A pressure washer is a powerful machine that is a blessing when cleaning large surfaces. Using the pressure washer reduces the cleaning time considerably and is much easier to use. However, using the pressure washer with soap or detergent multiplies the cleaning effects and makes your surface like new. With the use of soap and detergent, the deep stains of oil and dirt are lifted more quickly because of the combined cleaning effect of soap.
Cleaning with the soap using the pressure washer is good, but you should not use any soap or detergent you find because that can damage your pressure washer and be harmful to the surface, and there can also be health-related issues too.
What Soap To Use In Pressure Washer
Many people take the terms soap and detergent as one, but there is a difference. Soap is made from fatty acids and cannot be used with untreated rainwater; however, there is no such problem with detergent as it is made from synthetic chemicals. Soap is more natural and can be used for general cleaning, but detergent is made of surfaces such as concrete, tiles, etc.
If you are also planning to use the soap or the detergent, then choose them based on these factors:
The Purpose
The selection of soap or detergent depends on why you want to use them. Of course, the primary purpose is to clean the surfaces, but there can be other purposes. Such as, you can use detergent containing oxalic acid for rust removal, vinegar containing detergent for cleaning countertops and brass doors, citric acid for deep cleaning of concrete, a bleach for sanitizing, sodium hydroxide for cleaning grease, ammonia for glass cleaning. Various other soap and detergent types can be used for different purposes, and the soap you would be using depends on it.
Health Issues
You should use soap or detergent for power washing that has a good or at least neutral impact on the environment. Using the harmful chemical-based soap and pressure washer in the background with pets and children can be dangerous.
The Cleaning Effect
The cleaning effect or soap performance is also significant in choosing the soap or detergent for your pressure washer. It would help to analyze the increase in cleaning impact in selecting the soap for your pressure washer. There is an easy way to examine that. Note the time of washing with and without soap. For example, a 10 square feet area is cleaned in 5 minutes without soap, so note the time it takes to clean with it. If the time is 4 minutes, there is no significant difference, and you should choose different soap.
The Working Of Pressure Washer
There are different pressure washers with varying principles of soaps and detergents. Some pressure washers mix soap with water before going into the pump, and some pressure washers do that after the pump phase. There are restrictions about what soaps and detergent can go into the pump, and you should be very careful in selecting the soap if you have this type of pressure washer. Corrosive chemical-based detergents can harm the inner parts of the pump and pressure washer.
Customer Reviews
One of the primary factors that help purchase the detergents and soap and everything is the customer reviews. It will help if you read the customer reviews on the neutral platform to have the best idea about the product’s advantages and limitations and only buy it afterward.
Environmental Factor
It would help to consider the environmental factor of the detergents you are using with a pressure washer. You should choose the detergents and soap that are certified for use around the plantations and do not negatively affect the surfaces if they are accumulated.
Final Thoughts
Using the detergent and soap with the pressure washer is very common, especially for car and surface cleaning that have not been cleaned in years. You should know what kind of soap you are using and the purpose of the soap with the side effects. It is better to use the pressure by itself and detergents if necessary. Using the soap requires multiple cleaning, first to wet the surface, then to wash the soap, and this is a long process that requires more water and energy.
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