Those who have a pressure washer, should do their research by reading electric power washer reviews for models with no more than 2000psi, a standard garden hose, and a suitable detergent if needed. They may also want to wear rubber boots if they are worried about getting their feet wet in the possible splash back of the water. If you have a cement patio that you are cleaning, the PSI will be less of a factor, but when you are pressure washing wood, too much pressure can damage the surface, and that kind of defeats the purpose of cleaning and maintaining so that it looks great for years to come. If your pressure washer is gas powered, you also need to ensure that you have fuel and that you are caught up on the pressure washer’s maintenance. For an electric pressure washer, you simply need an available power outlet near where you plan to wash.
If you have chosen the scrub brush and soap process, you may not have an easy task, but with a little elbow grease you can get it clean. It will take a little time, but the end result will look amazing. A scrub brush truly gets down into the groves of both concrete and wooden surfaces. However, depending on the size of your deck, you may choose to scrub only the worst areas and use a water sprayer that allows you to pinpoint water pressure onto the rest of the area.
A pressure washer should be used carefully, unless you have cleaned the area before and know exactly where you need to spray and how to spray it. The most common suggestion is to begin pressure washing in an area that is usually hidden to ensure that if you do accidently damage the surface, it is not noticeable by you or your guests. Start out holding the pressure washer nozzle about 24 inches away from the surface and slowly lower it while sweeping the spray back and forth away from you so that you have less splash back. If it does not achieve the desired clean, you can gradually decrease the space between the nozzle and the surface area of your deck or patio. If you notice damage, stop immediately and back up the nozzle to a safe distance that does not cause damage.
If you have a tough to clean area, you should spray a little detergent into that area and let it sit for a moment before you attempt to wash. This will allow the soap to penetrate into the stain. However, you do not want to wait so long that the soap dries into that area or it could leave a residue that is harder to get off than the stain you were trying to clean up.
After you have cleaned your deck or patio, if necessary, you may want to consider weather proofing it to make it easier to clean in the future. This may also make it easier to clean in the future. After you have finished with that, you will be able to put your furniture, your plants, your grill, and your pets back onto the deck where they belong and once again enjoy those evenings outdoors with your family and friends.