Power washing isn’t just for residential customers. It can be used for many different facilities, including construction sites and commercial facilities. Places where the public frequents often or a lot of work is done tend to get pretty dirty pretty quickly. Keeping these areas clean is not only good for aesthetics and business, it’s good for the environment and the health of its patrons and employees as well. 

So how is this done?

Power washing a commercial facility works very similar to pressure washing a residential home. The only part that can be different is not having a water source. This is especially true in areas away from the main water source, like parking garages and large parking lots.

Professional power washing companies are equipped to handle situations like this by having their own water source. A pressure washer water tank allows companies to use a pressure washer in any location. 

How often should commercial areas be cleaned?

Every commercial property has different cleaning needs but there are some instances where power washing is necessary.

After storms – Storms can bring in a ton of debris that make it unsightly and sometimes even hazardous for a business to be in operation with the public coming by. Wind and heavy rains can cause dirt build-up on sidewalks and siding. Having pressure washing done after major storms can help protect your property.

After Spills – Some businesses work with machinery and/or chemicals. For example, elements like oil create tough stains. Over time, oil and other chemicals can seep into concrete and not only stain the surface but weaken it as well. 

After Outdoor Events – When commercial facilities host gatherings they tend to get a lot of debris and stains from food and drinks. After an event, power washing can prevent stains from setting in and can even prevent rodent problems. 

Seasonally – In the winter, salt and sand used for melting snow can wreak havoc on concrete and other surfaces. In the spring and summer, pollen and dust can cause allergy upsets, staining, and discoloration. Fall leaves and debris can also affect outside surfaces. Having your commercial property cleaned seasonally is very much recommended. 

If it’s been a while since your commercial facility was cleaned, give us a call! We do free estimates!

You home is one of your biggest investments, if not the biggest that you’ve ever made. You spend so much time decorating and taking care of your plants and your lawn so it’s understandable that you would be quite upset if someone came in and ruined them. This is especially devastating since you were expecting things to be clean, not destroyed! 

Whatever the damage, just know that this is not your fault! The technicians with power washing companies are supposed to be specially trained to either pre-water plants before pressure washing or cover them altogether in order to avoid damaging them. 

If you have damage to your grass and plants after power washing there are a number of steps to take to ensure that you’re properly compensated.

Read Over Any Paperwork That You Were Given

Be sure to read over anything that you were given when the company came out. Here at Ecotek Power Wash, we make sure our customers know exactly what areas we’re going to clean, what we’re doing to protect their homes, what the cost is, and any recommendations we’ve made. You should have gotten something similar from the company that did your washing.

Any reputable power washing company should have a satisfaction guarantee, even if that means reimbursing you for any damage that was caused during the cleaning process, including grass and plants. 

Contact The Power Washing Company And Tell Them What Happened

After you’ve read the paperwork and know what the company’s policies and procedures are, it’s time to give them a call or visit their office and see what they can do about reimbursing you for the damage. 

Most power washing companies are very understanding and will do all they can to make it right. They should understand that you’re upset and how big of an investment keeping the exterior of your home or office looking great is. 

Some Additional Information

Bleach

A lot of the time, a power washing company will use bleach to remove microorganisms, like mold and mildew. This solution should be adequately diluted so that it doesn’t cause harm to plants. 

The best way to protect plants is to cover them. But when that’s not feasible, a good watering before and after power washing can protect your plants from damage. The more the bleach is diluted, the less concentrated it is and the less powerful it’s affects are. 

Detergents

Like bleach, if your home is power washed with detergents, this should also be diluted. These chemicals are often diluted with a 10:1 water-to-detergent ratio. The more diluted, the less potent. When detergents affect plants, they can cause brown spots.

The best way to protect against detergents is, again, to make sure that plants are thoroughly watered before and especially after power washing. Even a small amount of detergent left in the garden contributes to plant death. 

Sealants

When decks are cleaned and restained, it’s customary to add a sealant to the surface.

When working with sealant, it’s absolutely imperative that plants and grass be covered. While the sealant “seals” your deck, it will also unfortunately seal plants. If sealant gets on plants, they will eventually die because they’re not able to get the water and nutrients that they need. 

When covering plants, make sure that only the plants in the area being cleaned are covered. If you cover them all at one time, this can be harmful to plants as well. Whomever is doing the power washing won’t get to certain areas for a while so it’s good to let the plants that aren’t in the area that’s being cleaned breathe.

With soft washing a roof, gutter cleaning is standard. Not only does dirt, debris, and other contaminants get washed into the gutters from the roof, there may be some debris in them from surrounding trees. A buildup of debris means that your water flow isn’t working the way it needs to in order to keep your roof protected from water buildup.

With house washing, power washing the gutters so that they look presentable is also standard practice from the ground.

Gutter cleaning, as an individual service, is also something else that most power washing companies offer. 

But what about gutter whitening?

Normal power washing will only do so much for the black streaks that end up on gutters. These are often called tiger stripes and are very difficult to remove. They form due to electrostatic bonding: moisture overflow pours down your gutter and pulls chemicals along with it. 

Gutter whitening is recommended to restore gutters back to their original bright white color. It can significantly increase your property’s curb appeal, making it more attractive to prospective buyers if your home is on the market. 

Whitening involves using a special environmentally friendly chemical to get rid of the chemical buildup from the bonding. After that is allowed to sit, the gutters are rinsed with a pressure washer to wash everything away revealing nice, clean, white gutters!

Is this a standard practice?

Usually, no. This is not done automatically without asking for your permission. When we come out and clean your gutters we will inspect them to see what needs to be done. If we see that you could benefit from gutter whitening, we will go over the process with you and let you know why we’re recommending it. 

Have your gutters cleaned and whitened today with our affordable prices. All you need to do is pick up the phone or send us a message and ask for a free estimate. Our technicians will make a thorough assessment and offer you the best methods and pricing that we have!

The roof of a house or office building is an area that often gets forgotten about and neglected until it looks really bad. Most people, at that point, call up a professional roofer and get the roof replaced. It’s totally understandable because they think that the damage can’t be reversed. Some roofs DO need replaced, but a lot just need a good cleaning. 

Fortunately, if you’re diligent about roof upkeep, you can avoid having to have the roof replaced at all before the expected roof life is up. Having your roof cleaned is the main way that you can keep your shingles from deteriorating or separating prematurely from the underlayment. It’s also a great way to keep your gutters cleaned, which also protect your roof and the underlying structures of your house. 

But is power washing safe?

One of the biggest misconceptions is that power washing uses high pressure to clean absolutely everything. While this is true when it comes to defining “power” washing, it’s not true when it comes to cleaning roofs. A pressure washer can be used in a way that promotes gentle cleaning. 

Let’s explain…

When it comes to cleaning with a pressure washer, there are several different methods that most professionals use.

There’s power/pressure washing and then there’s soft washing. 

Power Washing

Power washing uses the pressure that comes out of the pressure washer’s nozzle to blast away dirt, debris, and other contaminants. This method is NOT safe for roofs. The pressure that comes out during power washing can be up to 4000psi. This is powerful enough to damage roofs and cause them to have to be replaced.

Soft Washing

Soft washing is a process of cleaning surfaces that require a more gentle approach. With soft washing, your power washing company will use a special low pressure nozzle to wash away dirt and debris. First, an environmentally friendly chemical is used to “clean” and loosen up dirt, debris, and other contaminants like mold, mildew, and moss. Then these things are thoroughly washed away with a pressure that is comparable to a garden hose. What’s left is a clean and disinfected roof. 

So while “power washing” isn’t a good option for something as delicate as a roof, soft washing is a great option.

Our techs here at EcoTek Power Washing are great with roofs and leave them clean and damage free.

Power washing around the exterior of your home is just as important as cleaning the inside. There are so many options for getting this task done. You can go to a hardware store and buy your own pressure washer to get it done yourself or you can hire a professional power washing company to get it done for you. 

We recommend the latter. Not because we’re a professional power washing company ourselves but because we really believe that it’s the best option. Here’s a few reasons why we stand by professional power washing.

Saves Time and Energy

When you hire a professional power washing company to come clean the exterior of your home, you’re saving major time and energy. You don’t even have to leave the house when the professionals are there so that leaves you open to really do whatever you need to do while the professionals handle the heavy cleaning. 

We’re huge advocates of working smarter, not harder. Anything that you can do to be able to get important things done while you get other important things done is a plus!

Saves Money

When you take on power washing yourself, you’re actually spending more money than you’re saving. Believe it or not, it doesn’t cost a whole lot to hire a professional power washing company.

When you do it yourself, you have to purchase the pressure washer, the chemicals that you need (if you know which ones you need for each surface that you’re trying to clean… they may all be different), and you have to pay for maintenance. We’ll also add in the extra power used for electric pressure washers and gas for gas powered pressure washers. 

Prevents Damage

Power washing is one of those things that requires care. When you’re working with high pressure you want to make sure that you’re cleaning each surface according to it’s specifications so that you don’t damage the surface.

Decks are not cleaned the same as sidewalks and roofs are not cleaned the same as patios. A professional power washing company can save you a headache and even save you money in the long run by cleaning each surface properly. Professional technicians are trained on each thing they clean so you can be sure that the job is getting done right. Also, if something does get damaged, it’s on the company to either fix or replace it at their expense. 

You’re Getting a Better Clean

A professional power washing company knows what chemicals to use and what technique to use for every surface that needs cleaning. Power washing does an amazing job in itself, but the right technique and chemical (or no chemical) is key to getting the best clean possible. 

Professionals offer a Satisfaction Guarantee

If the other reasons don’t completely convince you that hiring a professional power washing company is the best option, this one should. 

Because power washing can be slightly tricky, most power washing companies offer a satisfaction guarantee. If they don’t, don’t work with them. 

Not only are you lowering your risk of damaging surfaces big time by using a professional power washing company, if they do happen to either not do a complete job or damage something, they’ll come back and finish the job. If something gets broken during the cleaning process, they’ll replace it at no cost to you.

If you power wash the exterior of your home yourself and you break something, you’re 100% liable to replace or fix whatever is broken. If you don’t get a good clean, you have to either do it again or leave the job half done. If you choose to hire a professional at this point, then you’re spending extra money because now you’ve done both.

If you’re looking for a professional, give us a call. We give free estimates!

Power washing the exterior of your home is a great (and necessary) way to keep up with outdoor maintenance. 

Many homeowners wonder what the best time of the year to power wash is. It can be tricky to know when to do what area of the home as well. 

Ideally, you would want to stay away from extreme temperatures. Power washing in the winter can leave dangerous ice behind and power washing in the summer can leave stains and streaks from the heat. If any chemicals are being used to clean, the heat can affect the way that they work leaving surfaces not as clean as they would be otherwise. 

Whether you choose to power wash in the spring or the fall, most things can be done in either season, however, you may want to split things up. There is no hard and fast rule but here’s a guide on what areas can be cleaned during the spring months and what areas can wait until fall. 

Spring

When spring finally breaks through, it’s a great time to get exterior washing done. During the winter, the cold weather brings snow and ice that can cause a buildup of dirt and grime on the entire outside of your home. 

This is a great time to clean things like roofs, gutters, decks, and siding. These areas of your home are the most vulnerable. When mold and mildew sit on these surfaces (especially roofs), they can cause a lot of damage and cause you to have to spend more money in the long run to replace them. 

It’s also a good idea to soft wash these areas to take care of any salt residue that may have come from the winter.

Fall

It’s important to clean the whole outside at least once per year. Although winter brings in some harsh contaminants, there are other areas that can wait until fall weather when it’s not so hot.

These are areas that are less delicate and can handle what winter brought in a little bit longer. These areas include driveways, patios, porches, and other stone surfaces. It’s still important to power wash these areas regularly. Even though they’re tougher surfaces, keeping them clean can make stone and concrete last much longer.

Another reason it’s great to wait to clean these areas is because summer activities leave behind sticky drinks and leftover food on patios and decks. Getting these things washed off before winter comes is a good way to keep your patios and decks clean and prepare their surfaces for winter weather.

Power Washing has a lot of benefits that get overlooked. Many homeowners power wash because the outside of the home or other property looks dirty and, of course, they want to get it clean. However, there are lots of other benefits to power washing besides aesthetics. The contaminants that are washed off of things like siding, roofs, decks, and even concrete do more than just make the surfaces look visually unappealing. 

It can seem like a daunting task to homeowners who aren’t used to the service, but having the outside power washed should be part of a normal household cleaning routine. 

#1 – Power Washing Prevents Damage to Surfaces

Mold can cause serious damage to painted surfaces and even concrete if left uncleaned for a long period of time. This damage increases during the dampness that comes with winter time. Mold actually feeds off of the paint and finishes so leaving it sit without taking care of this means you’re literally feeding the mold with the paint on whatever it’s sitting on.

You have to be especially careful with small crevices. They’re more susceptible to accumulating dirt, algae, and grime. This contaminants can grow for years if left unchecked. 

#2 – A Good First Step Towards Painting and Staining

Power washing is often the first step when you’re repainting surfaces or staining a deck. It’s a great way to make sure your existing surface is ready for the new look. When you remove all of the dirt and grime, you’re allowing the new coat or stain to fully adhere the way it’s supposed to. You should always make sure you have a clean, smooth surface when you’re painting or staining. If you don’t, anything that you apply is more likely to fall off. 

#3 – Pressure Washing can Save Money

When you buy a home, you’re making a huge investment that needs to be protected. Just like any other type of maintenance, keeping up on it can save you a lot of money in the long run. By making pressure washing part of your routine, you can even refresh an older home and make it look newer than it is.

Power washing is so much less expensive than refinishing a deck or repainting a house.

#4 – Power Washing protects you and your family’s health

Not only do contaminants affect your home’s aesthetics, they can really affect your health as well. Dust, mold, and mildew can be very dangerous. Not only can they irritate allergies, they can make you sick if you’re exposed to them over time.  Pressure washing to remove them every year can help keep you, your family, and your pets from getting sick. 

The spring is the perfect time to introduce power washing into your yearly maintenance routine. This is the time when allergens run the highest. Our detergent solution removes allergens, kills algae and fungi, and protects against other harmful contaminants. 

#5 – Environmentally Friendly

Lots of people think that the detergents used are harmful to the environment. Fortunately, the solutions that we use are gentle for your family and environmentally friendly as well. We feel like it’s important not to clean contaminants with more contaminants. All of our pressure washing solutions and techniques are also safe for your grass, plants, and other greenery around your home. 

#6 – Power Washing Saves Time

Power Washing can be a very efficient way of cleaning the exterior of your home. Instead of going the traditional route and hand scrubbing everything (how tiring!), power washing is a great way to get things clean and save time and energy.

You time is very valuable. Letting professionals power washing your home means that you’re saving both time and energy. You can also be sure that you’re getting a good clean. 

Make These Benefits Work For You Today

When you’re ready to take the plunge and clean the exterior of your home, give us a call. We here at EcoTek Power Wash are here to bring our expertise to help.