Six Things You Should Never Pressure Wash

Pressure washing can be very effective for cleaning the exterior of your home. Especially on hard surfaces like your driveway or patio, hitting them with a spray-down from a pressure washer can knock out stains and dirt like nothing else. Frankly, they're satisfying to use! People love seeing those instantaneous results when they're cleaning.

But, it can be taken too far. Pressure washing isn't right for every cleaning job. People who choose to clean their property by just pressure washing anything without caution are in for a world of hurt, as they're liable to cause serious harm to their home- or even to themselves! Here are six of the biggest things NOT to pressure wash when cleaning your home's exterior.

1. Gutters

While soft washing- technically a kind of pressure washing, but using a very low PSI and a wide spray- can be very effective at rinsing remaining debris out of freshly emptied gutters, going at them with a pressure washer without modifying it for soft washing can cause significant damage. Aside from the risk of denting the metal, any weaknesses that you might not be able to see, such as rusted fasteners, may be revealed by hitting them with a high-pressure spray. You don't want to rip your gutters out of place! In addition, climbing up that close to your roof with a pressure washer, even if it's set to soft washing, is risky business- you don't want to risk losing balance and falling to the ground! It's worth calling a professional when it comes to your gutter cleaning- don't take the risk to your gutters or yourself.

2. Windows

Soft washing yes, pressure washing no. This one is simple- pressure washing breaks glass. Even if it doesn't break the glass, it can still strip away the trim, loosen the panes, or force water into the walls surrounding the window. Plus, if the windows have screens over them, the high-pressure jet of water can easily tear them to shreds. Only use soft washing on your windows- use a nozzle with a wide spray and keep the pressure under 500 PSI.

3. Electrical Panels And AC Units

These delicate pieces of equipment, while sturdy enough to handle being rained on, are not built to withstand being hit by high-pressure water streams. You don't want to spend hundreds on a visit from an HVAC technician or electrician, so treat that equipment carefully when cleaning, and opt for a safer alternative. In addition, cleaning electrical panels and meters with water is a major electrocution risk. Keep the pressure washer away from these areas!

4. Lead Paint

You really shouldn't pressure wash painted surfaces in general, as the intense pressure can easily chip and shear off the paint. However, some people intentionally use pressure washing to strip old paint off of their house when preparing the area for a new coat of paint. While this is all well and good when done correctly, take caution! If your home was built before 1978, when lead paint was banned, you may still have remnants of the toxic heavy metal on your home's exterior. The last thing you want is to blast the lead paint into fine breathable particles, sending it everywhere. If you're preparing to pressure wash old paint off of your sidings, and you have any doubt about its safety, consider having it tested for lead before moving forward.

5. Weathered Brick And Old Mortar

Certain surfaces are safer to pressure wash than others. Siding that's made of vinyl, metal, and other sturdy materials responds well to careful pressure washing. However, when it comes to surfaces with loose material or significant deterioration, like aged mortar or weathered brick, take care. These surfaces can crumble easily when hit with a pressure washer. Not to sound like a broken record, but when planning on cleaning those surfaces, soft wash only- or call a professional, who can gauge the safest and most effective pressure levels to use for cleaning.

6. Living Things

You'd think that that would be a given, but people have been known to mess around with pressure washers, using them as toys to tag people and pets with a sudden blast of water. Please, don't do this. Pressure washers can reach dangerous levels of water pressure that can easily penetrate skin or worse. Certain pressure washers have even been known to cut through industrial work boots! Even putting aside the danger to yourself and others, you must also take extra care when pressure washing surfaces near your lawn or garden. An accidental blast from a pressure washer can easily tear up your landscaping within the span of an instant.

So please, if you want to play with water outside on a hot day, stick to your garden hose and leave the pressure washer in the garage- and when you are using a pressure washer, take care not to hit any of your plants with it either.

Some areas of your home are easier to pressure wash than others, and for certain surfaces, it can be tricky to determine whether or not pressure washing is even safe to use. When in doubt, call Thomas Pressure Washing to handle the job. With our extensive experience, we can gauge the safest level of pressure washing to use on any surface you need cleaned.

Don't guess when it comes to cleaning your property- when you need help pressure washing your home, give us a call at 916-633-1487. We'll be more than happy to help!