Pressure Washing Guide

Midwestpro

Is hot water a necessity? You may have noticed claims like "hot water" or "specializing in hot water washing" in advertising efforts. So what does hot water mean to the home owner and is there any benefit?

Most professional exterior cleaning companies do have hot water. Hot water can definitely help with certain jobs. Concrete oil stains, farm equipment cleaning, engine degreasing, and many other commercial and industrial projects can be made easier with hot water.

There are some that claim using hot water for residential work is better and has benefits. Well, as professional cleaner I have weighed the benefits of hot water in residential use and the risks. Yes, that's right I said risks.

When a contractor uses hot water to clean a home's exterior most of the time they are not using the proper chemicals or not using chemicals at all. So to compensate they use hot water and/or way too much water pressure. It is a common inexperienced contractor mistake. I guarantee you can get the same results, even better results, with cold water and the proper cleaners as you can with hot water.

The risks of using hot water in residential services are: hot water can warp vinyl siding, will fur and splinter wooden decks, and can be detrimental to your plants and landscaping.

The important factor here is that to you, the homeowner, hot water washing has no advantage. The end result with the proper cleaners, equipment, methods, and pressure is a clean home. Hot water has no benefit to the home owner and is not worth the risks of damage it can cause, it is really nothing more than a marketing gimmick.

Be aware of these risks and be sure to ask your contractor about them. Be leery of the "hot water" sales pitch it may signify a fly-by-night or inexperienced company.

A-PLUS · Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 2:08 pm Post subject:

You are so right. Hot water has it's place in exterior cleaning, such as, dumpster areas and drive thru's for fast food places and your local steak house.

There is no need for it in exterior home cleaning. Adding 120* water to
already thirsty plants can spell diaster to them.

JL Pressure Washing · Joined: 29 Jan 2009 Posts: 3

Sure hot water has its place but I dont feel its needed in the south for house washing. Why spend the extra money for the fuel and wear and tear on your burner etc etc

cleaningdude · Joined: 27 Jan 2009 Posts: 5

We have it but don't use it much only for grease and oil.

tongyun · Joined: 16 Mar 2009 Posts: 52

Thanks to all of you professionals for providing your thoughts on this. As a non-professional, my initial thought was, if I used hot water to wash my dishes, then hot water would be good to clean my house. But you've shown me why it's a bad way to go, so cold water and house cleaning solution it is. Thanks.

cleanx85 · Joined: 06 May 2011 Posts: 5

Thanks for the information. I have often wondered this myself. I went with the dish philosophy as well. Do you think that the eco-friendly cleaners that house cleaning crews use do as good a job as the cleaners that tell you to cover your plants?

Midwestpro · Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 8:24 am Post subject:

I believe so, if you have the right eco-friendly cleaners and you are using them at the right strength. As long as dirt, mold, and mildew are coming off easily then you are good.

Regardless of what soap we are using, we always keep the plants watered down before, during, and after the washing process just as a precaution. Even a mild soap left on the leaves of a plant on a hot day can do damage eco-friendly or not.