Pressure-Wash Pros Wrestling Bad Job Conditions
Homeowners are experiencing inconsistent and unsatisfactory results from pressure washing and exterior cleaning services. Common issues include incomplete work, damage to property, and a lack of professionalism from cleaning companies, leaving customers feeling frustrated and dissatisfied with the outcome.
SOURCES (60)
“We moved in to a place with matte white walls. Cleaning leaves smear type marks on the walls. submitted by /u/Impossible-Radish515 [link] [comments]”
“home depot sell the rubber tips for like 50 cents, add abit of electrical tape and then add the tip over to keep it snug”
“Hey all, Need the knowledge bank I know that dwells within this sub! Junior guy was trying to clean paint off of composite decking and used mineral spirits. The end result is this scuffed/faded color look in the spots he tried cleaning. Any advice to bring back the color? Read that I could use a heat gun, but know the results could be hit or miss, and potentially ruin/ melt the board. Any advice or products you guys recommend? Love this place for the amount of help everyone gives. Thanks in adva”
“I would use slow and even pressure from porto power kit less likely to break paint and have it looking like a bag of rocks when done .”
“Hi, I already use the pre-wash bottle to wet the floor first. The problem is how to get into those hard-to-reach spots where a sponge can't reach. You'd need a very small or thin sponge. I'd say I'd go for a microfiber cloth.”
“I just worry about all of the wetness and water, etc that gets in the nooks and crannies and doors (or whatever) that can’t dry and isn’t supposed to normally be there.”
“Good morning, when you do a rinseless wash, what do you use to get into small corners? I've been doing it successfully for a couple of months, using the Optimum sponge with the notches. Everything's fine, but I still have trouble getting into hard-to-reach spots like under the handles, in the corners of the mirrors, or in the front sports air vents. When I normally washed my car, I first used high-pressure water and then foam and a brush. But now, since there's no foam, the brush see”
“I'm new to pressure washing and did this driveway the other day. I'm always getting these 'tiger stripes' on exposed aggregate. Is SH the solution to this issue? I did use some with a pump sprayer but it was only around 2% and I don't think i let it dwell for long enough but it didn't make any difference. I think I'm going to buy a downstream injector tonight. What would be your workflow to solve this issue? One other thing I noticed that the customers tap was leaking”
“Is this acceptable? 600K new construction home. submitted by /u/Few_Calligrapher7137 [link] [comments]”
“Trying to fix an open triangular void where the lower rake trim dies into the upper eave. You can see straight into the framing cavity. There’s also a vertical stain running down the stucco right below it, so water is clearly exiting at that corner and running down the wall face. What I’m trying to figure out: **1.** What’s the right way to close it — fiber cement trim over a nailer, or bent sheet metal fabricated to fit? **2.** Is missing kickout flashing the likely cause of the wall stain, or”
“I was doing a house wash today and ran into something I haven’t really dealt with before. One side of the house had some really thick algae growth. It wasn’t just a wall that had turned green—it was more like splotchy/chunky patches of algae built up on the siding. I used my typical setup: X-Jet + surfactant + 12.5% SH. Applied it to the wall and let it dwell for around 10–15 minutes. The SH definitely killed the algae—it turned white/dead—but when I went to rinse it off, the dead algae was extr”
“New construction house. Don’t think pressure washing it is what it would take. Customer main complaint is the orange staining. What can I use to softwash it? submitted by /u/Sad_Improvement1310 [link] [comments]”
“First timer here trying my equipment out on my mom’s patio. Looking to start a business. Used 3 percent SH out of a garden sprayer let it sit for 10 mins. 4.2 GPM predator pressure washer, Westinghouse surface cleaner. Any tips?? Thanks. submitted by /u/GSXR_Rider34 [link] [comments]”
“Vacuum breakers on wall hydrants and hose bibs are intended for non continuous pressure. 12 hours or less.”
“Suggestions on how to pressure wash this without blowing out all the fill between the pieces? submitted by /u/TinderSubThrowAway [link] [comments]”
“Overall simple job took about an hour and a half. Sidewalk walkway and front of the house and porch area. Customer is repainting the house. submitted by /u/Lower-Lobster-3329 [link] [comments]”
“LOL - by the looks of the 'warnings/precautions' I'm going to assume this *is not pH neutral. Might want to ask about an MSDS sheet before using. I wouldn't touch that without knowing the base chemistry being used, even if it local and 'cheap'”
“When I bought my new house, the land had to be leveled and the rain left some clay-stains on my block. I’ve tried simple pressure washing but to no avail. Any tips on how to properly clean this? I’ll attach a pic for reference. Thank you all! submitted by /u/that_racing_guy [link] [comments]”
“PLEASE somebody tell me something good , i was pressure washing a customers walk way around there pool and it ended up shaking its self into the pool , i should’ve never had it as close as i did , i do not care about the pressure washer , i am terrified that i ruined there pool , the home owner was super sweet and understanding, there was no oil or anything that got in the pool , i grabbed the pressure washer before it got fully emerged but it did get half way in the water and there was a small”
“This is 1.2 gpm meaning it may hit 1 gpm.. need around 1.8gpm or the washer is too weak”
“The inserted picture is of my apartment patio. It is enclosed but there is only a mesh film blocking bugs from getting in, there is no glass. My apartment just pressure washed the whole building and I come home to the rug on my patio soaking wet and smelling like bleach or some strong chemical. You can kind of see from the second picture the amount of water was sprayed into my patio. My rug is soaked with whatever chemical ans it is turning pink from what I can assume is bleach used in the press”
“A client has asked me can I remove tile adhesive from their driveway. It’s been there a year, any tips or chemical on this assuming turbo nozzle and SH alone won’t do. submitted by /u/JackTheRam [link] [comments]”
“So I’m on a job where the client painted over exterior windows and boarded over them for privacy. Now many years later, they want to take the drywall down and clean the windows off to make the room more open. So the question is, what’s the best way to get this off? It took me 45 mins with a 2” wide scraper to do 1 window. If that’s what I gotta do then it’s fine. But if there is a spray or a tool I could use, lmk. submitted by /u/No-Ladder2593 [link] [comments]”
“I'm hourly at a restoration shop so it's not necessarily the end of the world to do it myself when something's not ready, but when I'm hyping myself up to paint (especially on large projects like an all-over paintjob), I'm ready to paint. It ruins the workflow if I have to backtrack and sand edges and fill pinholes for a couple of hours. Same goes for repainting things. I get paid hourly so it should be all the same to me, but I don't appreciate how many things get damage”
Driveways, patios fences, bricks all need pressure washing
“Will downstream sh clean this properly? submitted by /u/Sad_Improvement1310 [link] [comments]”
“I’ve been scraping this off I’m losing money doing this crap. Is there a tool or a chemical that’s eats it off submitted by /u/Mobile_Avocado_7840 [link] [comments]”
“Yeah I’m confused why this is a multi day process. The ENTIRE thing can be knocked out in an afternoon 🤔”
“Depends on a lot. Is the is the only spot in the place and the rest is clean then nothing. If the place is a mess and this is just one of many then I’d charge what my painter charges.”
“Can’t get a hose anywhere near to this. Lil hand pump sprayer aint gonna do it. Ideas? Experience? Product? TIA Edit: Thanks for all the speedy suggestions. Greatly appreciated. submitted by /u/thecoastalalchemist [link] [comments]”
“I know this is not a great job. I used paper tape and 45-minute mud. I don't know whether it is not drying completely because i did something wrong. Or because it has been humid here. It has been days and it still looks like this. The dry mud I used was old. I am not experienced at this obviously (I know this is making people cringe to see my attempt) Question: Should I sand and add more layers, or does the grey color mean water is still trapped in there and continuing would cause more damag”
“Im new to this world. I did some stairs ~9 months ago. Then the customer put this Cabot stain and sealer on it last month. The checking. I know I sunk the screws too far. I didn’t know it would be that bad but now I see. But the checking that’s not in line with the fasteners…I know some is normal, but isn’t it pretty severe for only being 9 months? I’m in PA wondering if it would’ve been better to build it in the summer and let it season just a couple months instead of build it in the fall where”
“I don’t know why people dont just use multiple microfiber towels instead of constantly dunking a dirty sponge into dirty rinseless solution. A few extra towels of laundry is worth the peace of mind”
“you pull the mats out and degrease and wash them. you power wash and degrease the diamond plate. we do this every day we work.”
“For those of you who’ve built a successful pressure washing business… I’m just getting started with my pressure washing/soft washing business and honestly, I’d love to hear from people who have already been through the beginning stages. How did you guys actually get your first customers? And what did you do that eventually got you to a point where you were getting steady, regular work? I know everyone says Facebook, Google, door knocking, flyers, referrals, etc., but I’m more interested in heari”
Ok good to know. I might buy a more expensive one and see the results. Thanks.
“It’s been insanely hot here so I knock out the interior in the AM before I’m sweating. In better weather I do exterior first so I’m not fighting the sun. After about 9am it’s so hot that I can’t really clean the interior without making more of a mess.”
“new to pressure washing and these were left after i pressure washed. i’m using 2100 psi pressure washer submitted by /u/Soft_Year_7285 [link] [comments]”
“Gonna be hot outside and I can work in a climate controlled garage? Knock out the exterior’s prep wash early first so the rest of the job is done indoors. If it gets a little dusty during the interior portion it can just get a quick wipedown before the rest is done”
“Good point. I’ve kinda made a habit out of going back and getting door jambs and covered paneling after washing.”
“I would agree with this, as the subject of 'upgrade' implies that you already have a pressure washer. In that case, you are spot on, not worth the cost. Again, my emphasis is on 'gallons per minute', not PSI. This is really where the marketing towards the 'automotive' focus is. Even for any higher advertised 'PSI', you can reduce that to come down to a safer psi for automotive washing needs. You can do this through increasing the tip orifice size. The question the”
“jumping to abrasives before the OP has thoroughly described the product, method, and media they’ve used first is like jumping to explosives to dig a hole when a child fails to dig to the desired depth.”