You can clean most chemical stains with a garden hose and dish soap, but there are things that a pressure washer can do that a hose can’t. The most important of these is the ability to get into tight spaces, such as between the deck boards and the wood siding of your house.
The majority of chemical cleaning is “surface cleaning,” which means getting the grime off the surface so it will not look dirty after it dries. But some chemicals are absorbed by surfaces, so they stay on and you have to scrub them off.
But even with surface cleaning, you need the best pressure with a high PSI for tough jobs. High PSI is suitable if you are dealing with industrial solvents like turpentine or gasoline, removing tar from concrete, and so on.
Here you’ll learn what’s the right PSI for a pressure washer and the factors that influence the right PSI to remove chemical stains;
What is the right PSI for Your Pressure Washer?
The right PSI all depends on the size of the surface you are cleaning. If you are cleaning something that is only 2′ x 2′, then a pressure of 4000 psi will suffice. But if you are working on something that is 4′ x 6′, then you need to go up to 6000.
And remember: the higher pressure will work better; more water will be produced at a given pressure source, and more water means less fluid in each pass over the surface, which means less time spent cleaning and more time spent relaxing after the job is done.
Actually, the maximum pressure is 150 PSI. But the higher the PSI of your water, the more effectively you will clean a surface. Therefore, it can be better to use high pressure you are dealing with stubborn stains in your material.
In a nutshell, there’s no simple rule for deciding how much pressure to use. It depends on the material and how hard you’re scrubbing it, and whether you are using a small or large nozzle tip.
Here is an example:
If you are cleaning up dried paint, with a very fine spray nozzle, and it doesn’t matter that much how hard you press, just start spraying at 15 PSI.
If you are clearing 100-year-old wallpaper off an old house, you can spray at 30 PSI.
Factors to Influence Your Choice of the Right PSI for Your Pressure Washer
There are many factors to consider when determining the right PSI for cleaning chemical stains.
The amount of grease or oil on the surface
First, there is the question of how much grease or oil is on the surface. The easiest way to find out is to put a drop of each on a known spot and see which one sinks in more quickly. It will be greasy or oily, but not both.
Chemical bond
Consider how deep into the surface the stain goes. If you want to go all the way down, you’ll need a lot more pressure than if you only want to remove some surface material that’s not sticky.
Key Takeaway
The right PSI for your pressure washer is primarily influenced by the chemical bond between the surface and the stain. Also, the project type has a hand to play. If you are looking for quality and budget-friendly pressure washers that are strong enough for any project, shop for Giraffe Tools pressure washers and you’ll get the value for your money.
