Is your home dirty? Maintaining the exterior of your home can be a task, especially if there are contaminants on it that have taken the curb appeal away. Your home should always be eye-catching and welcoming, but when dirt and mold gets a hold of it, this is a sign that it is time to have it cleaned. However, before you have your home pressure washed, there are several things you must know.
Know What Should Be Washed
It is important to know what parts of your house need to be soft washed. Knowing what should be pressure washed will keep the exterior areas of your home from being damaged. Pressure washing anything old including decks or wood buildings may have dry rot that will disintegrate when pressure washed. So finding an alternative way to clean these areas may be better than the pressure washing process. If your home has asphalt roofing, this is another area of the home that should be avoided when pressure washing. The granules on the roof will come off and destroy the roofing on your home. Making sure you keep in mind what should be washed will give you peace of mind and save you money.
Know the Difference Between Power Washing and Pressure Washing
If you decide to clean your own exterior areas of your home, you should know the difference between power washing and pressure washing. While power washing is a process that will take off the most stubborn dirt and mold, it is often not considered the best choice. Power washing is also used for extra long driveways or on other hard surfaces. However, the pressure washing process is typically used to clean small patios, decks, and softer surfaces. Knowing the difference between these two processes will help with knowing what process you need to use on certain exterior areas of your home and why.
Consider the Size of What You Are Cleaning
Once you are ready to clean the exterior areas of your home, consider the size of what needs to be cleaned. You should know what areas of your home are being cleaned and whether you need heated water or if it is not right to clean the surfaces you want to clean. With the difference between power washing and pressure washing being the type of water used, it may be more beneficial to clean larger areas with heated water.
When Is the Best Time of Year to Pressure Wash
Keeping in mind what the best time of year is to clean your home is a must. Usually, pressure washing is done in the spring or fall, but if there are a few warm days in the winter time to do it, it is best to keep an eye on the temperature. Shooting water into the crevices of your home may be good when it is warm, but on a freezing day water can freeze and expand, causing damage to your home. So it is best to choose wisely the best time to clean your home.
Know the Difference Between the Soaps, Detergents, Chemicals, and Cleaning Solutions
If you have decided to clean your own home instead of hiring a professional, then knowing the difference between the cleaning chemicals you plan on using is important. Using the right cleaner chemicals on the right area of your home with the right amount of pressure will determine if you are cleaning your home or destroying it. The cleaning chemicals when pressure washing your home will be labeled based on the intended purpose and the types of surfaces they should be used on. All surfaces are different and knowing that cleaners remove dirt, sanitizers kill most, and disinfectants kill all organisms is a good way of knowing how to clean your home.
