What detergent to use with the high-pressure cleaner?

For removing tough dirt and cleaning floors, plastic or wooden furniture, yards, fences, gardens, driveways, cars, motorcycles and bicycles, rely on a high-pressure cleaner to ensure an excellent result, quickly, 

effortlessly and without stress.

Taking advantage of the precision and power of the high-pressure jet, this household cleaning tool works on all kinds of surfaces, keeping them neat and clean without damaging them. In specific cases, however, it may be necessary to combine the force of the jet with the use of a detergent to increase cleaning performance, excel in the result and slow down the new formation of dirt.

But when is it really necessary to use detergents and which ones to choose to get the most out of your equipment? Let's find out together!

How to use detergents with a high-pressure cleaner?

The high-pressure cleaner is a piece of equipment that in most cases does not require the use of detergent and chemicals. By harnessing the power of the high-pressure jet and the many compatible accessories, which make it an extremely versatile and efficient tool, you can get the maximum results without effort while safeguarding the environment.

In fact, using a high-pressure cleaner for one’s routine and extraordinary cleaning operations can save up to 70 percent water compared to traditional tools, and avoid excessive use of detergents or chemicals. However, when using these solutions becomes indispensable, they can be integrated in two ways:

• The detergent is added directly from the tank built into the high-pressure cleaner; the solution is sucked in when the lance is in the low-pressure position or the special nozzle is mounted to spread the low-pressure chemical over the surfaces to be treated.
• The detergent is added through a tank which is to be attached to the lance, the so-called foam lance: this spreads the solution effectively over surfaces through a low-pressure.

Using detergents and chemicals with a high-pressure cleaner requires, as we have seen, the use of the right specialized accessories, depending on the type of cleaning task required:

• The foaming lance, complete with detergent tank, is ideal for spreading the detergent solution under low pressure;
• The foaming system with large-capacity tank also allows the amount of detergent and the width of the jet to be adjusted;
• The detergent head, which enables low-pressure suction of the detergent contained in the high-pressure cleaner’s built-in tank.

By using these components, it is thus possible to achieve an excellent result, dose the amount of detergent used and promote savings in economic terms on the one hand and greater protection of the surrounding environment on the other.

When to use the detergent or chemical with the high-pressure cleaner?

As we have seen, in some cases it may be useful to supplement the use of detergents, chemicals or natural mixtures, both to remove and to prevent the deposit of additional dirt, such as for:

• the removal of tough dirt from porous materials, such as stone and wood, which absorb dirt and impurities;
• the cleaning of oily or greasy substances;
• the washing of cars, bicycles or motorcycles, to achieve an excellent and deep result without fear of damaging paints and surfaces;
• the removal of organic substances such as mold, mosses and algae, also performing a preventive action, such as when cleaning walls, north-facing floors or swimming pools when empty for end-of-season cleaning.

What types of detergents or chemicals to use with the high-pressure cleaner?

Whether you are looking for a detergent or chemical to use with a high-pressure cleaner to remove a very tough stain, wash your pool, wash your car, clean a delicate surface, or other needs, here are some solutions that may be right for you:

• use the UNIVERSAL Lavor multipurpose alkaline detergent to dissolve and detach dirt of organic and inorganic nature. This non-foaming product is highly effective and is ideal for cleaning and degreasing all types of washable hard surfaces, from ceramic or enameled wall tiles to fixtures, equipment and machine tools, etc. It is to be diluted to 1 percent or 2 percent and has a convenient 1-liter package with the right dose, to use only the amount of detergent needed;
• opt for an algaecide for the removal of algae and fungal residues from all washable hard surfaces and the removal of algae in your pool when empty at the end of the summer season and before putting it into storage for the winter. MUSCAL Lavor is an unscented, non-foaming sanitizing detergent containing quaternary ammonium salts which is very effective in removing moss and algae from surfaces and preventing their new formation. Alternatively, you can prepare a mixture of 4/5 water and 1/5 bleach, which you are advised to leave on for 10 minutes directly on the affected area;
• use a mild detergent to wash your car, getting a good wash without damaging the paint. Car Lavor is a mildly alkaline cleaner indicated for thorough car cleaning. Gentle on bodywork and plastic parts, it removes tough dirt, such as oil and grease, even with cold water. It also dries quickly, without marks, and leaves the bodywork shiny and glossy. Applied to the rim and tires, it can remove dust and dirt, restoring the original color to the tires. For use with your high-pressure cleaner.

If you’d like to use do-it-yourself cleaning solutions with your high-pressure cleaner always putting them in your high-pressure cleaner's tank or inside the lance accessory, here are a few tips:

• prepare a Marseille soap mixture if you wish to clean very delicate surfaces. This is an environmentally friendly solution that you can also prepare at home. You only need to grate two tablespoons of soap and mix with 1 liter of warm water. Having obtained a homogeneous mixture you can add it to your high pressure cleaner;
• for cleaning tough dirt on driveways and exterior walls, add half a cup of laundry soda and half a cup of borax to 1 liter of warm water;
• pour 1 cup of white vinegar and 1/4 cup of baking soda into 1 liter of warm water to make an effective solution for removing mold, fungus and tough dirt from exterior surfaces;
• to work effectively on lime stains and tough dirt, prepare a mixture of 1 quart of baking soda, 1 quart of citric acid and 1 liter of warm water.

With these natural cleaners or solutions, you can make even more use of your high-pressure cleaner, while keeping your outdoor spaces neat and clean, respecting the environment and achieving deep and effective cleaning quickly, stress-free and effortlessly.