When it comes to surface cleaning bigger is not always better. The size of the surface cleaner depends on how many gallons per minute your pressure washer has. The general rule for a surface cleaner is for every 1 gallon of pressurized water equal 4 inches of surface cleaning diameter. For example a 4 gallon per minute approximately 2800 psi pressure washer can use a 16 inch pressure washer. Please note this does not mean you will be able to push the surface cleaner around quickly for a more efficient clean but instead you will have to move in a pattern and slowly so the spinning turbine can clean the flat materials pores well enough.

​If you choose to move faster with your surface cleaner to get a faster clean in less time we suggest you move up in gallons per minute on your pressure washer or cut down on the surface cleaners diameter. a reasonable size pressure washer and surface cleaner to use for getting an efficient clean is an 8 gpm and a 28 inch big guy surface cleaner.
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For larger surface cleaners we think it is best to use primarily on commercial plazas such as shopping centers, gas stations and parking lots where there is a big amount of square footage, typically in the 36 inch to the 48 inch range

For small or medium residential cleaning tasks a size like the 19 inch whisper wash and 28 inch surface cleaner for a large enough cleaning but still managable to move around from house the house.

Pressure cleaning your south florida homes surfaces should be done every 6 months to maintain its clean look and feel. 6 months is about the time it takes for new mold growth to take the old ones place. Especially when added tree and high humidity is looming around, keeping moisture in the roof tiles and damp driveway surfaces. High humidity is what keeps bacteria growing and thriving. The best solution is to clean off with pressure and add chlorine to kill the bacteria.

Some boca raton homes can go approximately a year without a good cleaning because of the area or because the previous cleaning got rid of all the algae and mildew that was growing on the roof and homes surfaces. When tackling any pressure cleaning job we recommend you find a professional service provider in your local area. If you choose to go on doing the job yourself it is best to look for a gas powered pressure washer that is 4 gallons per minute and about 2500 psi. This type of machine will allow a deep clean and be able to use a surface cleaner with about 16 inches in diameter. This type of machine also allows for the chemical application to take place for bigger areas like driveway and large back pool patios. Be sure to use industrial soaps for a proper clean and a proper cling.

As a homeowner it is best to do this sort of outdoor work early in the morning as the suncomes up when it is fresh out or later in the day when the sun has gone down. With a hot south florida heat day this will tire you out and can be very dangerous. For a gas powered machine use a downstream injector to spray the soap and chemical via a small tube that is dipped in the cleaning solution with the injector acting as the adapter. Please note whenever taking on any cleaning job especially with high pressure and chemicals it is best to proceed with caution.

In todays article we will go over what make a pressure cleaning service company the best in their area. 

When looking for a professional pressure cleaning company we recommend to look over a few details.

Firstly their reputation, what kind of results they can produce, do they have the needed equiptment and knowledge to get it done right the first time. Sometimes we rush into decisions without doing the proper research into who is coming to your boca raton home.  The main priority is to find the right company for you. Are you focused only on the lowest priced service or the highest quality service possible, make sure to inquire as such.

If you are specifically looking for the lowest price we suggest you call around pressure cleaning service providers and go with the lowest one but understand the quality will likley be mediocre and possibly dangerous. If you are focused on quality for your home in south florida we suggest you to search via google for near by pressure cleaning companies.  Look into how many 5 star google reviews the pressure cleaning service has racked up. A low level company will have from 1-10 5 Star google reviews, the middle level will have about 10-40, the professionals will have from 40-100. Then there are what we call the super professional pressure cleaners in the near by area with 100 and more 5 star google reviews, these are the guys with not only time in the industry but also understand what has to be done with cleaning anything up the right way.

After deciding it is time to clean you driveway you then realize "How much should i pay to get my driveway cleaned?"  So we hit the internet to get an idea of what we should look out for when hiring a professional pressure washing company. In simple terms the low price is $100, medium price is $200 and a higher price is $300 but this depends only many variables. 


Variables to look for when deciding what is a good price to pay for your professional driveway cleaning

-What is the surface made of?  (Painted, pavers, concrete, concrete stamp, asphalt or stone agrigate)
- On a level for 1-10 how dirty is the surface that we are looking to clean
- How far you are from the service provider or if you are in their service area


When it comes to the type of surfaces each one is handled differently. A painted surface is easier to clean when the paint is new or of good quality, the grime and dirt cannot bond to the surface because the paint is protecting it and acting as a protective layer. When the painted surface is old or of bad quality very hard water pressure can take it off prematurely. Please understand this and be ready to repaint and sand after pressure cleaning the area.  Pavers and concrete surfaces are similar but different in their levels of pores. Pavers are more forgivable with grease/ oil stains  and dirt build up, concrete on the other hand has more pores and is tough to remove grease stains  and depending on the type of grime also.  Concrete stamped driveways are similiar to regular concrete driveways but have deep creases and borders therefore making harder to clean and more time consuming, unless....... painted. Confusing right!  It all depends on the type of surface quality. Asphalt driveways to not get pressure cleaned, instead the only thing that can be done is a high volume rinse to clean off the dirt on its surface. Stone aggregate driveways typically have a gloss coat over them that makes pressure cleaning them not as difficult but when the gloss starts to wear the dirt goes deeper into the driveway. 



The level of filth from 1-10 makes the job harder, last longer and requires more chemical to get the best results possible. 

The 1-3 level is  short time ,small concentration chemical, low difficulty
The 4-7 level is medium time, medium concentration chemical, medium difficulty
The 8-10 level is highest time, higher concentration chemical, high difficulty. 

Lastly when is comes to the service area we should take into account how far we are from the service provider or if we are even in the service area. For example Ivan's Pressure Cleaning Services is located in sunny beautiful Boca Raton Florida. If a driveway cleaning comes up in Sandalfoot cove we can take care of it same day, but if the driveway cleaning comes up 40 miles away in Fort Lauderdale it may take us a few days to get out there to clean up. 

It is best to search for a local service provider in your area to receive the best service, but make sure they are the professionals and have a worthy reputation to clean your families home. There is no harm in asking for a quick quote, taking the information in and doing the proper due diligence.

Pressure cleaning should not be just a spray and go procedure. The cleaning should focus not only on the appearances but also sanitize the bacteria infested area. When it comes to anything relating to mold the surface should be sanitized almost to eat off of. Of course we do not mean this in the literal sense but should understand that mold spores travel through the air and can be inhaled. Prolonged exposure to any mold can cause health concerns. 

Similiar to every cleaning and sanitizing it is important to use the best tools and chemicals to eat off any bacteria on its surface. Exterior surfaces often collect mildew deep in the floors pores that are best when blasted with highly pressurized water, where the bacteria has the only option to shoot out and loosen on to the ground.

Please be sure to rinse away as soon as possible because prolonged exposure to the sun may cause the dirt to seep back into the stone and will take longer back breaking work to push away again compared to when it is loose and wet on the surfaces top. After and preferably before use a strong mixture of chlorine to away the mildew and neutralize it to nothing.

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