DIY: Professional House Washing Guide

Introduction

This guide will give you a step by step instruction on how to clean your home like a professional. We will give all the information from what solutions to use to the equipment needed to do the job right the first time. To ensure no damages occur during the cleaning process, it is always a good idea to conduct a thorough inspection.

Equipment

• Pressure Washer: We will give you the most cost-effective one to get the job done. Professional companies have bigger more durable ones for constant use, if house washing your home is something you do once a year, a lower-end washer will indeed get the job done. We recommend the DEWALT 4400 PSI 4.0 GPM Cold Water Gas Pressure Washer, it is a great pressure washer that will last you a long time.
  
• Garden Hose: We always recommend Flexzilla, it is kink free and long-lasting giving you years of use if maintained properly. Get 100 feet of hose to make sure you can get all the way around the property with ease.
• Pressure Washing Hose: You can use the 50' hose that comes with the pressure washer. However, it may limit your ability to move around the entire property. Most professional companies keep 200 feet on the trailer minimum to ensure they can get the job done. Here is a hose we recommend for an additional 100 feet.
  
• Downstream Injector: You want to get a downstream injector so you're not pulling solution through the pump as it will destroy the pump here is a link for a good downstream injector. Here is the one we recommend. A downstream injector is used to pull the cleaning solution through the pressure washer hose when using a low-pressure tip like the J-Rod attachment.
  
• Pressure Washing Tip: You're going to want to invest in a J-Rod that will allow you to hit the heights needed to clean the peaks of your home and also pull the solution needed to clean the home properly. Here is a link for a J-Rod that we recommend.
• 5-Gallon Bucket: Preferably use one with a lid that has a small cap that can be taken off. Using a lid like this makes it so you don't spill the solution and risk killing vegetation around you. You can pick a bucket like this one up at Home Depot for a good price.

Let's Talk Chemicals

• Sodium Hypochlorite: The main ingredient to get the job done, and is also known more commonly as bleach! We recommend going to your local pool supply store and picking up a case of pool shock, the price will range from $20-$28 a case! A typical 2-story home can take anywhere from 5-10 gallons to do an effective house washing depending on how dirty the home is. The temperature outside can play a factor in the effectiveness of the cleaner. We tend to always buy extra cleaner, just in case! The shelf life is at most 6 months, if kept in a cool dark place. So don't stock up for years to come. Read more about Sh storage here.
  
• Surfactant: This is an important part of the cleaning solution that allows the Sh, aka bleach to cling to the surface and do its job washing the home. Also, we recommend this one because it has wetting agents to keep the surface wet longer so that the solution doesn't dry on the surface.

Setting up in Preparation

This will be a step-by-step guide on how to prep and get ready to do your own house wash!

1. Pre-Inspection

• Pre-inspect your work area, ensuring all doors, windows, and other openings are closed and sealed.

2. Preparation

• Tape Off sensitive areas such as electrical outlets, garage door openers, cameras, and exposed wires using painter's tape to prevent water damage. You can find suitable painter's tape on Amazon.
• Remove any furniture, decorations, or other items from the work area to protect them.

3. Setting Up Equipment

• Photograph the area before starting for comparison.
• Connect your garden hose to the water source and to the inlet of the pressure washer.
• Attach the downstream injector to the pressure washer's outlet.
• Connect the pressure washer hose to the outlet of the downstream injector.
• Turn on the water source.

4. Mixing Cleaning Solution

• Prepare Solution in a 5-gallon bucket, combining 4 gallons of pool shock with 1 cup of surfactant. Ensure the lid has a removable cap.
• Place the suction tube from the downstream injector into the bucket.

5. Operational Checks

• Review all manual instructions for the pressure washer, including adding oil and gas as necessary.
• Attach the wand to the pressure hose and the j-rod to the wand, selecting the appropriate nozzle.

6. House Wash Process

• Wet the whole side of the house and the vegetation surrounding. This solution can kill plants and grass, keeping everything wet before beginning will help protect your vegetation from damage. You can use the single story small orifice to wet the single story and plants. Then use the small orifice height tip to wet the second story. (when spraying water no need to get right on the house you can stay up to 10-15 feet away from the house while spraying at all times) When spraying the house you always wanna go with the grooves of the siding to limit water getting behind the siding. Apply Soap using the large orifice nozzle from bottom to top, ensuring even coverage.
• After everything has been wet you may begin soaping switch to the large orifice for a single story and always put the solution on from the bottom up never from the top down and evenly apply the solution on the house covering every square inch. ( it will take a few seconds for soap to start coming out) Switch over to the large orifice height tip once you have  reached as high as you can get with the single story tip.
• Once you have covered every inch of that side of the house ( you can also use this on gutters, downspouts, and soffit) Then you let the solution sit on there for 5-10 minutes to let it do its job. You will start to see all the mold and algae disappear from that side of the house. If you notice it starting to dry while you wait you can apply more soap to areas drying fast.
• Once all the algae is gone or has turned brown you may start the rinsing process. Switch over the small orifice height tip and start rinsing. ( you may still spray soap for a few seconds after switching as you have to clear the hose line before fresh water will come out) You always rinse from the top down. Once you have gotten low enough to switch to the single story rinse tip do that at that time.
• Always make sure you rinse very well. You never wanna leave the solution behind to dry.
• Once you have finished rinsing that side of the house should be sparkling clean if not repeat all the steps above again.
• If that side is complete repeat the steps above for the next 3 sides of the home.
• Always make sure to rinse windows well so no solution is left on the windows to dry.
  

Wrapping Up

• Remove all tape and put away equipment.
• Inspect the house to ensure it's sparkling clean.
• If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact No Scrub Pressure Washing at 219-776-4756.