Professional Pressure Cleaning Vs DIY for Your Brisbane Property

When the dirt accumulates and builds up over time, eventually you have to clean and start fresh, and there is one very useful piece of equipment to do that; the power wash. A machine which uses pressurized water and cleaning solvents if you choose, to blast away all types of grime and debris on the hardest of surfaces to give it a brand new look. 

The question is, however, should you just buy a power wash and do it yourself, or should you get the professionals in to do what they’re best at.

At Brisbane Powerwash, we believe that a combination of both is the best solution. DIY washing is great for your regular TLC and general maintenance, however, from time to time, you may need a more thorough house washing done by an expert technician with all the right equipment.

When deciding which route to take it’s important to weigh up the pros and cons of each option.

DIY Power Washing

Pros

• Budget-friendly – undoubtedly the biggest upside of DIY power washing is how much you save when comparing it to hiring professionals to do the job. Particularly if you rent the power washer as and when you need it.
• Good investment – if you decide to buy a power washer, if you have multiple vehicles, a long driveway and a big enough house, then purchasing your own power washer can be a good investment as you can clean multiple surfaces with the one machine over and over again. 
• Fun – I don’t know if you’ve ever used a power washer before, but it’s super fun to use, especially for those who have a little OCD, watching the dirt melt away can be a very satisfying process.

Cons

• Safety – while ground surfaces can be easily and safely accessible, some parts of your house can be very risky to clean. Things like roof washing or gutter cleaning will require safety equipment and technicians who are trained to do so.
• Time-consuming – it depends on how much you have going on, but generally it can be a tedious task which just takes up too much of your spare time.
• Not as cheap as you think! – Though it looks cheaper than hiring a professional, what we don’t take into account is all the cleaning solvents and detergents you have to buy, different types of nozzles etc. so it can be more expensive than originally thought. If you need to hire equipment, that can easily blow your budget.
• Quality of the job – you’re not a professional cleaner, it’s easy to not use the right mix on a certain material or forget about certain places your eyes don’t see and this in turn leads to a haphazard job.
• Can be dangerous – highly pressurized water can be very painful and harmful if it comes in contact with a sensitive part of the body and can do some damage. It’s important to be very careful when handling a power washer to ensure you don’t hurt children, animals or yourself!

Professional Power Washing

Pros

• Quality results – undoubtedly the best reason to hire a professional cleaning unit is for the results they should give you. Given that you’re paying for their services, and that this is what they do as a profession, they should have the best equipment, know the best techniques, and have high working standards to ensure that they deliver on your expectations. If you have a big event coming up, such as a wedding for example, or you’ve taken ownership of a property which is in really bad shape, it’s worth considering getting the professionals in to do a thorough job.
• Time savers – you may be a really busy individual, juggling your job, family and hobbies and you might just not have the time to do it. The last thing you want to do on your day off is get out there and clean. By hiring someone else to do it, you’re getting excellent results (hopefully) whilst buying yourself time to spend it on other things more important to you.
• Safety – as mentioned before, highly pressurized water can be very dangerous, so hiring professionals ensures that you minimize the risk of an accident occurring.

Cons

• Lack of quality – the main problem with hiring a professional you haven’t worked with before, is if they don’t meet up to your standards of expectation. Therefore it’s important to shop around a bit, ask your neighbors and friends if they can recommend anyone, and always check internet reviews of the company you choose to hire to give yourself the best chance of avoiding disappointment.
• Expensive – depending on who you hire, which area you’re in, and how big the job is, hiring a professional can be a costly expense.

So, What’s best? Professional vs DIY Washing

We believe that throughout the year, a combination of both is the way to go. DIY washing is a valuable option for regular maintenance, but professional house washing can be more effective when you need a deeper level of cleaning.

The things you need to consider when deciding which option to go for should include; quality of results, time and effort necessary to complete the job and whether or not you have the luxury to DIY, what your budget is and which one is safer.

FAQ’s

Is pressure washing the best option on all surfaces?

No. You have to be very careful what you choose to power wash due to the pressure being so high. When working with such high pressure, if you use it on material which isn’t strong enough to withstand it, it can partially damage or ruin it completely.

You have to be very mindful of what surface you’re using a pressure washer on and if you aren’t sure, you can always try soft washing first, which uses a lot less pressure with a combination of chemical solvents to clean more delicate surfaces. 

How often should I pressure wash?

This all depends on how often the surfaces get dirty. You also need to think about the long term effects of using high pressure water on surfaces again and again as it could contribute to the erosion of the material. It’s best to only pressure wash when needed and you can see the surface building up some dirt before you blast it away.