Ok, so you've got a pressure washer and you're dying to try it out! If you're anything like me, once I got my pressure washer I was constantly looking for things to wash! Washing a wooden fence is pretty straight forward, but we'll look at two different techniques; one using a soap and bleach mixture and one using simply water.
Our pressure washing equipment consists of a 2500 PSI pressure washer, bleach, and laundry detergent. The first method we'll look at is using a bleach and detergent mixture. You'll want to use this if you have any mildew, mold, or any stains on the fence you are cleaning. Most pressure washers should have a reservoir or tank for holding such mixture. If you have a mixture tank, a standard mix is 1/4 cup bleach, 1/4 cup laundry detergent, plus water. Water alone will not kill mildew. It will look nice initially, but the mildew is still there and will return. The bleach will actually kill the mildew and the soap will break down the dirt, grease, and grime. If you're using a cleaning mixture, you'll want to use a wider fan nozzle such as a 25 degree tip. Also, if you're using a gas powered pressure washer, you'll want to make sure you have plenty of oil and gasoline, just like you would check your lawn mower before starting.
If you're not using any detergent or bleach mixture, you can simply spray your wooden fence with water. In this case, you can use a higher powered tip such as a 15 degree which will give you a wide stream with good coverage. It is best to move up and down (with the wood) while power washing your fence. And always work top to bottom to keep any debris from flying back up on the fence. After I've done about 15 feet or so, I usually go back over the bottom of the last section to spray off any mud or dirt which I've kicked up onto the wood.
