Auto care is vital. Going to an automatic car wash every few months isn’t enough. Your car needs to get you from point A to point B, and it’s always nicer when you get there in style. Consider taking matters into your own hands and performing routine car maintenance. Here’s a quick guide to pressure washer detergent, soap, and chemicals.
Soap & Pressure Washers
Soap is technically a type of detergent, but the two aren’t necessarily interchangeable. Soap uses natural products such as fats and oils from plants and animals. Meanwhile, detergents are made from chemicals.
You can use soap with a pressure washer but only if the washer comes with a detergent tank. If it doesn’t come with a tank, you need to use a wand attachment to add soap to the end of the nozzle. Most people use dishwashing soap with their pressure washers because it’s consistent and strong enough to remove grease stains.
But that really isn’t the best solution when it comes to washing cars. Dishwashing liquid will leave residue on the surface of the vehicles and won’t penetrate as deeply as you want. Using a special detergent would be better.
Detergent & Pressure Washers
Detergents and pressure washers go hand in hand. Detergents for pressure washers are specifically designed to tackle the more difficult jobs.
Detergent eliminates the need to scrub anything by hand. It is more effective for specific surfaces and involves a special type of chemical injection with the pressure washer. The power from the washer combined with the chemical and detergent handles everything.
Remove the detergent and chemical elements when you’re ready to use the pressure washer to rinse away the soap and dirt residue.
Pressure Washer Chemical Don’ts
There’s really only one thing everyone needs to avoid when using chemicals, and that is to never use bleach with a pressure washer. It won’t have the effect you think. Running bleach through your pressure washer will corrode the pump’s seal and make the washer useless.
Not to mention, bleach is a dangerous chemical to spray into the air. Pressure washers aren’t out of control, but the spray is powerful and expands a lot. Spraying large amounts of bleach would be problematic. If you need to use bleach on a surface, keep it controlled.
Scrub bleach manually on the intended area with a brush. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then turn the pressure washer on the lowest setting to gently rinse it away. We’ve got auto detailing supplies like special chemicals that won’t require bleach.
At Cougar Chemical, we have plenty of tips and quick guides about detergents, pressure washers, and chemicals on our website. Come take a look!