How To Use Soap With Pressure Washer

How To Use Soap With Pressure Washer (A Complete Guide )

A pressure washer is a piece of equipment that utilizes water flowing out at a high pressure to clean dirt and grimes off surfaces.

However, high-pressure washers may not always clean some dirt with water alone, so you need soap as part of the cleaning process when using a pressure washer.

This article has revealed the different types of soap used with pressure and how to use soap with a pressure washer. We have also enclosed some other important details you may wish to know concerning this subject.

Can You Use Soap With a Pressure Washer?

Yes, you can, without a doubt, use soap with a pressure washer. On this piece of equipment, there is a space provided (a soap tank) where you can add your soap or detergent.

This tank may not be available for earlier models. Still, it is becoming more popular among new models as the importance of soap in using a pressure washer is now recognized.

For earlier models, you can purchase an attachment that allows you to store soap and use it with the nozzle of your pressure washer. This tool can be gotten easily in any local shop close to you or at any online shopping center like Amazon or Walmart.

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Should You Use a Pressure Washer With Soap?

A pressure washer is a great tool for getting simple dust or a fresh stain off any surface, but when faced with a surface covered with dust or dirt and oil, a pressure washer alone won’t do the job, even when hot water is used.

You will need detergent or soap working with the pressure washer to act on this type of dirt to get it off any surface. However, it is important to know that not just any soap can be used for this because even dish soap may not stand a chance against tough dirt. Fortunately, we have covered this in the next section.

What Type Of Soap Should Be Used With a Pressure Washer?

It is important to note that only pressure washer-approved soap and detergents can be used for cleaning with this tool. This is because these specified soaps have qualities that make them compatible with this piece of equipment.

A great factor that determines what type of sop you purchase is the job being done. For home tasks, you should consider products that utilize peroxides and are not toxic to take out oil, dirt, and grimes.

Your best options for cars and other vehicles are safe for rubber, vinyl, and products that will not corrode any metal surface.

Most car detergents compatible with pressure washers contains a citrus-based product that can be used to wash grimes off surfaces.

Some detergents are stronger than others, so if you are handling really dirty work, you will need a very strong detergent.

How To Use Soap With Pressure Washer

So if you have purchased the soap compatible with your pressure washer and suitable for the task at hand, you will need to know how to use these tools to get your work done correctly.

The directions provided below are a general guide. You will have to consult the instruction manual of your pressure washer to know exactly how yours work.

Step one: Find and fill up your tank with soap

If you possess a modern pressure washer, you can easily locate the tank and fill it with soap or detergent. For earlier models, the soap tank is usually attached to the nozzle, so all you need to do is fill up this tank and attach it to the nozzle. Open the nozzle to start using your pressure washer.

When using a pressure washer with soap, it is recommended that you use a nozzle with a bit wider holes. Very high pressure is okay when handling dirt without soap, but with soap present, you want to be able to allow the soap to pass through the nozzle and effectively clean the dirt.

Step two: spray in an upward motion

When your soap tank is filled, you should start using the pressure washer now; however, using this tool in any direction can cause streaking. Streaks can be formed on any surface, including those coated with paint, when soap particles float to create stripes on your car.

Spraying any surface in an upward motion will prevent the soap particles from running down to form these patterns.

Step three: Allow the soap to sit for some time, then spray with high pressure

After spraying your surface with soap water, allow the mixture to sit and break down the dirt. This should be done for 10 to 15 minutes. After this period, you should empty your soap tank and use the pressure washer (on high pressure) to rinse the soap and dirt. High pressure is used because soap is not involved.

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Where To Find Pressure Washer Soap?

Sometimes these specified soaps and detergents compatible with pressure washers cannot be found easily in stores close to you. Your best option, in this case, is to consult an online store.

Amazon, Walmart, or eBay are good options, but you can get better products directly from the company that manufactures these products. Some good stores that specialize in this area include;

  1. Hotsy
  2. Karcher
  3. Simple green
  4. Briggs & Stratton 
  5. SunJoe

Conclusion

If you want to max up your cleaning routine when using a pressure washer, soap is what you need. This article has proven that soap can be used with a pressure washer, and we have even described how to do so above.

We also covered the type of soaps that can be used and the ingredients contained in various types of these soaps that can be used for different tasks.

It is important to know that no soap can be used with a pressure washer as it may not be compatible with this tool or it is not suitable for cleaning the surface.

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We trust this article helped you learn how to use soap with pressure washer. You may also want to check out How to Use Vinegar to Remove Oil Stains From Brick Pavers.

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