Alright, let's talk about figuring out what goo to put in these power washers. Man, when I first got mine, I was all excited, ready to blast grime off everything. Then came the question: what soap do I actually use? It's not like you can just squirt anything in there, or so I learned.

My First Goofs and What I Heard

So, there I was, looking at a dirty patio. My first thought? Dish soap! Got tons of it in the kitchen, right? Seemed logical. I poured some in, mixed it with a bit of water in a bucket – didn't really measure, just eyeballed it. Fired up the washer. Well, it made suds, a LOT of suds. Like, a crazy amount. Cleaned okay-ish on some light stuff, but the real stubborn dirt just laughed at me. Plus, I read later that some dish soaps can leave a film or aren't great for the washer's pump in the long run. Who knew?

Then I heard folks talking about bleach. Yeah, no. I steered clear of that. Heard it can be super harsh on the machine's seals and o-rings, and honestly, I didn't want to risk messing up the color on my siding or killing every plant within a ten-foot radius. Not worth the risk for me.

Getting a Bit Smarter About It

I decided to actually look at what they sell specifically for power washers. Walked down the aisle, and holy moly, so many choices! Some for cars, some for decks, some "all-purpose." It was a bit much.

I picked up a bottle of general-purpose pressure washer detergent. The instructions were key, and this is where I really started paying attention. It said to dilute it. Okay, makes sense. For regular cleaning, it was something like a little bit of soap to a whole lot of water. I tried that on my driveway.

• First attempt: Followed the "light duty" mix. It was... meh. Better than just water, but not amazing.
• Second attempt: The driveway was pretty dirty, especially with oil spots from my old truck. So, I looked at the bottle again. It mentioned a stronger mix for tougher jobs. Sometimes they say for really grimy stuff, you might go as far as a 1-to-1 ratio, like one part water to one part detergent if you're filling a separate soap tank or bucket, though most concentrates are much less than that. I didn't go that extreme with the concentrate I had, but I definitely upped the soap-to-water ratio from my first try.

That made a difference! The grime started to lift way easier. It wasn't magic, I still had to use the right nozzle and technique, but the soap was definitely doing its job helping to break down the gunk.

What I Stick With Now

So, after a bit of trial and error, I've got my system down. I mostly use a good quality, biodegradable all-purpose pressure washer cleaner for stuff like the siding, the fence, and the patio. It’s designed for the machine, and it does the job without being overly harsh.

My process usually goes like this:

1. I check how dirty the surface is. Really caked-on mud and algae needs a bit more oomph in the soap mix than just dusty siding.
2. I read the label on my detergent. Seriously, this is the most important step. It tells you how much to dilute it. Some come super concentrated, others less so.
3. I mix it in a separate bucket if my washer doesn't have a good detergent tank, or I make sure the tank's dilution setting (if it has one) is appropriate. I usually start with the recommended dilution and then make it a little stronger if needed, but I try not to go overboard. Wasting soap is wasting money, and too much can mean a lot of rinsing.
4. I always apply the soap with a low-pressure setting, let it sit for a few minutes (but not dry!), and then blast it off with high pressure.

For my car, I do use a specific car wash soap designed for pressure washers. It's gentler on the paint and wax. Learned that lesson after a general cleaner made my old car look a bit dull.

It’s not rocket science, but spending a little time figuring out the right cleaning solution and how to mix it properly has made my power washing way more effective. No more foam parties on the patio, unless I'm actually trying to have one!