- 1). Rinse down the house. This will help remove a surface layer of dust and grime, making later cleaning easier. Use moderate water pressure, and never aim the stream of water from the hose upward, but rather, always angle it down. This will prevent water from working in between the shakes and causing a leak in your house. You may need to climb up and down the ladder to achieve the right angle.
- 2). Mix up your cleaning solution. In the pressure washer tank, combine water, liquid dish detergent and oxygen bleach. Do not use chlorine bleach. For every gallon of water, add 1 cup of bleach and 1/2 cup of soap. Swirl to mix, but do not shake up the mixture to create suds.
- 3). Wash the cedar shakes using the pressure washer. Again, use moderate rather than hard pressure. It is better to wash an area several times than blast shakes loose or cause a leak. As before, always keep the water stream level or angled slightly down. Climb up and down and move the ladder as necessary to maintain the proper angle. Use the long-handled scrub brush to tackle spots and stubborn stains.
- 4). Rinse off the cedar shakes. Use the garden hose and clear water at moderate pressure. Keep the water angle level or pointing down. Once you are finished, you can review the entire house to see if you missed any spots. If you did, repeat the process, continuing to take care to aim the water downward.
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