Alright, so let me tell you about my little adventure with pressure washer cleaning solutions. You know how it is, you look at your driveway, your siding, whatever, and it's just grim. And then you look at the price of those fancy-pants "specialty" cleaners for your pressure washer, and your wallet starts to cry. I was there, man, I was there.

I got my pressure washer a while back, super excited. Blasted some loose dirt off, cool. But the stuck-on grime? The green algae starting to think my patio slabs were its new timeshare? The regular water jet wasn't cutting it deep enough. So, I thought, "Okay, time for some soap." Went to the store, saw the bottles. Some were promising miracles, others just looked like dish soap in a more expensive bottle. And the ingredient lists? Might as well have been written in ancient hieroglyphics for all the sense they made to me.

Figuring Out a Plan

I'm the kind of guy who likes to know what's in stuff, especially if I'm gonna be spraying it all over my property. Plus, I'm not made of money. So, I did what any sensible cheapskate, I mean, thrifty individual would do: I hit the internet. Whoa. Let me tell you, there are some wild concoctions out there. Some folks are mixing stuff that sounds like it could strip paint off a battleship. I wasn't looking to create a hazardous waste situation in my backyard, you know?

I sifted through a ton of advice, some good, some downright scary. My main goal was something effective but also reasonably safe for my machine and the plants nearby. I decided to start simple. Really simple.

My Go-To Mix: The Experiment

So, here’s what I landed on for a general-purpose cleaner. Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done for most of the stuff I tackle, like a dirty concrete path or grimy vinyl siding.

I grabbed a clean bucket, one of those 5-gallon ones. First thing, of course, is water. About a gallon to start, just to get the ratios right for testing.

Then, the "active" ingredient. I went with good old liquid laundry detergent. The kind without bleach, mind you. I'd read that some people use dish soap, and I've tried that too, it's pretty good for lighter stuff. But for the general muck, I found laundry detergent had a bit more oomph. I poured in about half a cup. Not too much! You don't want a crazy foam monster that's hard to rinse.

Sometimes, if things are looking particularly green and slimy, like on the north side of the shed, I've added a little bit of borax. Maybe a quarter cup to that gallon of water and detergent. It seems to help with mildew and algae. But, and this is important, I always dissolve it super well in some hot water first before adding it to the main mix. Don't want undissolved grit going through the pump.

So, the steps were basically:

• Get a clean bucket.
• Add about a gallon of water.
• Pour in about 1/2 cup of bleach-free liquid laundry detergent.
• Optional for stubborn stuff: Dissolve 1/4 cup of borax in a bit of hot water, then add to the bucket.
• Give it a gentle stir. Not too vigorous, or you'll have suds everywhere before it even gets into the washer.

I made sure my pressure washer had one of those siphon tubes or an onboard detergent tank. I popped the tube into my bucket of homebrew solution. If your machine has a tank, just pour it in there.

The Moment of Truth

I started with a dirty patch of concrete on my walkway. Switched the pressure washer to the low-pressure/soap nozzle. Sprayed my concoction all over the area and let it sit for like, 5 to 10 minutes. You could see the dirt starting to loosen up a bit. It wasn't like a magic trick where it vanished, but it was definitely doing something.

Then, I switched to the high-pressure nozzle and started washing it all off. Man, it was satisfying! The grime came off way easier than with just plain water. The concrete looked brighter, cleaner. I did my whole walkway, then moved on to a section of siding that gets a lot of green stuff on it. Same deal: apply, let it sit, blast it off. Worked like a charm.

What I Reckon After All That

So, what did I learn from this?

• It's way cheaper. Seriously, a bottle of laundry detergent and a box of borax last ages compared to those little specialty bottles.
• You control the ingredients. I know what I'm spraying. No mystery chemicals.
• Always, always test in a small, inconspicuous area first! Especially if you're trying a new mix or using it on a new surface. You don't want to accidentally discolor your fancy deck or something.
• Don't go overboard with the soap. Too much makes a rinsing nightmare and isn't necessarily more effective.
• Rinse thoroughly. You don't want soap residue drying on your surfaces.
• Be careful. Never mix bleach with other cleaners, especially ammonia-based ones. My simple mix avoids all that drama. Stick to one type of detergent.

I'm pretty happy with my homemade solution. It does the job for most of what I need around the house. Sure, for some super-tough stains like oil on the garage floor, I might still need something more heavy-duty (or just more elbow grease), but for general cleaning? This is my go-to now. Saves money, works well, and I feel a bit like a clever clogs for figuring it out. Give it a shot, but remember to be smart and safe about it!