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What Is Jet Washing? The Strong Solution to Your Dirtiest Problems
A quick and not-so-dirty explanation
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Jet washers use high-pressure water streams to remove stubborn dirt and grime, making them faster and more effective than scrubbing surfaces by hand.
You can clean various hard surfaces with jet washers, including concrete, vinyl siding, and metal, while softer surfaces like wood need lower pressure settings.
Always wear protective gear when using a jet washer, including a mask, gloves, and goggles, to protect yourself from splashing water and flying debris.
Hiring a local power washing professional keeps your property safe from damage and handles the equipment correctly, especially for delicate surfaces or first-time projects.
When scrubbing hard surfaces just won’t remove the dirt and grime, jet washing is a highly effective alternative. Jet washing involves a motorized pump that aims a stream of high-pressure water at surfaces to clean them. The term is often used interchangeably with power washing, but there’s a key difference between jet washing and power washing. Keep reading to learn what jet washing is and why it might be the right move for your cleaning project.
What Is Jet Washing?
Jet washers are motorized pumps that spray high-pressure streams of water at surfaces. The intensity of the water is often enough for home cleaning jobs, but you can add cleaning products to increase the cleaning power of a jet washer.
“Jet washing” includes any pressurized washer used to clean, so a pressure washer is a type of jet washer. However, in some areas, people use “jet washing” to refer to a pressure washer that’s a bit stronger than the average machine and has more pressure settings.
The Pros and Cons of Jet Washing
Photo: matspersson0 / E+ / Getty Images
Should you use a jet washer for your cleaning project? Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of this powerful cleaning method.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It’s effective | Easy to damage surfaces |
| It’s fast | Uses a lot of water |
| It’s versatile | Can be dangerous |
Pros
Ever wondered what the benefits of jet washing are? Here are a few reasons that it’s a top-tier cleaning method.
It’s effective: Jet washing gets the job done, even with cold or room-temperature water, because the intensity of the stream easily takes away stubborn dirt and grime.
It’s quick: There’s no arguing that jet washing is faster and easier than scrubbing something by hand. Especially if you’ve got a machine with a high GPM—gallons per minute—rating, you can cover larger areas more quickly.
It’s versatile: While jet washing isn’t ideal for all surfaces, you can use it to clean a variety of hard surfaces, including concrete, vinyl siding, and metal. For softer surfaces like wood and aluminum, check the pounds per square inch (psi) rating and make sure it’s on the lower side to avoid damage.
"Never spray anything head-on because this can cause damage. Spraying at an angle allows for better control and helps you reach more surfaces without having to repeat the same movements over and over again."
— John Gabrielli, Owner of Air Temp Solutions, New Castle, Delaware
Cons
Jet washing isn’t for everyone or for every job. Here are some drawbacks of jet washing.
It could damage some surfaces: If you’re new to jet washing as a DIYer, don’t dive in without some education and practice. If you don’t use the jet or pressure washer correctly, you’ll risk damaging the surface with the intense water spray.
It uses a lot of water: While jet washing does get cleaning jobs done faster, it still uses quite a bit of water. Always observe any water or drought restrictions in your area before jet washing.
Personal safety is at risk: Take care when using a jet or pressure washer for the first time and every time. Keep any jet nozzle pointed away from humans and animals to avoid injury. A “fight” with a garden hose might be fun, but a fight with a jet washer can result in serious injuries.
Jet Washing vs. Power Washing
The term jet washing is often used the same way as power washing. However, there’s a difference between general jet washing and the more specific power washing in regard to water temperature.
Power washing relies on heated high-pressure water, making it the better cleaning method for harder-to-remove stains like grease and oil. Jet washing or pressure washing uses cold or room-temperature water. It’s a fine option for removing lighter layers of dirt or for use on more sensitive surfaces that won’t take kindly to hot blasts of water.
When in doubt about which method is right for your cleaning task, keep yourself and your property safe by calling a pressure washing pro near you to do the work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pressure washing services reviews from real Angi homeowners in Columbus, OH
4.9★ avg. • 16 total reviews
- Austin Y.
I would recommend this company to anyone! He showed up on time, was friendly, completed a very difficult repair on our dryer vent cover, was responsive, and pricing was extremely fair and competitive. I would have him back to do any of our repairs or cleanings without hesitation!
U.S.A. Dryer Vent, LLC - David B.
The technician was very professional and friendly. He answered all my questions and was very thorough. He left the fireplace area very clean . He inspected from the roof and advised me as to other work that might need to be done. There was no pressure there. I was very satisfied with the...
Supreme brick & chimney - Kellie G.
Mary Cleaning Service is fantastic! The entire team is professional and pay a great deal of attention to detail. They do such a thorough job of cleaning my house. I would definitely recommend!
- Diane C.
The workmanship is perfect, I did not have any complaint with that. It was the brick I chose not matching the brick that want I to use. There was a problem with discoloration of the brick. I thought that the rain was gonna wash it off but it didn't. I call them. All communication was coming...
Bone Dry Roofing & Masonry - Cincinnati - Dana M.
I purchased the "Big Deal": $199.00 for exterior pressure-washing of one- or two-story home up to 2,000 square feet. They cleaned the siding only. I wasn't aware when I bought the Big Deal that they would not do any other surfaces other than the siding (i.e. sides of the gutters or stucco). I...
Complete Home Services - Laura R.
We noticed that there was a light brown residue in the drip tray of our stackable washer dryer. We have a Lowe's warranty so contacted them to arrange a service call. They arranged an appointment for 2 days out with Capital City. Capital city then called the next day saying they were not...
Capital City Appliance Service - Gary T.
From the initial sales presentation to the installers final clean up, this project was a total pleasure. Gary Coper, sales consultant, showed up exactly on time and provided an informative, no pressure description, of every material and step required to complete the remodel. We were always in...
Simple Bath & Simple Kitchen - Victoria R.
They were prompt, careful and thorough. I have also had them wash interior floor to ceiling windows which were perfect.
Technicare Carpet Cleaning - William B.
The work went great! Couldn't ask for better. Joel set a work start date. About the time of the storms that may have been associated with Sandy. He was half a day late. They set up on a Thursday. On Friday they had a full crew at work. By Monday they were finishing up. Now, the best...
NJW Construction
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