Answer
Mar 18, 2023 - 03:39 PM
Cleaning in colder weather is a challenge as the cleaning power.
We would recommend cleaning above 40 degrees F.
The three biggest factors for those chemical cleaning are
Time
Temperature
Mechanical Action
Time is dwell time, most cleaners especially deck cleaners like a fair amount of feel time (don’t let them dry on the surface)
Temperature
Higher temperatures aid in chemical productivity. To put it simply, the cleaning process becomes faster and easier as temperature increases. Higher temperatures also decrease the viscosity in soils, allowing for easier removal. There is a rule of thumb that every 17 F degrees of rise you can double the efficacy of the cleaning chemical.
The cleaners would just require more time and effort.
The brighteners just will not brighten as well in the cold, in some cases brightening in the cold just does not return the desire results.
Mechanical
This is the physical act of scrubbing like a brush
or using water under pressure, that starts with a hose end garden sprayer set to “jet” or the use of a wash sprayer warning though…
Alway use a fan spray tip when cleaning wood, spray in line with the grain.
We don’t recommend a surface cleaner.
For wood surfaces including decks you do not want to exceed 1000psi of pressure at the nozzle
There are tip charts that can help the operator select the correct tip for the size of their pressure washer or wash sprayer.
We have one at this link
https://www.jracenstein.com/c/pressur...
We would recommend cleaning above 40 degrees F.
The three biggest factors for those chemical cleaning are
Time
Temperature
Mechanical Action
Time is dwell time, most cleaners especially deck cleaners like a fair amount of feel time (don’t let them dry on the surface)
Temperature
Higher temperatures aid in chemical productivity. To put it simply, the cleaning process becomes faster and easier as temperature increases. Higher temperatures also decrease the viscosity in soils, allowing for easier removal. There is a rule of thumb that every 17 F degrees of rise you can double the efficacy of the cleaning chemical.
The cleaners would just require more time and effort.
The brighteners just will not brighten as well in the cold, in some cases brightening in the cold just does not return the desire results.
Mechanical
This is the physical act of scrubbing like a brush
or using water under pressure, that starts with a hose end garden sprayer set to “jet” or the use of a wash sprayer warning though…
Alway use a fan spray tip when cleaning wood, spray in line with the grain.
We don’t recommend a surface cleaner.
For wood surfaces including decks you do not want to exceed 1000psi of pressure at the nozzle
There are tip charts that can help the operator select the correct tip for the size of their pressure washer or wash sprayer.
We have one at this link
https://www.jracenstein.com/c/pressur...
