Pressure or power washing isn’t something you do randomly or every other weekend that you’re cleaning your home. It’s a strategic, purposeful cleaning that needs to be scheduled and prepared adequately to ensure a satisfactory outcome.
As an annual or bi-annual cleaning routine, pressure washing demands adequate preparations that you must make on time prior to the cleaning. Inadequate preparation can lead to several unpleasant outcomes, such as damage to your home’s exterior and personal harm.
Below, we’ll look at six practical ways you can prepare your home for a successful professional power washing exercise.
Gather Information and Hire a Reputable Company
The first step you want to take in your preparation for a successful professional power washing is finding the right power washing services near you.
Many companies promise great solutions but might not actually offer exactly what they market. It’s best to read online reviews and ask for recommendations from friends and family to get the best company that has experience in pressure washing.
Once you have a suitable company in mind, schedule an appointment and discuss the scope of work and other details.
Clear the Surrounding Area
Clearing the surrounding area before starting the power washing ensures the team spends minimal time working. You don’t want a washing experience where the professionals keep maneuvering through obstacles and pausing the process to clear a way for effective washing.
This may lead to higher costs, especially because some professional pressure washing services are billed per hour. You also don’t want to risk the safety of your valuable items, which might get damaged in the process.
To get the area ready for the project, you can start by removing any outdoor furniture, equipment, and toys that might stand in the way. These items are better off removed to minimize the likelihood of tripping over items on wet floors and causing serious injuries.
If you have outdoor plants, you should transfer them to a safer place until the washing is complete. While professional pressure washing companies use eco-friendly cleaning products that are safe for the plants, the water pressure might still cause significant damage.
Ensure Children and Pet Safety
Children and pets can’t always stay in one place, but on this day, you must find them an alternative safe playing space away from the project area.
Power washing can be dangerous, especially for kids and pets who can easily run into a high-pressure water projection or wet slippery floors. Keep them somewhere safe and possibly enclosed, where they can play with their toys safely.
Children love exploring new things, and the pressure washing tools and equipment can be a major attraction. If you don’t have any enclosed spaces in your yard, you can have someone keep an eye on them so they don’t trespass and cause trouble during the washing.
Seal Openings
The main purpose of pressure-washing your walls should be to redeem your curb appeal without harming the wall’s structural stability. If the high-pressure water comes into contact with a weakly fitting siding or an opening on the wall, it could widen the gaps, compromising the structural integrity of your wall.
Also, if water gets into those spaces in your walls or siding, it could be the beginning of serious water damage challenges like mold, algae, and even rot.
Additionally, lock the obvious openings like windows and doors to ensure no water is penetrating into your home to damage any interior wooden structures or furniture. If there are any holes around your house that could let water in, alert the washing company so they can maneuver around them safely.
Unplug Exterior Extension Cords and Cover the Outlets
Water and electricity can form a deadly combination within seconds of coming together. Before the whole cleaning process begins, ensure you cover any exterior outlets that are exposed and unplug any extension cords you use outdoors.
This will minimize the chances of water and electricity mixing and people getting electrocuted. Removing the cords also clears the space of obstacles that could cause tripping and falls during the cleaning process.
Protect Your Landscape and Trim Plants
Your landscape and plants are your home’s number one curb appeal enhancers. If they’re damaged, it might take a long time to restore them.
To ensure their protection, start by checking if the pressure-washing company uses bio-friendly washing solutions that won’t harm your grass and other plants in your yard. You can then cover any delicate flowers or plants with plastic sheeting or tarps to protect them from any potential damage.
If you have tree branches overhanging close to your roof and higher walls, trim or prune them early to allow easy access when cleaning the walls. Trimming the plants also protects them from the force of water that would still break them anyway.
A successful and efficient power washing exercise begins with the small preparations you make before the process kicks off. Every preparatory step you take is an important move toward achieving everyone’s safety, cost minimization, and overall project success.
