Pressure washers are lifesavers, allowing people to clean their homes and businesses in a fraction of the time it would take them to do so with a brush and bucket. If you’re about to engage in some serious house cleaning, there’s always the question of how long it’ll take. If it takes too much time and distracts you from the more important stuff, you will likely abandon the endeavor entirely.
Deep cleaning a house could take anywhere from a few hours to days, depending on the size of the house. A pressure washer lets you do so in half the time or less. But is there substance beneath the hype? How long would it take you to clean your house with a pressure washer? Well, keep reading to find out.
Factors Determining How Long It’ll Take to Pressure Wash Your Home
There’s no one-off answer regarding how long it would take to wash your house with a pressure washer. That’s because many factors influence the amount of time it would take to do so. Some of these factors include
The Size of Your Home
As you’d expect, the bigger your house is, the longer it’ll take you to clean it. This isn’t just because of the size of the house but also because of the attention needed to clean larger homes. A bigger house means more furniture to be moved, more windows to be wiped, and more square footage to power wash.
As a rule of thumb, estimate 10 minutes of washing time for every 10 square feet of space. Crunch the numbers to get an idea of how long it would take to pressure wash your house. Of course, other factors come into play, but this method gives you a ballpark estimate.
With this formula, it’ll take 100 minutes (roughly 2 hours) to clean a 2000 sq/ft home with a pressure washer. Ten thousand square feet home will need 1000 minutes or an entire day to do the same.
How Dirty Your Home Is
A home that hasn’t been cleaned for a few months will take longer to pressure wash than one that was cleaned a few weeks ago. A longer cleaning session is necessary for a dirty and grimy home. But if your home has been through the broom more than a couple of times during the past few months, then schedule for less time.
Old homes that haven’t been cleaned for a couple of years are tough to clean, even with a pressure washer.The kind of stains you have at home also determines how long the cleaning process will take. For instance, wine stains take more time to clean than mud splatters.
Number of Cleaners
Deep cleaning a house is very labor-intensive, and it’s unlikely that you’ll do it alone. The more hands on deck, the shorter it’ll take to clean your house. It’s always a good idea to get help from friends and family is always a good idea to make the process faster. If you don’t have enough people on call, consider getting help from professional cleaners. That way, you can sit pretty while they literally do the work.
The Pressure Washing Equipment
Skimping on your pressure washing equipment translates to long hours spent cleaning your house. Proper equipment gets the job done faster and ensures a more effective cleaning process overall. However, be sure to use the right amount of pressure, regardless of the type of pressure washer, to avoid damaging your furniture, floor, and home’s interior.
The Cleaning Technique
The technique you use to pressure wash your house is also a key factor in determining how long the process takes. A disorganized and haphazard technique means more time spent cleaning the house. An organized and systematic approach gets the job done a lot faster.
Remember, the more people involved in the cleaning, the more organization, and planning you need. This planning helps eliminate redundant roles and optimizes the task for peak efficiency.
How to Pressure Wash Your House in a Flash
With that out of the way, we can now look at how you can quickly clean your house with a pressure washer. The goal here is to clean every nook and cranny of your home effectively in the shortest time possible. The steps below show how to do just that.
Step 1: Prepare Your Home for the Cleaning
The first thing to do is prepare your home for pressure washing. Doing so involves protecting the trees and greenery by covering them with a plastic sheet. If cleaning could take a few days, consider watering the plants first before covering them. Use the method described above to estimate how long the cleaning will take. And don’t forget to seal all the windows and doors to prevent leaking.
Step 2: Prepare Your Cleaning Solution
Mix mildewcide and warm water in a 5-gallon bucket according to the instructions on the label and stir until homogenous. Alternatively, you can use 2 and ½ cups of bleach with water or your preferred cleaning solution. After mixing thoroughly, pour this solution into your garden washer.
Step 3: Fit the Nozzle on the Pressure Washer and Get Ready to Clean
Look behind your pressure washer to find the nozzle mount and attach your garden hose. Connect the other end to the spigot outside your house. Next, you’ll need to pick and fit the correct nozzle on the hose.
A 15-degree nozzle with high pressure works best for hard surfaces like concrete and ceramic tiles. On the other hand, a 25- or 30-degree nozzle with low pressure is great for soft surfaces like stucco and carpeting. It cleans sufficiently without damaging the surfaces.
Multi-story homes are harder to clean because of the separate floors. We recommend starting from the top down to avoid any streaking. You could also use scaffolding, but ensure you position it at a good distance from the interior wall or siding. A reach of between 1.5 and 3 feet will do fine for most homes.
Step 4: Spray and Scrub Siding From the Bottom Heading Upwards
Using your garden hose, spray the cleaning solution on the wall first. Next, use a soft-bristled brush to scrub the wall, starting from the bottom moving upwards. For multi-story houses, start with the top floor and proceed downwards. This technique will let the dirt and suds run down the wall so you can get them once you reach the lower floor.
However, for single-story houses, wash from the bottom and clear the suds and dirt as you move upward. That way, no moss or dirt will hide behind the soap lather.
Step 5: Pressure Wash the Surfaces
Now enters the star of the show, the pressure washer. Fire up the pressure washer and direct the nozzle at the region you just scrubbed. Pressure wash this area from the top downwards until clean. For your exterior wall, begin with the gutters and overhangs and work your way down.
Ensure sufficient distance between you and the surface for the best results. Get too close, and the water may become abrasive on the surface. Get too far, and the water jet won’t have enough force to wash away the suds. After getting the walls clean, repeat steps 4 and 5 on the flooring to clean the entire house. Once done, take a few steps back and admire your sparkling clean house.
Pressure Wash Your House in Record Time
Ditch the bucket and soft brush for a state-of-the-art pressure washer to clean your entire house in no time. The information above should help you estimate how long it would take to clean your house with a pressure washer. Now fit pressure washing your home into your schedule, roll up your sleeves, and pressure wash your house to perfection.
It’s worth noting that while pressure washers are fast and effective, you’ll still do most of the work. The good news is that you don’t have to. Contact Advanced Pro Cleaners today and let us help make your home spotless, with or without a pressure washer.
FAQs
How long does it take to pressure wash a 2000 square feet house?
Pressure washing 10 square feet of space takes about ten minutes. So doing so for a 2000 square feet house will take about 200 minutes or approximately two to three hours. Of course, this also depends on the other factors mentioned above.
How long does it take to power wash a 2-story house?
Storied homes take longer to pressure wash because of the different levels. Here’s a brief breakdown of different pressure washing times for different houses.
1000-1200 sq/ft 1 story home- one to two hours
2000-2500 sq/ft 1 story home- three to four hours
2500-3500 sq/ft 2 story home- four to 6 hours
For easily accessible homes, you can complete cleaning the above square footage in half the time. However, you’ll want to take your time cleaning for a more thorough job.
Does pressure washing take a long time?
Pressure washing doesn’t take much time, especially compared to soft washing. However, the time it takes to pressure wash your house depends on how large and dirty the house is. Typically, pressure washing a 1000 sq/ft house should take about 2 hours. However, a little soft washing is still necessary to get a spotless house, adding to the overall time.
