There is no denying that a power washer can be an extremely useful tool for the do it yourself home owner. When used properly with the correct cleaners and methods a power washer can clean vinyl siding, stucco, brick, concrete, decks, fences, patios, awnings and more.

It must also be noted that in the wrong hands a pressure washer can be a very dangerous tool. When in the hands of an inexperienced operator a power washing unit can easily damage any of the surfaces mentioned above. The most common cases of damage are caused to vinyl siding, wood decks, asphalt shingles, mortar joints, and even concrete.

The typical reason these inexperienced operators accidentally damage these surfaces is by using way too much pressure. Even small consumer grade pressure washing units put out a couple thousand P.S.I. which is more than enough to cause damage. For most surfaces around the home, except for maybe concrete, you need to change the nozzle at the end of the wand to achieve a lower pressure without sacrificing water flow.

Using the correct cleaners for cleaning your home whether it is vinyl siding, wood, stucco, or brick is crucial to getting it fully clean. Dirt, grime, spider webs, and bug fecal are a few of the contaminants that can collect on your home’s exterior. These natural pollutants need to be cleaned with special detergents like soap and degreasers or a combination of both. Mold, mildew and algae on the other hand have to be cleaned using bleach based cleaners.

Mild bleach is the only chemical that will kill mold, mildew and algae and remove it for good. Using only detergents and high pressure may remove what you can see of the mold, mildew and algae but it will not kill it down deep, therefore it will return in full force in as little as a few weeks. The best recipe for pressure cleaning your home to free it from all of these pollutants is a good house washing detergent mixed with about a 1% to 2% concentration of bleach.

If you are considering washing your own home, knowing and using the right cleaners to do the job can be a huge time saver and give you much better results.

Most of what you will be dealing with will be mold, mildew, algae, dirt, cobwebs, bird droppings, and bug fecal. Other contaminants not as noticeable are exhaust emissions from cars, trucks, airplanes and such. Also anything any nearby factories may be putting out will also land on your home.

The Vinyl Siding Institute (VSI) recommends using the following for small spots of mold or mildew. Small spots of mold and mildew can be handled with cleaners such as Fantastik® or Windex®. For larger sections, a solution of vinegar (30%) and water (70%) has proven successful. Alternatively, you also could try the following solution: 1/3 cup (2 2/3 ounces) powdered laundry detergent (e.g., Tide®, Fab®, or equivalent), 2/3 cup (5 1/3 ounces) powdered household cleaner (e.g., Spic & Span®, Soilax®, or equivalent), 1 quart (32 fluid ounces) liquid laundry bleach, and 1 gallon (128 fluid ounces) of water.

In my opinion, the only way to kill and remove mold and mildew is to use the bleach solution. Its important not only to remove it but to kill it as well. If you’ve ever cleaned mold or mildew before with just water you know it looks good at first but it returns in a short time, that’s because it was never completely killed.

Something else you need to know is that bleach is for killing and removing mold, mildew, and algae but does not clean well. For dirt and grime you will also need soap in your house wash cleaner. You can use the laundry soap like recommended by the VSI or add a few squirts of dish soap to your bleach mix.

Now you have a home cleaning recipe that will take care of most anything on your home. It can be applied with a brush or sponge. You can try using a pump up sprayer but bleach is corrosive and will eventually ruin the sprayer. It may work long enough to get the job done and if you rinse it thoroughly it may last even longer. Remember that if you’re going to use your pressure washer’s chemical injector to apply the cleaner, it will be diluting your mix quite a bit. Most injectors draw only 1 part chemical to 5 or 6 parts water. You can do the math and try making your initial solution stronger and see if you can get good results.

Once you’ve found a good solution, it should do most of the work for you and you will only need to rinse the area clean. After applying the solution allow it to dwell for a few minutes and then use your garden hose or a pressure washer using no more than 1000 psi and a wide fan nozzle to clean the area. Try to spray straight at eye level with the siding or you can force water underneath and behind it.

It’s important to rinse from top to bottom and to be thorough as to not leave any residue on your home. You can add some dishwasher rinse aid like Jet Dry to your mix if you want. An 8 oz bottle will treat 5 gallons of cleaning solution, this will help the water sheet off the siding.

The bleach, water, soap, and rinse aid (optional) cleaning solution will also work well on aluminum and painted wood siding. It can also be used for vinyl fences, plastic decking, painted shutters, lawn furniture and most anything else that is exposed to the elements and is covered in dirt, mold, and mildew.

Make sure when working around your plants and shrubs that you wet them down with water before, during, and after the cleaning process so no solution is allowed to dry on them. The same goes for your windows, don’t allow the solution to dry on them and you’ll be fine. Also wear eye and hand protection and a ventilation mask when dealing with bleach. Never mix ammonia with bleach or anything else you aren’t sure of.