Safety before you pull the trigger

Simpson, which makes pressure washers, says never to stand on a ladder or any unstable surface while using one, because the spray is strong enough to throw you off balance². That is a good reason to think twice about washing anything you can’t reach from the ground.

• If you climb for any reason, keep three points of contact: two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand⁵.
• Set the base a quarter of the ladder’s working length out from the wall⁵.
• An extension ladder used to reach a roof or other surface must extend at least 3 feet above the point of support⁵.
• Don’t stand on the top step or rung unless it was designed for that⁵.

An electric washer puts you, a power cord and a lot of water in one place. CDC says to test the ground fault circuit interrupter before using a pressure washer and to plug a properly grounded washer into a properly grounded receptacle¹.

• Keep the cord connection out of standing water, and use a heavy-duty extension cord with components rated for wet locations¹.
• Wear rubber-soled shoes for some insulation¹.
• Look up before you start. OSHA says to look for overhead power lines before handling a ladder and to avoid metal ladders near them⁵. Its workplace rule keeps conductive objects at least 10 feet from overhead lines up to 50 kV, a sensible distance at home too⁶.
• Don’t spray outlets, light fixtures or meters. Be careful around windows, doors, electrical wiring and plumbing⁷.

Several of the care guides here use bleach for mildew, and bleach is dangerous to mix. CDC says never to mix household bleach with any other cleaner or disinfectant, because the vapors can be very dangerous to breathe⁸.

• Never mix chlorine bleach with cleaners that contain ammonia⁹.
• Mixing bleach with an acid forms chlorine gas¹⁰.
• Don’t add liquid detergent to a bleach solution for wood; some contain ingredients that react with bleach and give off toxic fumes¹¹.
• Don’t run bleach through the washer’s pump².

Storm drains lead straight to local waterways without treatment¹²¹³. Send wash water onto grass or gravel, use phosphate-free detergent and as little of it as you can¹².

Old paint changes the job. Homes built before 1978 are more likely to have lead-based paint¹⁴, and power washing is not suitable for paint that contains lead¹¹. Anyone paid to disturb paint in a pre-1978 home must be EPA lead-safe certified¹⁵. If you do your own work, EPA has lead-safe practices for DIYers¹⁶.

• Report suds, sheen or odd colors in a stream or storm drain to the Greene County Engineer’s Office at 937-562-7500¹⁷.