How to Pressure Wash Concrete: Best Concrete Pressure Washer PSI, Detergent, & More

Running a business requires constant juggling of tasks and skills, from logistics and payroll to marketing and sales. One aspect that many owners and operators often ignore until it’s too late is cleaning for curb appeal, sanitation, and safety.

Whether you run a small commercial storefront or multiple large warehouses and production facilities, you likely have at least a few concrete surfaces that need tidying up.

While you may think cleaning these surfaces is time-consuming, it’s a simple process, especially when you have a reliable concrete pressure washer by your side.

With the best pressure washer for concrete surfaces, you will eradicate grime and stains from your parking lots, sidewalks, and warehouse floors.

Cleaning concrete with pressure washers will revitalize these areas and transform them into safe and visually appealing representations of your business’s commitment to professionalism.

In this guide, you’ll discover precisely how to pressure wash concrete and transform your drab surfaces into the highlight of your curb appeal. You’ll get a step-by-step walkthrough of how pressure washing concrete works and also gain a shopping list to help you find the perfect equipment.

This guide comes from our experienced team at RJP Hotsy New Jersey, the Garden State’s #1 home for concrete pressure washing equipment, including trailers, soaps, accessories, and more. Talk to our team if you have any questions during this article!

Why Pressure Washing Concrete is the Best Method

Why is cleaning concrete with pressure washers the most effective method?

Learning how to clean concrete with pressure washers will allow you to manage several types of stains in various settings, including parking lots, sidewalks, flooring, and other job sites.

With a suitable concrete pressure washer, you’ll have unmatched, environmentally friendly speed, revolutionizing how your business tackles cleaning tasks.

Efficiency and Effectiveness

Every extra minute wasted on maintenance tasks and payroll considerably drains productivity and profitability.

Traditional cleaning methods for concrete, like manual scrubbing or harsh chemical treatments, are massive time sinks that will bring your production to a halt. Manual scrubbing can take days and cost extra labor, while chemical treatments are so harsh that they can only be performed during off-hours.

These concerns are no longer an issue with the best pressure washer for concrete by your side. Without a reliable concrete pressure washer, you and your staff will still be scrubbing stains or shutting down production for chemical treatments to replicate a fraction of a power washer’s effectiveness.

Wide Range of Applications

Concrete pressure washers are in a league of their own regarding versatility. There are nearly limitless use cases for cleaning concrete with pressure washers, including sidewalks, driveways, loading docks, floors, and construction sites.

Power washers are equally effective on all of these surfaces. While you may need to tweak settings slightly, like your pressure washer PSI for concrete, depending on the exact nature of the surface, the process is predominantly the same, no matter what industry you are in.

Environmentally Friendly

Sustainability is more than just a buzzword—it’s a critical factor that will make or break your reputation and brand loyalty. Harsh chemical cleaners are somewhat effective at removing stains. Still, they come with a heavy environmental toll that will put you in harm’s way to both savvy consumers and regulatory agencies.

Conversely, concrete pressure washers are significantly more sustainable. They rely on two factors: the high-powered jet stream of water and a detergent. If you choose the best concrete cleaner for pressure washers, you’ll have access to biodegradable soap, eliminating the risk of contaminating your local water system or nearby bodies of water.

Between going green and having unparalleled cleaning power, learning how to pressure wash concrete is a top priority for businesses everywhere. Let’s discuss the equipment you’ll need to get the job done.

What Do You Need to Pressure Wash Concrete?

Only some concrete pressure washers can reap the fantastic benefits discussed in the previous sections. Knowing which equipment you need is critical to learning how to pressure wash concrete.

While your shopping will start with a reliable pressure washer for cleaning concrete, you’ll also need to learn the intricate details, like what PSI pressure washer for concrete to choose from. This section explains those factors and accessories, like the best pressure washer soap for concrete.

What PSI Pressure Washer for Concrete is Best?

PSI is one-half of the attributes that determine the cleaning effectiveness of a pressure washer. It stands for pounds per square inch and denotes how much force is behind your jet stream.

So, how much pressure washer PSI do you need?

Concrete requires a pressure washer with a minimum of 3,000 PSI; the higher you go, the better. This level will allow you to clean concrete down to its pores, blasting away old embedded gunk while keeping the surface intact.

Considering GPM for Your Concrete Pressure Washer

GPM is the other half of the equation. GPM’s meaning on a pressure washer is gallons per minute and covers the volume of water from your machine.

Higher GPM leads to faster cleaning times, as you’ll have sufficient water to remove stains. We recommend at least 3.0 GPM for concrete to penetrate the surface and lift out that gunk.

Other Considerations: Water Temperature, Electric vs Gas, and More

After your core specifications, there are a few other things to remember when learning how to pressure wash concrete.

Temperature: There is a significant difference between hot vs cold water pressure washers regarding cleaning effectiveness. Because concrete is a complex surface, we recommend the extra cleaning power that heated models provide. Still, cold models can be a budget-friendly alternative if need be.

Engine Type: The choice of electric vs gas pressure washers for concrete is a tighter decision. Electric models are lightweight and suitable for fully indoor applications due to their low-fume outputs. However, we generally prefer gas models for their extra cleaning power and mobility around large cleaning sites.

Choosing the Best Concrete Cleaner for Pressure Washer

If you want terrific final results, you’ll need to find the best pressure washer soap for concrete.

We highly recommend Hotsy detergents, as their specifically formulated blends are backed by over five decades of reputation. Here are a few of our favorites for cleaning concrete:

Breakthrough: Hotsy’s Breakthrough is one of its most iconic blends. It’s an all-purpose soap with advanced surfactants and cleaning agents that penetrate deep into concrete pores.

Con-B-Gone: Formulated to remove dried concrete splatter, this blend easily dissolves stubborn deposits in construction and masonry settings.

Hotsy 99: Hotsy 99 contains non-fuming phosphoric acid, allowing it to effectively cut through grease, oil, road film, and other common concrete stains.

Verde All Purpose: While all these soaps are biodegradable, Verde All Purpose offers one of the best eco-friendly cleaning options in the Hotsy line. It uses plant-based surfactants to eliminate dirt and grime.

Shop Floor Cleaner: Hotsy Shop Floor Cleaner is a workhorse specifically designed for high-traffic industrial settings and commercial floors. Whether you run a mechanic shop or a massive factory, it will easily remove oil and grease.

Don’t Forget Nozzles and Other Accessories!

The right set of accessories will make learning how to pressure wash concrete that much easier. Seasoned pros and newbie pressure washers love specialized nozzles for different cleaning applications. Here’s a look at some of our favorites from Hotsy:

Rotary Surface Cleaners: A rotary surface cleaner uses powerful gyrating motions to provide an intense clean that ensures you never miss a single inch of your concrete floors.

Turbo Nozzles: When you have an embedded bit of gunk that won’t go away quickly, a turbo nozzle can be just what the doctor ordered. It will concentrate the stream into one powerful spray, vaporizing grease and oil.

Extension Wands: For larger surface areas like loading bays and parking lots, an extension wand will expand your cleaning radius. You and your staff will save energy on walking around, allowing the 40-foot wand to do the work for you.

Now that you have everything you need to build a shopping list for pressure washing concrete, all that is left is to start shopping! If your business is located in New Jersey or elsewhere in the tri-state area, you’ll find the #1 home for industrial hot water pressure washers in New Jersey right before you…

Find Everything You Need for Efficient, Reliable Concrete Pressure Washing in New Jersey at RJP Hotsy!

As the Garden State’s premier provider of reliable and effective pressure washing equipment and supplies, RJP Hotsy is the best place to level up your cleaning power!

Over the years, we’ve built our reputation as the #1 home of industrial pressure washers in New Jersey, working with major local brands like Penske, Ryder, and Stericycle.

With our extensive inventory of equipment, parts, machines, and industrial pressure washer trailers in NJ, we have everything you need to restore your drab concrete into the highlight of your commercial property.

Our knowledgeable product experts will work closely with you to understand your unique concrete cleaning challenges and then precisely match you with the ideal equipment solutions from Hotsy’s legendary lineup.

You’ll even have your choice between outright purchases or shorter-term solutions like industrial pressure washer leasing in NJ and industrial pressure washer rental in NJ. We’ll also work with you to answer your questions, from how to put together a DIY pressure washer trailer to which pressure washer PSI for concrete to choose.

Our commitment to your cleaning success exceeds our selection of outstanding products. We’re also the best place to find industrial pressure washer repair in NJ as an authorized Hotsy warranty repair center. We’ve mastered the art of how to repair pressure washers quickly, ensuring you experience little to no operational downtime.

How to Pressure Wash Concrete: Step-by-Step Guide to Concrete Pressure Washing

Before you start shopping, let’s leave you with some tips to help you learn the ins and outs of pressure washing concrete.

Surface Preparation

Before you start the engine of your power washer, you’ll want to prepare the cleaning area. Clear away any large debris, including rocks, gravel, or trash, that could interfere with the cleaning process.

We also recommend applying your degreaser or cleaner here, allowing it to soak into the concrete and break down embedded stains.

Equipment Setup

From here, start assembling your machine. Adjust the pressure to at least 3,000 PSI and crank the temperature. Depending on the dimensions of your cleaning area, be sure to gather your accessories as well.

Be sure to grab personal protective equipment at this stage as well.

Pressure Washing Techniques

Pressure washing itself is relatively simple. It’s a much faster version of manual scrubbing or hosing something down, so we’ll use the same techniques.

Use overlapping and sweeping motions with gravity as an aid. Keep your wand around 6 to 12 inches from the surface for a safe clean.

Rinsing and Drying

After passing over the concrete, inspect your surface. If everything looks clean, it’s time to rinse it down. Using a wider nozzle here can speed up the process.

Once it’s fully saturated, allow the concrete to dry naturally. Industrial fans can speed up the process, but natural sunlight usually does the trick.

Spot Cleaning Tough Stains

If you notice a few tough stains after your process, you must hit them again.

Add extra detergent to these areas, like your Hotsy Breakthrough or 99. Hit it with a turbo nozzle for a highly concentrated stream.

If the stain is caked on, a stiff brush like the one on the Hotsy Surface Cleaner can be similarly effective.

Closing Thoughts on How to Clean Concrete With Pressure Washers

Overall, having the best equipment is vital for sparkling clean concrete surfaces. There’s much to consider, from the PSI on your machine to which soaps and accessories to use.

Thankfully, our team at RJP Hotsy is here to help. You’ll gain access to our years of expert knowledge, helping you find the perfect equipment for your industry.

If you enjoyed learning how to pressure wash concrete, check out our blog for more! Other helpful guides include mounting a pressure washer to a trailer, what size pressure washer do I need, how to rent a pressure washer, the cost to rent a power washer and pressure washer repair costs.

Otherwise, if you’re figuring out where to rent a pressure washer for cleaning concrete, look no further than RJP Hotsy. As the #1 home of industrial cold water pressure washers in New Jersey, we have everything you need to streamline your cleaning. Talk to us today to get started!