Pressured To Use Your Washer More? 3 Unique Things To Clean With Your Pressure Washer

As a homeowner, you most likely have a good amount of supplies, tools, and equipment in your garage or shed. From gardening shears and socket sets to hammers and compressors, these items are necessary for maintaining your home's appeal, value, and function, but they take up a lot of space. You may be tempted to get rid of items you don't use often, like your pressure washer. But before you do that, take a look at these three ways to get more use out of it.

Outdoor Units

While surprising to hear, half of your home's total energy usage stems from heating and cooling. Although changing filters and cleaning out your ducts can increase the efficiency of your system, washing your outdoor units is also smart.

Leaves, mulch, pine straw, and other debris quickly trap inside your outdoor units, locking air flow into your home. This buildup not only decreases the efficiency of your system, but trapped debris can also cause your units to malfunction or break. Thankfully, you can use the following steps to clean the outdoor units with your pressure washer:

1. Turn off all electricity going to your outdoor units. Locate the electrical controls box, mounted to your home's exterior near the units, and flip the switch to the off position.
2. Use a screwdriver and ratchet to remove the metal cage around the units. Place the cage to the side.
3. Attach your washer's hose to the outdoor spigot. Stand a few feet away from the exterior of your and begin spraying. Use side-sweeping motions to wash away trapped debris. Locate the fan blades inside the units and aim your sprayer nozzle to the area since this is a common area for trapped debris.
4. Use the washer to rinse off the exterior cage.
5. Reattach the exterior cage to your units.
6. Allow time for your outdoor units to dry before turning the power supply back on.

Grill

If you are like many homeowners, you use your outdoor gas or charcoal grill to cookout all through the year. While great for efficient cooking, your grill can become really dirty very quickly, leading to bugs, rodents, and unappealing flavors in your food. To clean out your grills without stress, use your pressure washer.

If cleaning a gas grill, disconnect the propane tank and electrical supply before washing. Remove grates from your charcoal grill. Remove and dispose any leftover items inside the grill such as trash, food, or charcoal.

Spray the interior of your grill with a degreasing solution. Allow the solution to sit and soak for 30 minutes. Attach your washer's hose to your outdoor spigot and begin spraying down the interior of your grill. Hold the sprayer nozzle a few feet above the interior of the grill to apply water pressure to the inside. For areas with stubborn, caked on food and grease, move the nozzle closer to the grill's interior for a more effective wash.

Trash Bins

Over time, heavy residue, mold, and insects can build up on and inside your outdoor trash and recycling bins. Using your garden hose may seem sufficient for cleaning out these bins. However, light-duty pressure washers offer a maximum of 2,000 PSI, or pounds per square inch, of water pressure. This amount of pressure will remove heavier residue without damaging your bins.

Consider washing the bins immediately after a pickup since there will be no actual trash or recyclables inside the containers. Move the bins to an open, flat area of your backyard or driveway. Open the lids and lay down on the surface.

Sprinkle a cup of baking soda directly into the bins to remove odors and clean the interior. After connecting your pressure washer's hose to your garden spigot, wash the interior of the bins using short, sweeping motions.

Using your pressure washer to clean your home's siding is great for its appeal and value, but this beneficial piece of equipment offers other benefits. With these unique ideas, many areas of your home will be clean and functional. If you usually rent a washer to wash your siding, keeping these uses in mind may persuade you to buy one of your own. Contact a company like Ben's Cleaner Sales for more information.