When cleaning a house or a commercial facility, professional power washing services use large gas powered pressure washers to blast water at high speeds. This water is hot, which allows it to cut through grease, oil and other stubborn grime that ordinary water can’t remove. In addition, it is typically accompanied by a soap or chemical solution to penetrate dirt and remove any residual deposits that might remain on the surface being cleaned.
Soaps and detergents work by breaking down dirt into smaller compounds that can be easily blasted away with water. They also contain surfactants, alkaline and acidic compounds that help break down the chemical bonds holding dirt on surfaces. Soaps and cleaning chemicals also emulsify oils, which allows them to be rinsed away during rinsing. In addition, they lower the surface tension of water, which helps it penetrate pores and crevices where dirt might be trapped.
A power washer’s cleaning capability is measured in Cleaning Units (CU) which is a combination of Pounds Per Square Inch of pressure (PSI) and Gallons Per Minute of flow (GPM). The higher the CU, the more powerful the pressure washer. Understanding these terms can help you pick the right pressure washer for your job.
The best way to clean most surfaces is by using a rotary Dirt Killer nozzle that attaches to the end of your pressure washer wand. This nozzle will allow you to apply soap and cleaning solutions, as well as agitate or brush the surface to be cleaned. Alternatively, you can use a down-stream injector system found on many Reston pressure washers. This enables you to spray your cleaning solution while simultaneously blasting away the dirt on the surface.
Occasionally, especially when cleaning cars or equipment, you might want to switch to a 65deg black-tipped detergent/rinse nozzle. This nozzle lets you fortify your clean water with a cleaning solution and then wash or rinse it off with high-pressure water. For extremely tough jobs like removing rust or stripping paint, you might need to try a 0deg red-tipped jet nozzle that is essentially a water laser.
