When pressure washing your windows, you use a pressure washer that sprays a high-velocity stream of water on your windows. Some pressure washers have dispensers that allow you to use cleaning solutions. Pressure washing can be an important step before painting window frames. Paint adheres better and last longer when applied to a clean surface. However, before beginning, check the warranty on your windows. Pressure washing does void some warranties.
What You Will Need
- Towels for each window to be washed
- Safety glasses
- Pressure washer
- Cleaning solution (optional)
When choosing a pressure washer that you might use for both your house and windows, consider that some building materials, such as vinyl siding, require a higher velocity of water for cleaning while other less durable materials, such as stucco or soft-grain woods, would be damaged by higher pressure. For vinyl, use a pressure washer that produces a velocity of 2,500 to 3,000 pound per square inch. For windows and less durable housing materials, choose a pressure washer that produces 1,200 to 1,500 pounds per square inch. For window cleaning, you also may want to use a wide spray nozzle that disperses the water and reduces it force, according to Family Handyman.
Preparing to Pressure Wash
Before beginning, cover landscaping plants, shrubs, and lights with drop cloths or a plastic covering and secure the covering with duct tape to protect these objects from the force of the water. Check your windows for dents, gaps, or holes that would allow water to get into the interior of you house, and roll up the towels and place them on the window sills to absorb any water that might seep through. Do not pressure wash a damaged window. Scrub any mildew from your window frames by hand.
How to Pressure Wash Windows
If you are using a cleaning solution, select one that is concentrated and non-phosphate. Use approximately one pound of cleaner for every four gallons of water. Connect your garden hose from your outdoor spigot to the pressure washer and, for window cleaning, set the pressure washer to its lowest power setting. Hold the pressure washer’s nozzle with both hands, and stand five to six feet away from your home. Test the power of the spray by aiming it towards an area with no windows first.
To wash your windows, hold the nozzle at a 45 degree angle and spray down toward the window. Move the nozzle steadily back and forth across the window. Move lower with each pass until you you have sprayed the whole window. Constantly check to be certain that the pressure of the water is not too high. Repeat the procedure for each window that you want power wash.
When you have finished pressure washing your windows, use your garden hose to rinse the window, especially the ledge and the area below the window, to remove the runoff from dirty water.
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Let the window dry for at least two days before painting. When you’ve finished, you will have the best looking windows in the neighborhood.
