plain old sodium hypochlorite is good too but wear something you can toss. NaOH and KOH, as I recall, will release hydrogen gas as part of the reaction. I remember making hydrogen filled balloons as a kid using lye and aluminum strips in those big old glass Coke bottles they used to have. Kids had lots of fun things in those days...all gone now.

don't mix dish detergent and chlorox. It releases ammonia and chlorine gases and you won't get any cleaning action from it then anyway.

The whole point of a pressure sprayer is the action of the pressurized water. Chemicals don't stay in contact long enough to do anything other than the leftover part after spraying. Also chemicals in the spray that haven't had time to react on the house wall, will do so instead in your lawn, your garden, your bushes, wherever it lands.

Pressure spray the house if you want, then use a low pressure wand like one of those 3 gallon hand pump types to apply the chemicals, like sodium hypochlorite (bleach) onto the wall and let it sit there and do it's work.

Bleach can be combined not with dish detergent but laundry detergents, unless it says not to use bleach with it. Bleach can be combined with lye (Red Devil, white can red cap, aka caustic soda), but be very careful, the combination can eat right through skin very quickly, can burn eyes even quicker. I certainly wouldn't be tossing the two together through a high pressure wand!

If you get some on the skin, rinse quickly and use 1/2 vinegar to water solution on wetted towels to neutralize it quickly as possible. I'd avoid Drano for the aforementioned inclusion of aluminum in it.

Chemicals do their best when they can be put on the surface to be treated and allowed to stand or remain, not by pressure spraying them.

Be careful under eaves, never aim toward the house, everythings not water tight. You don't want water stains on the ceiling edge all around your house.

Been using these cleaning compounds as described for the purposes described in business for ten years with success. The claims you are making regarding the cleaning methods I have described make no sense.

ammonia and chlorine produce chlorine gas which can cause skin, eye, lung irritaion and death.

The laundry detergent serves nearly the same purpose (just not as well) as dish washing detergent.

If combining your dish washing detergent with chlorine bleach creates a chlorine gas then your dish washing detergent must actually be ammonia.

We may be at cross purposes here, both speaking of different substances often called by the same term. I don't have a dishwasher, other than any free pair of hands to take their turn, therefore when speak of dishwashing liquid I mean the one used to do dishes by hand in the sink. To me this is the one that properly deserves the term since it's the first way everyone did their dishes. You SHOULD NOT mix that one with Chlorine based products or any other bleach. I just took a look on the Ajax bottle and it specifically says to not use with any bleaching product. Check your bottle of HAND dishwashing liquid and see if it says the same.

There is another "dishwashing liquid" that has very different chemical properties, often has bleach already in it and can have more bleach added to it, and that is normally the type used in dishwashing MACHINES.

It would have been helpful if they'd come up with a different term for the soap or alkaline based chemicals used in dishwashing machines, instead of also calling it dishwashing liquid or powders.

Here's a link and short blurp about the products.



http://www.cleaningpro.com/toxic.cfm
DISHWASHING HAND LIQUIDS : Usually contains ammonia; ethanol; formaldehyde (a potential human carcinogen), and glycol ethers. Exposure to fumes may cause labored breathing or coughing; intense sneezing; or, in some cases, death. Direct contact with eyes may cause tearing and puffiness around eyes. Direct contact with skin may cause severe irritation. Mixing dishwashing liquids with BLEACH (for sanitizing purposes) can produce "toxic", chloramine fumes. Repeated exposure may cause asthma-like symptoms and/or effect the central nervous system over a long period of time. Label precautions read "CAUTION"

DISHWASHING LIQUIDS, AUTOMATIC : Usually contain bleaching agents; artificial dyes ( see "DYES" ); ethyl alcohol; and artificial fragrances ( see "FRAGRANCES" ). Undiluted, may act as a strong skin irritant. If swallowed, may burn your throat . In those products containing bleaching agents, chloramine gas may be created whose fumes may cause swelling and tearing of eyes; or even, faintness. Over a prolonged period of time, these fumes may cause headaches; lung irritation; nausea; and depression. In extreme cases, prolonged exposure may even cause coma and possibly, death! Label precautions read "WARNING" !

DISHWASHING POWDERS, AUTOMATIC :
THE MOST REPORTED POISON HARMING OR KILLING YOUNG CHILDREN.
Usually contains sodium silicate and/or bleach. Both ingredients are strong eye and skin irritants. Bleach content is CORROSIVE and may burn the mouth and throat. Repeated and/or prolonged exposure to vapors or dust may cause lung irritation, central nervous system disorders, and in severe cases, death! Label precautions read "WARNING" !

you won't get any cleaning action from it
wroung

Chemicals don't stay in contact long enough
Just a 10% sodium hydroxide solution does it's work practially on contact and requires a quick PW'g at 1200-1500psi using a 25 deg. spray tip.

The sodium hydroxide solution will general not harm vegitation. Most vegitation thrive on high alkaline water. It is highly acidic water that can take a toll on vegitation and in fact all living things.

sodium hypochlorite (bleach) onto the wall and let it sit there and do it's work.
with out a detergent or other surfactant it will mostly run off.

not containing surfactants (foaming agents)genrally applied to vehicles in auto-washes or used for cleaning other painted surfaces. And also used for nuetralizing acids used in cleaning chrome and brightening aluminum.

About as harmful as many general household cleaners e.g. skin/eye irritant which should be rinsed well with clean water. As with any cleaning chemical one should always read the directions/caution/warning labling.

But you're right about it being an ingredient in some drain cleaners.

will blacken aluminum instead of making it shiny and bright. I would not recommend any solution of sodium hydroxide for anything aluminum like siding. There are better cleaners available. Sodium hydroxide solutions are good degreasers. That's why they make good drain and oven cleaners.

As with any cleaning agent it must be rinsed off. Even aluminum bightener will cause surface darkening of aluminum if left on.

Sodium hydroxide is not a degreaser. It is a low ph alkaline detergent which is nearly acidic. And like many chemical compounds it can be safely used in some off-label manners. It's label or primary use is as an automotive pre-soak and hf aluminum brightening acid nuetralizer.