Pressure Washing Preparation

Quick Column Summary:

• Prep work for pressure washing
• Chewing gum stain removal
• Pretreat with oxygen bleach
• Use pressure washer carefully

Jolynn, who lives in paradise - Waianae, Hawaii - wants to clean a commercial building with a pressure washer. Here's what she wants to know:

"When pressure washing  a single-story commercial building what should I do to prep?

Will I need to cover the bottom of the doorways so that water do not wet interior?

Do I cover doors with plastic coverings?

I also have to deal with chewing gum stain removal. Do I need chemicals to remove it from concrete on this commercial building sidewalk and what pressure should I use?"

Here's my answer to Jolynn:

To get the BEST results, I'd pretreat the building with my Stain Solver Certified organic oxygen bleach.

You mix it up, apply it with a hand-pump garden sprayer and allow it to work on the dirt and grime for about 20 minutes.

Apply it in the shade if you can and keep the surfaces wet with the solution - applying more if needed - before you rinse with the pressure washer.

NEVER aim the pressure washer at the edges of doors or windows. The high pressure will easily get past any weather stripping. You need to wash these areas by hand and rinse with low flow from a garden hose.

I'd use about 2400 PSI for this job and a 15-degree tip on the washing wand.