How to Clean House: Top 10 Dirt-Dispelling Tips

Chances are you own a shop vacuum, and maybe a pressure washer. These tools—plus a few more—will help you get started getting rid of the dirt on your house’s siding, shop floor, basement corners and fences and decks. Here is the ultimate guide to putting grime in its place.

By Logan Ward

Published in the June 2009 issue.

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The Ultimate Cleaning Toolkit

FOR BEST RESULTS, MATCH THE CLEANER TO THE JOB.
	KILL GERMS	DISSOLVE SOAP SCUM	REMOVE GREASE	ATTACK DIRT
WHAT TO USE	Chlorine-bleach-based cleaners	Acidic cleaners	Dish detergents, powdered or liquid alkaline cleaners, solvents	Powder or liquid alkaline cleaners, such as those that contain ammonia or trisodium phosphate
WHY	A University of Michigan study concluded that bleach kills bacteria by attacking their proteins. Bleach also breaks apart light-absorbing molecules, lightening dark-colored stains. Of course, chlorine can also attack dark-colored fabrics or surfaces, discoloring them.	Soap scum is an alkaline precipitate, a layer formed after the water has evaporated, leaving behind a thin layer of soap and mineral particles. Acid-based cleaners such as vinegar and CLR (calcium lime rust) attack soap scum’s alkaline chemical bonds.	Detergents contain surfactants, additives that reduce water’s surface tension and help it dissolve the chemical bonds of grease molecules. Alkaline cleaners, such as dish detergent, attack greasy and oily acidic deposits. Solvents loosen molecular bonds, allowing grease and oil to be blotted up.	Alkaline cleaners break up and suspend soil molecules in water, allowing dirt to be flushed or scrubbed from a surface.

Choosing a Pressure Washer Nozzle

65º Nozzle Applies a mixture of cleaning chemicals and water.	40º Nozzle Cleans and rinses.	25º Nozzle Scrubs patios, sidewalks, decks. Cleans debris from crevices.	15º Nozzle Removes caked-on dirt, grass. Strips weakened paint.	0º Nozzle Cuts dried mud off machinery or attachments.
For jobs around the house and yard, a pressure washer that operates at 1200 to 3000 psi is all you need. It’s light-duty compared to those that operate at 4000 or higher, but it’s still got enough power to do damage or cause injury. To use it correctly, first choose the right color-coded nozzle. Do: Wear long pants, gloves and protective eyewear. + Hold the nozzle 6 inches to 1 foot above the surface, or per the manufacturer’s directions. Don’t: Spray against glass windows or doors or direct the spray upward when cleaning lap siding or sidewall shingles. + Spray against electrical meters or network boxes for phone or cable service.

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