Two Misconceptions About High-Pressure Cleaning Equipment

Here are two misconceptions about the high-pressure cleaning equipment many cleaning businesses use on their clients' properties.  

High-pressure cleaning equipment is not safe to use on any type of outdoor furniture

Many people believe that high-pressure cleaning equipment can never be safely used on any type of outdoor furniture. In truth, many cleaning companies regularly use this equipment to wash down their clients' patio furniture, garden benches and other outdoor furniture items. However, before doing this, most cleaners will assess their client's outdoor furniture to check its condition and to see if the material it's made from could withstand the pressure of the machinery's water flow without being damaged.

For example, if a person wants their cleaner to use this equipment on their vintage wicker patio chairs, whose woven strands are already cracked, then the cleaner might suggest to that client that they wash the chairs by hand instead, due to the delicate nature of rattan and because the chairs are already damaged.

In contrast, if a client wants their bolted-down wrought iron patio table pressure-washed, and the table is in good condition, their cleaner should have no issue safely using this equipment on the table, as even a forceful stream of water will not damage this robust material and, due to the furniture being bolted down, there will be no chance of the water pressure causing it to tip over and get scratched.

High-pressure cleaning equipment can be used as an alternative to manual weeding

Many people who want their paved patios or driveways pressure washed do so not only to remove the dirt from these areas but also in the hopes that the cleaner's equipment will force the weeds out from between the paving areas and thus spare these property owners the job of manually weeding their patios or driveways.

However, although this equipment can often end up breaking apart and pushing small weeds out of the gaps between paving stones, it's not designed to do this and will not usually remove older weeds with deeper roots, unless the equipment's water hose attachment is placed just centimetres away from the weed-covered area and the cleaner switches the equipment to its strongest flow setting.

Whilst this might remove bigger weeds, most cleaners will not take this approach, as using the equipment in this way may result in too much force being applied to the delicate edges of the paving stones. As such, this equipment should not be viewed as a weeding tool and people who have their outdoor areas washed with it should simply view the incidental removal of any weeds by the equipment as a bonus.

Talk to a professional to learn more about high-pressure cleaning.