Camelot

Wow...further proof that we should all carry fire extinguishers somewhere on our rigs. Glad you're OK Adrian... - John

James - How did you clean it? What chems, what methods? Looks great... - John

Pat - Hot water will make boards swell and can result in warped, cracked deck boards. We don't use heat on wood, ever. Hope that helps. - John

I started on this BB too...back then I spent HOURS reading everything I could. After all, I was working very little. Now, I'm trying to type as fast as I can because I need to run out and get started because there aren't enough hours in the day. This board is a tremendous tool, particularly if you're new...Beth, Rod, stay true to your philosophies about running the board...they work.

That's great stuff...you couldn't pay for that kind of advertising! Good job... - John

We xjet our F18...works awesome! Lose the pump up sprayer...

OK...you ready for a bug leeson? Borax and other insectides will kill spiders only if you hit them directly. They work as a residual pesticide on ants and such because of their biological makeup....ants and roaches and such "preen" themselves. Essentially they pick up the insectide on their bodies and legs and then ingest it when preening...this kills them. Spiders, however, walk on their tippy toes and do not preen. So residual insectides will not work on them. It gets on their "feet" and essentially just falls off not bothering them in the least. There is a product somewhere called "Webaway"...an aerosol which claims to make corners and eaves too slippery for webs to be built on. I can't say personally if it works or how expensive it is, but I can assure you that there is no "repellent" or residual insecticide that will kill spiders (despite the claims). Sorry, I would love to help you get the business! - John

Dane...didn't know where you were going with that subject line...LOL - John

I know it's not very "green", but I like disposable nitrile gloves...I've tried tons of others and they STINK after 4 or 5 jobs...

Ok...are you ready for this one? A few days ago, I'm using hot water on a concrete job when I notice a big puff of white smoke from the burner and all of sudden I'm getting no flame...I was nearly done, so I completed the job with cold water. I'm not the handiest guy in the world, but I took a crack at opening the casing and cleaning some of the debris out of the burner. The next day, I have another concrete job and the burner seems to be working fine. After 10 minutes, there's a big puff of white smoke and again there's no flame... There wasn't any gum, so I washed with cold and used some chems to finish up the job. I had a few days of washing homes and not needing hot water, so I didn't think much about it. I needed hot water again today, so I got on the phone with my distributor and had him walk me through some basics to fix the burner. I checked the ignition and it was REALLY clean, no carbon build up or anything. I opened the casing and there was no debris. At this point, I am covered in soot and completely exasperated. I've got several commercial jobs coming up and I begin to freak a little...I then notice that my fuel filter (which is clear) is BONE dry...my first thought is that the fuel line is clogged so I get the tools I need to take the fuel line off and check for a clog. The minute I touch the screwdriver to the screw it dawns on my dumb a$$ that I may be out of diesel. I check the tank and BINGO...I'm out...So now, I'm covered in soot, exasperated, pissed off, and feeling like a total moron...LOL. I add diesel and voila, everything is right as rain. Turns out that on the first job, I ran out of gas and the white smoke was the burner sputtering in it's final gas-starved throes...the next job, I was parked on an incline so I had enough diesel to get through 10 minutes before I sputtered again. Even after I saw the empty fuel filter, my mind went immediately to "clogged" instead of "empty". I guess the moral of the story is that sometimes we "overthink" things...more often than not it's the simple things that cause us problems. My intent in posting this is to save someone else the same aggravation. All in all it was pretty darn funny...

oooooooh...and they don't forget, do they? LOL...That'll come back to you....

Yeah, sometimes this is the best way to learn...I guarantee I won't do that again...

It's both Jeff...The phone's been busy and I think we are going to have a better season than people think...maybe it's the optimist in me, but you hit the nail on the head...STICK TO YOUR PRICING!! Albeit frustrating, this plan works...your service is better than the $99 guys...now convince your customers! I wish you the best...good luck!

Looks like it's "easy" for you too Dan...Maybe Andover is a hotspot too...

Jeff - I disagree...I think homeowners are hanging on to what they've got this year and instead of putting homes on the market, they're keeping what they've got maintained...This has been my busiest February in a long time. Of course our market is different, it seems that the same theory would apply if I'm correct. I hope things pick up for you... - John

I don't know...I would tend to err on the side of caution here and come back another day. It only happens 2 or 3 times each season and it isn't really THAT big of a deal to come back...much easier than dealing with a customer that gets bleach spots on an expensive carpet (my luck an imported one of a kind), or has an open fish tank near the window...LOL...It's obviously inconvenient, but I'd rather chalk it up to a pain in the neck than risk damaging property or being accused of it. In the past, I have cleaned the 3 sides that have closed windows, ask for full payment, and come back to finish the one side when it's convenient for me.

Well said Rod...

Daniel - These were fantastic posts...very inspiring...good job. - John

In its powdered form, I find Oxalic pretty easy to handle. You can adjust the strength by diluting it with water...

Hey guys...I wrote an article for my blog in the wee hours of the morning that pertains to all of us. I'm pretty confident that most of the folks that post on The Grime Scene are professionals that want to make our industry great. As pros you'll be able to relate to this... Pressure Washing Through Time And Attitude: Separating the Pros From The Hacks.

Thanks Ron, Thanks Jeff (feel free to borrow what you need)...

Thanks Celeste...:lgbounces

Rando - I can't speak for Sunbrite's product because I never used it. Citrakleen and Simple Cherry are both great products. I started with CK and switched to SC about a year ago. They both smell great and clean great. I have had more luck with CK on stucco/dryvit, and equal results on vinyl and other surfaces. The deciding factor for me was cost. SC is much cheaper and much easier to get (as evidenced by your post ;)). When Steve Rowlett went out of business, CK became much harder to find. There is a dealer that took over his products...I think Celeste has his number. She even posted it a while ago, so try searching it...you may find it. Good luck! - John

Hey check out my Ode to Pressure Washing in honor of giving thanks. I hope everyone is having a GREAT holiday with their families.