So, you're looking for the best detergent for your pressure washer. I've been down that road, let me tell you. It's not always about grabbing the fanciest bottle on the shelf. My journey started with a really grimy patio, one that hadn't seen a good clean in, well, let's just say too long.

My First Tries and Some Soapy Mistakes

I got my pressure washer, all excited. Hooked it up, turned it on, and blasted away. Just water, you know? It did okay on the loose dirt, the easy stuff. But those set-in stains, the green algae stuff? Barely made a dent. I figured, okay, time for some soap. My first bright idea was dish soap. Seemed logical, right? Cleans grease, cleans grime. Man, what a mess. Bubbles everywhere! It was like a foam party in my backyard, and honestly, the cleaning power wasn't all that impressive. Plus, I read later that some dish soaps can actually be bad for the pump in your pressure washer. Good thing I didn't do that for too long.

Next, I actually went out and bought a bottle of "pressure washer cleaner." Just a generic one. I poured it into the detergent tank, and yeah, it was better than the dish soap, no doubt. Some of the lighter stuff came off. But the really stubborn patches, especially on the north side of the house siding where it gets all green and mossy? Still not perfect. I was getting a bit frustrated. I spent a good afternoon spraying, rinsing, and still seeing those faint outlines of grime.

Figuring Out What Really Works

This is where I actually started to pay attention. I realized that maybe it wasn't just about the soap itself, but how I was using it, and which soap for which job. I started reading up a bit, just some basic tips. Turns out, there are different detergents for different surfaces. Who knew? One for concrete, one for siding, one for vehicles. It made sense once I thought about it.

So, I got a specific cleaner meant for siding. And here’s the kicker: I also learned about the application process. You're supposed to apply the detergent on low pressure, let it sit for a few minutes – let it do its work, you know? Then, you switch to high pressure and rinse it all off. Before, I was just blasting everything on high pressure, soap and all.

• Applied the new siding cleaner on low pressure.
• Really let it soak in, maybe 5-10 minutes. I just watched it, making sure it didn't dry.
• Switched the nozzle, cranked up the pressure, and started rinsing from the top down.

And what do you know? It actually worked. The green streaks started to melt away. It wasn't magic, I still had to put in the effort, but the result was way better. The siding looked almost new. I then tried a concrete cleaner on that stubborn patio, using the same method – apply, wait, rinse. Big difference!

So, for me, the "best detergent" wasn't a single brand or a secret formula. It was more about understanding a few key things:
1. Using the right type of detergent for the specific surface I was cleaning.
2. Applying it correctly – low pressure on, let it dwell, then high pressure rinse.

It took some trial and error, and a bit of learning, but my pressure washer is finally living up to its potential. And my patio? Looks great. The siding too. It’s more about the process and the right tool for the job, rather than just one miracle bottle.