When starting out in a new pressure washing business, you will normally be dealing with dirt, mildew, mold, and bird droppings but depending upon location you will also have to content with exhaust emissions from vehicles and other pollutants in the air.  But it is not uncommon to come upon stubborn stains which seem impossible to remove. This happens a lot when power washing houses and gutters.  In fact many in the business admit that gutters can present a real challenge if you are not prepared.

When you research the subject of power washing houses you find a large variety of products on the market and they all promise to do the job.  Many a professional pressure washing business will have learned to mix their own favorite solutions depending upon the degree of soil on the house.  But you will find the majority are quiet about the problem of removing those ugly “tiger stripes” which often appear on white aluminum gutters.  In most cases your regular house wash will not to this job very well.  There are several commercial cleaners that can be used on the gutters only.  You will find most professionals have strong opinions on this subject.  Generally speaking, just be sure to dilute the cleaners according to the manufacturer’s instructions and don’t allow them to sit too long before wiping or hosing off.  You can create a bigger problem then you started with if you aren’t careful about what you use.  Also pay particular attention to prevent any strong gutter cleaning products from washing down on the vinyl siding.

I have my favorite cleaners but must admit I don’t frequently recommend specific ones due to the fact that many guys simply do not follow the manufacturer’s instructions and vinyl siding is easily damaged if exposed to too strong a chemical.

The most important thing to remember when washing homes is that most home owners are going to be concerned about any chemicals you might use.  If you want to be successful in the power washing business, you should use only biodegradable products which are safe for vegetation and animals.  Contrary to popular belief, you should not use household bleach.  While bleach does a good job of removing mold and mildew, there are many commercial house washing products that do as well but are not toxic.

I’ve gotten into the habit of taking certain steps in the wash routine and they have proven very effective through the years.  As a safety measure, I always take the step of wetting all the surrounding areas of the house including vegetation and plants with a plain garden hose before you hook up any pressure washer or bring out any cleaning solution.  The next step is to mix the gutter cleaning solution and clean the gutters along one side of the house at a time.  In the majority of cases you can mix the selected cleaner in a five gallon bucket and apply with a soft brush.  I’ve always used an extendable painter’s pole so I don’t have to climb ladders.  Most of the commercial cleaning products allow you to brush slowly, let the product stand for only a couple minutes and then hose it off.  Be sure to hose it completely off the house and don’t allow any strong cleaners to run down the vinyl siding.

Then crank up the power washer and using your desired mix or product, apply the cleaner, let dwell a few minutes and power wash it off.  The tip here is to use low pressure when washing aluminum or vinyl siding.  Allow the chemical cleaner to work as it is designed.  Those new to the business might not realize the danger of lifting siding and getting water under pressure under the siding.  Also be sure to spray the house at a ninety degree angle.  Again, you don’t want to damage or remove any siding which is entirely possible if you are not careful.  If you have difficulty removing soil or stains, use a soft brush and hand brush the cleaner on the siding and then rinse again.

Operating your own pressure washing business can be very profitable if you treat your customers right.  The key to that is doing the job right, the first time.