How to Properly Dilute Bleach for Pressure Washing

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Bleach may not be an appropriate chemical for your power washer.

Whether you can use bleach in your pressure washer will depend on the unit. Some companies claim bleach is a poor choice, as pressure units have seals and components that may be sensitive to bleach. An alternative to using bleach in the pressure washer is a preapplication of the cleanser with a garden sprayer. This way, bleach does not enter the machine and damage it. Once you give the area a rinse with the bleach solution to kill algae and mold, you can wash over it with the pressure unit. If your unit allows for bleach application, you must mix the chemical with other products to dilute properly.

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Preapplication Method

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Step 1

Mix 1 part chlorine bleach with 3 parts water in a container, for example 3 cups water to 1 cup bleach.

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Step 2

Pour the bleach mixture into the container for the garden sprayer. Follow the instructions with the sprayer for adding chemical solutions.

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Step 3

Saturate the area with bleach from the garden sprayer. Once you cover the surface with bleach, use the power washer to rinse off the solution. Follow the instructions of the power washer for application.

Power Washer Solution

Step 1

Combine the powder laundry soap, powdered cleaner, 1 qt. bleach and 1 gallon water together into a container.

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Step 2

Stir the solution with a stick until all the powder dissolves.

Step 3

Pour a small amount of the cleaning solution into the injector container on your power washer. It may be necessary to add more chemicals to the solution to offset the water from the injection system, so start small. If the cleanser does not appear effective, add a second round of cleaning ingredients to the original mixture. For example, the recipe calls for 1/3 cup laundry soap, so add an additional 1/3 cup to the solution. Do this with all chemical ingredients. Do not add more water to the solution. You may have to experiment to get the correct balance of cleaning products.

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