Sooner or later most home owners will ask you how they can get their garden paths and patios cleaned up and looking good again.  When this topic comes up it is good to be able to offer them a cleaning service using a pressure washer.

Pressure washing is one of the key tools of the trade when you have your own landscaping and garden care business.  And if you follow the following five points every time you tackle a dirty or grubby path or patio, you’ll have the job done to perfection in no time.

1.    Start at the highest point of the area you are tackling.  Always stand back and take a look at the area you have been asked to clean.  The last thing you want is to stand at the lowest point and end up being boxed in as all the water runs down to soak your feet.  A couple of seconds and some common sense is all you need here.

2.    Spray water onto the ground at an angle.  Once your pressure washer is set up and ready to go and you are wearing the right safety goggles, aim the nozzle at the ground at an angle rather than pointing directly downwards.  If you think about it, pointing it down will simply shoot all the dirt further into all those minute cracks and crevices.  So give the dirt a chance to escape right from the start by going at it at an angle.

3.    Put the right chemicals into the pressure washer and spray them onto the ground, once again using an angle to do so.  The chemicals will do most of the cleaning for you, and once again you have a chance to knock some of the dirt out of the crevices.

4.    Wait.  Don’t underestimate the power of waiting!  You need to give those chemicals a chance to do their work before you wash them off again.  This is a good time to prepare any other tasks you may have to do in the same garden.

5.    Rinse off the ground with fresh water, ensuring all traces of the chemicals are removed.  This should bring the patio or stones up beautifully, giving the home owner just the result they were looking for.

The task of cleaning any portion of ground like this shouldn’t take too long to do.  It depends on how big an area you are doing though, so bear that in mind before you work out a cost estimate for the job.

The other advantage of being able to offer a simple five step pressure washing service is that you can also be on hand to clean driveways if you want.  This isn’t strictly a gardening or landscaping job, but if you have the chance to earn a few extra dollars when you are at a client’s house using your pressure washer on their patio, why not go for an extra sale and an extra job while you are there?

Interested in starting a Lawn Care Business? Click here to learn more about our Lawn Care Business Guide.