How to Prepare Your Home for Pressure Washing

Prepare Your Cleveland or Columbus Home

This blog will teach you how to prepare your home for pressure washing. It’s important to follow these steps so your home and the one washing it stay safe. Power washing your home is something that needs to be done regularly to keep it looking great. The process also protects your siding. Following these common-sense steps will go a long way to making the entire process safe and effective.

Safety first

First things first, safety comes first! Take a stroll around your home and identify any delicate or damaged areas that might not fare well under pressure or with water volume from a power washing. Cover these areas with plastic or waterproof material to prevent further harm.  Caulk any areas needed. Open voids in the home in the form of holes, cracks, etc could lead to damage. Because of this, a little prep work will go a long way.

Clear Obstacles

Clear the area of any obstacles or items that might get in the way of your pressure-washing job. This includes furniture, potted plants, and any other movable objects. If there are delicate plants near the area, cover them as well to shield them from the force. It’s always best to move as much away from the home as possible because some plants can’t even be covered as the sun will bake them if a tarp is left on too long. Cleaning up the job site will almost guarantee the washing process will go much more smoothly.

Protect your Electric

Make sure your exterior electrical outlets are safely shut or that you have GFI safety bubble covers. Also, check your video doorbells or cameras to make sure they can get wet. Most are fine, but some doorbells, cameras, speakers, etc are not suitable for the power washing process and should be covered. Generally, as you walk around the home, ask yourself, “can that get wet?” If the answer is no or maybe, you should address it.

Final Preparations

Lastly, make sure your exterior spigots are in good working order. Turn the water on and off a couple of times to make sure the spigot works properly. Also, it’s wise to go through each room in the home and verify that all the windows are shut. It sounds funny, but we encounter open windows all the time. You can only imagine what would happen if you started pressure washing into an open window.

Pressure Washing Time

Before you unleash the power of the pressure washer, give your home a good rinse. This will help to remove any loose dirt or cobwebs, making the pressure washing more effective. If you’re using any cleaning solutions, be sure to follow the instructions carefully and test them on a small, inconspicuous area first to avoid any unwanted surprises.

When you’re ready to roll, maintain a consistent distance between the nozzle and the surface. Too close, and you might damage the material; too far, and you might not get the cleaning results you desire. Move the nozzle in a sweeping motion, keeping it at a slight angle to the surface. After the pressure washing extravaganza, take a moment to inspect your handiwork. Admire the newfound sparkle of your home, and pat yourself on the back for a job well done!

If you are not ready to wash your home this time, let Pristine Clean help you out! We are highly rated so give us a call at 440-454-7041 (Cleveland) or 614-643-2712 (Columbus) for a free quote.