I have been seeing the method of “Reverse Graffiti” develop over the last few months. Though right now it is most popular in Europe, I can see local artists and teens embracing this technique, either for self expression or a form of advertisement.
Who would’ve known that a power washer that has been used to fight graffiti for so many years would be embraced by the perpetrators?
One thing is clear here, the use of stencils makes gives this kind of graffiti a more clean and sophisticated look compared to mere wall tagging and it can serve the purpose of making residents aware of the grime that surrounds us.
Pressure cleaning is an ideal way to remove stains from almost any kind of surface. It is also mandatory should you be considering sealing concrete or other hard surfaces. If you are cognizant of the techniques that should be employed while cleaning and are also well equipped with the necessary safety gear, removing stains cannot be done with any more ease. Time, costs and efforts can be saved by making use of these equipments.
Uses of pressure cleaners
These cleaners are reliable and powerful and are put to a number of uses. They come in handy especially when you want to clean boat decks, garage floors, boat ramps, warehouses, roofs, parking lots, concrete floors, driveways etc. High quality, long use life, tremendous energy saving, shorter working times and effectiveness are the striking characteristics of a typical pressure washer. Besides this, pressure cleaning offers three important environmental benefits that are best outlined in the section below.
Environmental benefits of pressure washers
Cleaning is usually associated with the use of chemicals and tough stains require stronger and harsh chemicals. They are hazardous to the environment by the release of toxins (cleaning agents when flushed may run into drain and could flood the streets) and are quite harmful to person and property. But with a pressure cleaner, these cleaning agents are not necessarily required. This is simply because pressure cleaners spray water at a great speed and force which make it sufficient to remove dirt and accumulated debris with ease.
Time and natural resources can be saved to a large extent. Besides the point that you may require relatively less time to complete a cleaning job using pressure cleaners; you also save a lot of water. A pressure washer employs force and hence the amount of water is not a priority. The reason for less water consumption is because the output pressure is 50 times more than that of a garden hose. It can be safely said that water saving happens up to 75 percent with a pressure washer when compared to a garden hose. Less water implies less energy usage by the water department.
Another important resource to watch out for is consumption of electricity. Most household or domestic cleaning operations can be handled by an electric pressure washer. While electricity cost to run a pressure washer depends upon your local electric rates and size of the equipment, average costs would only be about 10 cents per hour.
Considering the benefits offered by pressure cleaners to the environment and to its user, it certainly is considered a viable option for cleaning operations. However, it is important for you to understand its operations before handling. Also, at a time when green practices are widely practiced by many countries across the world, having a cleaning method such as this is the need of the hour.
About the Aouthor: Sydney Wide Pressure Cleaning is a leading authority in external cleaning. Their services include sealing concrete, cleaning pavers, driveway cleaning and house washing.
It’s disheartening to see the many families that are being affected by The Wallow and the The Horseshoe Two fires in Arizona. According to Az Central, The devastating Wallow Fire remains completely uncontained with more than 230,000 acres burned as of late Monday evening. Fire officials report that four structures have been destroyed by the flames in the Wallow fire while 348 structures remain in harms way. The Horse Shoe Two fire has destroyed six structures, and is estimated that 65 others are in danger.
At this point is difficult to know when this disaster will cease, but we know that our fire fighting forces will do their best to help during and after this unfortunate event. When this is all over, there will be much to rebuild and restore.
The following is an article on clean-up after a natural disaster published on Cleaner Times Magazine.
Aiding Clean-Up Efforts After A Natural Disaster
Over the years the pressure washing contractor has explored many ways to market their services to almost every imaginable opportunity out there. It may come as a surprise to some but pressure washing after a natural disaster could very well be the next frontier for our industry. My experience with working in natural disasters areas are two fold: I spent many days and nights as a firefighter on the fire lines protecting homes and business’s from fast moving wild land fires throughout California before I owned a pressure washing business. As a pressure washer, I traveled to southern California after the infamous L.A fires in early 2000 where I spent several days pressure washing homes that accumulated soot and embers carried by the drift smoke.
Unfortunately, natural disasters and natural disaster clean-up is big business. According to the ISO/PCS Insurance Information Institute, in 2007, insured loss or damage cost due to wild fires was 1.6 billion dollars. And this was just for the state of California. Hurricane damage cost and clean-up during the ‘05 & ‘06 hurricane season in the southern region of the U.S. reached a staggering 58.8 billion.
Flood damage and clean up cost in the mid west and northeast also reflect staggering figures in which billions of dollars of aide from the federal government is funneled to these locales to assist communities and often time entire states get back to some semblance of normalcy.
My trip to southern California was originally prescribed as volunteer work to assist home and business owners clean up their property. While down in the fire zone I soon realized that pressure washing was a much needed and sought out service. Every imaginable outside fixture that fell victim to the intense drift smoke but avoided the actual fire was seemingly fair game for pressure washing. Community after community had one form or another of drift smoke ash accumulation that required a remedy. Insurance adjusters from different insurance companies beckoned our assistance to quickly rinse off properties and cars in quick fashion in order for them to accurately determine if any fire damage occurred, per the insurance claim filed by the policy holder. As we jokingly say in the pressure washing industry, I was definitely redefining the term “splash and dash” during our time in this region. No cleaning chemicals were required, just a quick rinse. The insurance adjusters only wanted to see if there was any fire damage to the property in question.
My curiosity about the type of insurance claims prompted me to inquire in between rinsing. I was surprised to hear one insurance adjuster reflect in saying that the majority of the policy holders file claims to have their properties repainted. I countered by explaining that just by pressure washing the likely hood of obtaining pre-fire condition was realistic – all with a fraction of the cost it would take an insurance company to pay a painting company to repaint the property. Beyond that I explained that if the property did indeed need painting, one must pressure wash it first.
Captain Gregory Bounds from the Suisun City Fire Department, a northern California fire department that deploys each year during wild fire season explains that ash and soot from drift smoke can blanket communities for hundred of square miles. “With any significant wild land fire incident you can pretty much guarantee that these communities will need the services of a company to spray away the accumulation of ash.” He further states the need of having pressure washing services at the fire base camp “De-mob (demobilization) is mandatory for the release of fire department vehicles upon that safety inspection by a certified mechanic (ICS 212 form). For the de-mobe mechanics to inspect a dirty, muddy fire engine delays the process of inspecting that vehicle properly to get it repaired if needed and home safely. It is not uncommon for strike teams to drive hundreds of miles for it to return home. The power washing would allow the mechanics to visibly see damaged areas from 4×4 driving and accumulated dirt and soot that sticks to electrical components, u-joints and windows.”
Asked if pressure washing could be a viable service for natural disaster incidents such as wild land fires? Captain Bounds remarked “the need is there today, however a pressure washing company could not just show up at base camp and announce that they are there to pressure wash”. Captain Bounds recommends anyone wishing to explore this service to begin by contacting their local FEMA representative or start at their local fire department to determine who to contact to get your pressure washing company listed as a vendor during wildfire incidents. Having your pressure wash company participate in natural disaster incidents will require patience and determination especially dealing with all the bureaucratic paper work that often comes as a pre-requisite. However once you obtain the necessary clearance as a vendor you stand a good chance of traveling from once incident to the next throughout the summer months providing a much needed service to the men and women that put their life on the line by fighting these raging infernos.
Natural disasters are not just limited to wild fires in the western part of the U.S. Take Mathew Johnson from Pressure Washing Services located in Milford, NY. Mr. Johnson and I spoke on natural disaster clean up the summer before his service area was hit with significant floods due to the unusual amount of rainfall that year. He put the natural disaster clean up concept to work. “What Carlos applied in California, I did the same thing here in New York except I applied it to our natural disaster – flooding” Mathew said. He further explains, “For our industry, it is a unique service that if you are the only one providing it today you are almost guaranteed that your phone will be ringing to provide services during a time of need.”
Now before you run down to the local fire department and ask the fire chief to give you a call when a natural disaster occurs, you must first determine whether or not this “add on” service to your pressure washing business is right for you. There are many considerations that you must evaluate before embarking to a natural disaster area:
Days away from regular pressure washing business;
Cash on hand. Some disaster areas will not have functional ATM’s or banks readily open in the area.
No pay. Insurance claims and payments can be a long drawn out process. Can you afford to not get paid from 60-90 days?
Emotional impact. Working in natural disaster zones especially hurricane and flood incidents can have an emotional impact on you especially if you frequently in contact with casualties;
It would be a sound recommendation for you to contact your local insurance agent in your community first. They could have the contact information for you immediately verses you having to track it down.
Providing pressure washing services during a natural disaster will require due diligence and a lot of preparation on your part. Today you may wish to begin on a smaller scale right in your service area. A house fire, depending on the intensity, can blanket adjoining houses with soot and ash. A suggestion would be to make up fliers about your pressure washing services and distribute them discreetly around the location of the house fire well after the initial shock that normally plaques home or business owners during this difficult time. This concept also applies to local flooding, coastal oil spills and small grass fires in and around communities across the U.S.
As you continue to evaluate your company and the services it provides you owe it to yourself to do not ignore the opportunities that lay during times such as when a natural disaster strikes – big or small. As history has shown, disasters such as hurricanes, fires and floods will continue to hold communities hostage for years to come. Could it be time that the pressure washing industry contributes to help build these communities back?
The United Nations proclaimed the period from 2005 to 2015 as The International Decade for Action, ‘Water for Life’. To commemorate and report progress, ceremonies are held each year on March 22 -World Water Day.
During this decade, the focus of UN officials on water-related issues at all levels, and on the implementation of water-related programs, has been greater in many areas around the world. Particularly in low income regions.
The following video covers the 2011 “Water for Life” Best Practices Awards. This year, 2011, special focus is given to the topic “Urban Water Management.”
Glendale is offering a free class series and free energy saving devices to Glendale residents.
Come to the auditorium of Glendale’s Main Library, 5959 W. Brown St. on February 5. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn valuable information.
The class topics and times are:
Simple Savings 101, 12:30-1:30 p.m. – Glendale residents who attend will receive free high-efficiency showerheads and compact fluorescent lights. Participants also can check out a Kill-A-Watt energy monitor.
A Brighter Future: Solar Energy for Your Home, 1:30-2:30 p.m. – Discover the benefits of solar electricity and how it works. Find out the costs vs. the savings of using solar. Learn about rebates and incentives and whether solar is right for you.
The “How-To” on Programmable Thermostats, 2:30-3 p.m. – Learn how to install and program a programmable thermostat to fit your family’s schedule. Glendale residents will receive a free thermostat upon completion of the class.
Participants can attend one or all classes. The classes will be repeated Feb. 26. Registration is required. Call 623-930-3760. For a complete listing of all upcoming Green Living events, visit www.glendaleaz/green.
1. A parts washer is a piece of equipment used to remove contaminants or debris such as dirt, grime, carbon, cosmoline, oil, grease, metal chips, machining fluids, mold release agents, ink, paint, and rust from parts prior to rebuilding, painting, plating, welding, labeling, canning, etc.They may be manually operated or “automatic”.
2. Parts washer are used in automotive transmission and engine repair shops, aircraft maintenance facilities, and many other businesses that rely on the use of heavy equipment.
3. There are two kinds of Parts washers: Solvent-based washers and Aqueous-based Washer.
4. Since the early 70s, many methods of parts cleaning have been developed with improved levels of safety and lessened environmental impact. The Aqueous-based Systems took prominence and are now the standard.
5.Aqueous-based parts washers are much like large dish washers. It uses water and detergent combined with heat and mechanical energy to provide the cleaning action.3
6. Microbes are used in some cleaner formulas to digest petroleum contaminants. Microbe and nutrient packages are added to the cleaner and circulated throughout the bath. The microbes break down the petroleum hydrocarbons and reproduce themselves in the nutrient-rich environment.
7. Cleaning labor can be significantly reduced with using an automatic front-loading, parts washer because you can just set the wash cycle on a timer and left until done.
8. All Hotsy parts wahers are OSHA compliant. (OSHA is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
9. Hotsy detergents are designed especially to clean the toughest parts AND protect your parts washer from rust.
10. At Az Cleaning Equipment we service many major industrial brands of parts washers.
Grab a paintbrush and join Glendale in the Seventh Annual Wells Fargo Rock & Roll Paint-A-Thon Oct. 23.
Volunteers will paint the homes of homeowners who don’t have the resources or ability to do the work themselves.
More than 150 homes across the Valley are expected to get a makeover this year, including three so far in Glendale, according to Polly Baughman, Glendale spokeswoman.
Last year, 149 Valley homes and two community centers were painted during the one-day event, including eight homes in Glendale, Baughman said. Last year, 200 volunteers, including 25 city employees participated in Glendale.
From 2005 through 2009, volunteers have painted 57 homes in Glendale.
The program helps maintain neighborhoods by painting homes of applicants who are age 60 or older or have a permanent disability, limited financial resources and are unable to do the work themselves.
Only single-family, single-story, owner-occupied residences will be painted.
Homes must be in sufficient condition that scraping and spot priming are the only preparations needed. Residents willing to paint homes should form a team consisting of 15 to 25 volunteers.
All volunteers must be at least age 14. Those younger than 18 must have signed parental permission. Volunteers and those whose homes need painting should contact Rebuilding Together at 480-774-0237 or www.rebuildingtogetherphx.org.
Residents can have their say next week about how the city’s parks-and-recreation system develops.
The city is undergoing a 10-month process to update the Glendale Parks and Recreation Master Plan, adopted eight years ago.
The draft update identifies community priorities for recreation and park facilities and outlines a plan of action. At Wednesday’s meeting, attendees can view what residents have said needs to be addressed, and strategies to meet those needs. The two components will be used to build recommendations in the final master-plan update.
Marcheta Strunk, spokeswoman for the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, said the final update should be completed by the end of the year.
The public will have the chance to view the full draft plan when it goes to the Parks and Recreation Commission in October or November, she said. The City Council is expected to review the plan in December.
Typically, the master plan, which takes a 10-year look ahead is updated every five years but various circumstances delayed the latest update, Strunk said.
Other public workshops were held in April and June.
Resident have said they want more evening programs for toddlers, a senior center in northern Glendale and more shade trees or shade barriers at parks.
Residents also felt that adaptive recreation programs, which offers specially designed activities such as field trips and swimming for individuals with physical, mental, emotional or social disabilities to be most important. They also placed a high priority on taking care of what the city already has, increasing offeringsin southwest Glendale.
Earlier this spring, a consultant conducted a resident survey as part of the master-plan update. The survey found 87 percent of respondents found the city’s neighborhood parks as either excellent or good. However, they said park restrooms were the No. 1 area to improve.
Surveys were mailed to 5,000 households, of which 1,008 responded.
Pressure cleaning is an ideal way to remove stains from almost any kind of surface. It is also mandatory should you be considering sealing concrete or other hard surfaces. If you are cognizant of the techniques that should be employed while cleaning and are also well equipped with the necessary safety gear, removing stains cannot be done with any more ease. Time, costs and efforts can be saved by making use of these equipments.
Glendale is offering a free class series and free energy saving devices to Glendale residents.
Email: 
Map: 
Newsletter: 
Twitter: 
Facebook: 
