When the nice weather arrives, we all want to enjoy the sun and be outside. This means cleaning your patio for family reunions or even the terrace of your restaurant, bar or shopping center. We don’t realize that these constant weather changes create perfect conditions for the accumulation of bacteria, mold and dirt everywhere on the patio surface, and a proper cleaning for the safety of everyone is a must-do during the spring and summertime.
In this article we’re going to explain the proper methods you can use to clean your patio, from security tips to the right amount of pressure and GPM (gallons per minute) that you need to do the job in a professional and safe way.
1. Choose the Right Pressure Washer
Before starting any pressure washing job, you’ll need to pick the right unit. First, you need to ask yourself what you’re going to clean: is it the patio of your home or of a more commercial environment? Second, on what type of material will you be doing the cleaning? Is it a wood or concrete patio? Remember that each material reacts differently with the pressure of a washing unit.
For this type of cleaning job, we always recommend an electric motor and cold water, but why? Because using a gas motor and hot water will cost you more, and you probably don’t need the extra cleaning power they provide, at least not for cleaning a patio.
How to choose a cold water-electric motor pressure washer. You need to understand the PSI (Pounds per square inch) and GPM (Gallons per minute) if you want to get good results. You need a good balance between the two. People often think that the pressure is the only thing that matters, when it is in fact the GPM that will multiply the impact.
For example, a unit with 1350 PSI and 2.0 GPM will have a better impact than a unit with 2000 PSI and 1.4 GPM..Of course, the choice of unit will also depend on the material’s ability to withstand that impact force. You don’t want to pay extra money for a more powerful machine if you don’t need to.
For more information, you can look to our How to Choose a High-Pressure Washer article or you can contact us directly if you have any questions.
2. Safety First
Before starting to clean, you need to follow certain safety measures not only for yourselves but also for the people around you.
In a home setting: First of all, you will need to secure the area: clearing it of all furniture, potted plants and other items. Making sure your pets stay inside the house so they don’t get in the way, and having someone watch children so they don’t go near the patio while you clean.
If it’s in a commercial environment: the best time to clean is when the business is closed, ensuring the area will be empty and that you will not interfere with normal operation during business hours. You will also need to clear all the furniture on the patio: tables, chairs, decorations, potted plants, etc. to ensure the best result.
After securing the area, you will need to protect yourself using appropriate safety gear. This will help prevent injuries while you’re washing your patio:
- Goggles for eye protection
- Boots or heavy-duty shoes that cover your feet completely (never wear sandals or go barefoot)
- Gloves that will protect your hands
Remember to let the unit cool down during breaks and after you finish cleaning before touching the best industrial, portable electric pressure washer ,or you might get injured. If you need to touch it, please wear a sturdy pair of gloves for skin protection.
3. Proper Use, Good Results
To get good results, you need to learn how to use your pressure washer properly. The first thing you need to do is to plug your unit to the power source and wait between 15-30 seconds before using it. It’s basically the same principle as when you start a car: you need to let the motor warm up a bit before getting on the road.
The way you use the power washer’s water spraying from the nozzle will affect the efficiency of the cleaning:
- We recommend using a 45-degree angle, which will reduce the risk of damage and injuries. Additionally, using this angle will push all the dirty water away from the patio.
- Don’t forget to hold the wand with two hands for more control.
- Don’t use a 90-degree angle within a couple of inches of the patio surface, because even though the pressure should not damage cement/concrete, it could damage wood and you could lose control of the water spray very easily.
Once you are holding the pressure washer’s gun properly, you will need to do a small trial run to test the pressure. Don’t pull the trigger all the way in at first, go little by little until you feel comfortable and then you can pull it fully to use its maximum power.
When cleaning your patio using a pressure washer, you should always move the gun in either an up-down/down-up or a side-to-side motion, repeating the same movement for best results.
4. Conclusion
If you want to clean your patio this summer and you don’t have a pressure you have two options:
- Hire a pressure washing company
- Buy a new one with the money you would spend on a washing service and do it yourself with a bit of help from us. We can guide you through the whole process: advice, replacement parts and service.
So, if you’re thinking of making an investment and buying a new unit from us, you can find below a chart of potential cold water-electric motor pressure washers for residential and commercial use that you could purchase:
| Model | Type | PSI | GPM | H.P | Nozzle | Conclusion |
| UNI-390SS | Residential | 2000 | 1.4 | 1.6 | Nozzle Kit (0,25 degree, Soap and Rotary/Turbo nozzles) | Best for small jobs at home Start/Stop system, wheels and Integrated hose reel More Information |
| AR610 | Residential | 1350 | 2.0 | 1.7 | Vary-Nozzle (Adjustable Degrees) | Best price/power ratio Triplex pump, hose and unloader More Information |
| ARC Series | Residential Commercial | 1200 to 2500 | 2.0 to 3.0 | 1.5 to 5.0 | Vary-Nozzle (Adjustable Degrees) | Best for multiple uses: residential as well as commercial. More power, ceramic pistons, easy to repair, wheels, hose and unloader with upgrade options More Information |