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Choosing a detergent for pressure washing
When pressure washing a surface with tough-to-remove stains, hot water alone won’t be enough to get the job done. To properly remove the stains, you’ll need hot water mixed with the right detergent.
What cleaner do you use in a pressure washer?
Generally you should use a detergent that is specially designed for pressure washers. And you should choose the specific detergent based on what you’re cleaning.
For example, Floor Wash and Ripper II are a couple of Hotsy detergents that are highly effective for cleaning concrete. And Hotsy’s Fat Cap Graffiti Remover is designed to remove graffiti from exterior surfaces such as brick, concrete, stone and masonry.
But while a particular solution may work great for removing oil stains from pavement or graffiti from buildings, it may damage wood, metal and other materials. This why Hotsy offers over 50 different types of detergents. Tell your local Hotsy dealer what you’ll be washing and they’ll be able to recommend the optimal detergent for your purposes.
Note that you should never use bleach, chlorine products or other corrosive chemicals in a pressure washer, as they can damage the equipment. The exception to this rule is a product like Hotsy’s Carbo-Chlor detergent, a high-powered chlorinated bleach that’s machine-friendly.
What’s special about Hotsy detergent?
Hotsy detergents are designed for high-pressure, high-temperature cleaning. As water temperature increases, they become more effective. This is the very opposite of what occurs with inferior detergents, which begin to decompose under high pressure and temperatures.
Another virtue of Hotsy detergent is that it extends the life of your equipment. It contains what are known as Hotsy Continuous Clean (HCC) additives, which prevent lime and soap buildup inside the system components and pipes. It also contains corrosion inhibitors. Inferior “economy” detergents allow lime and hard-water deposits to build up in your pressure washer, reducing performance, upping maintenance costs and decreasing your equipment’s lifespan.
Hotsy detergents are also environmentally friendly and biodegradable.
Finally, Hotsy detergents are super concentrated. They have blend ratios of up to 128 parts water to 1 part detergent. And they come in handy five-gallon pails, 55-gallon drums and Bulk Paks of 200 gallons or larger. So you get more bang for you buck.
What’s special about a Hotsy pressure washer?
To optimize a detergent’s efficacy, run it through a Hotsy pressure washer. Hotsy pressure washers are unique in that they draw the detergent through the heating coils and thereby maximally activate the cleaning agents.
Another big advantage to Hotsy pressure washers is how transportable they are. Hotsy’s custom-designed cleaning systems can be skid-, trailer-, or truck-mounted, so you can take them anywhere.
Where to find Hotsy equipment
If you’re looking for Hotsy cleaning equipment in Western Canada or North Dakota, whether it’s a portable or industrial pressure washer or detergent, reach out to us at Hotsy Water Blast. We have locations in Bismarck, North Dakota; Calgary, Alberta; Edmonton, Alberta; Langley, British Columbia and elsewhere. Contact us today!