pressure washing business startup Archives

September 12, 2023 by Dean Dean

POWER WASH EDUCATION

In this POWER WASH EDUCATION video post, you’ll from a student from SPAIN. He flew 12 hours to learn and grow with our August 2023 hands on training event in Houston. This is a monthly training opportunity that offers not only hands on training with equipment on the job site. It also includes a day of classroom learning with QnA. This is a different way of providing direct insight and information about what it’s like to be a part of my school. Peter Harding first began his journey learning about this business through Doug Rucker’s YouTube channel.

EDUCATION ATTRACTION

There was one big attraction to Doug Rucker’s Pressure Washing School that attracting to him. It was the idea that you could receive both training and equipment all under one roof through his school and his store. The videos are easy to understand, and very clear. It’s great because all of the training is directed toward those who are brand new to the industry. Peter also enjoyed meeting and getting to know the group of guys that were also part of the August 2023 Power Wash Education school.

EQUIPMENT EDUCATION

The first day is all hands on equipment training and demonstrations. Peter makes it clear this is invaluable because he has never even held this type of professional grade pressure washing business equipment. He describes much of what taught as “nuggets of gold.” The day went really quick, and for Peter, any more would have been too much to absorb. He calls it “complete, full, and enjoyable.” Soft washing and downstreaming with a dedicated pump is a big focus of this first day of hands on power wash education.

CLASSROOM EDUCATION

Day two takes place in the training center classroom. The training modules include house washing, roof cleaning, concrete cleaning and property protection. All of the training is also available to students through video access for continued reviewing and learning. Doug will continue to be there for Peter once he is back in Spain to help him with continuing education. Along with Peter, all of Doug’s students are encouraged to reach back out to him any time they have questions and might need additional assistance. At 7:30 into the video, Peter also talks about how we work together to get the equipment he needs to start his business. We are actually shipping his equipment to Spain! Be sure and check out all the training opportunities you can take advantage of. And remember for those who cannot make it out to Texas, we do have an online video school as well.

March 14, 2022 by Doug Rucker Doug Rucker

POWER WASH BUSINESS TIPS

This POWER WASH BUSINESS TIPS video post answers questions from my YouTube channel viewers. Specifically, I had several questions about the adjustable wand that we use. I always enjoy answering questions because I know it will be helpful to many others who might also have similar questions. The adjustable wand is actually the ADJUSTABLE DUAL LANCE STRAIGHT WAND. And there are a few other POWER WASH BUSINESS TIPS in this video post as well concerning other things.

POWER WASH ADJUSTABLE WAND

I call it “adjustable wand” because we use it to adjust our pressure while cleaning around delicate surfaces. This wand is used while down streaming, and I demonstrate a few different positioning options which is simply a matter of personal preference. Also, all of our guns and wands have a swivel on them. This makes is much easier to rotate the nozzle while cleaning. It eliminates the need to stop and turn the nozzle. This is very help for delicate surfaces such as brick or stone where you do not want to use high pressure in order to prevent damage to the surface. Many questions we receive about this pertain to what comes with it, how to set it up, and how to use it. So these are the kinds of questions I answer in depth in the video. I hope all of these POWER WASH BUSINESS TIPS help you out as well.

DOWNSTREAM INJECTORS

Another question we receive relates to downstream injectors. There are various ways to close off your bleach mix to achieve 100% so that you can rinse. On a typical JRod nozzle, there are two larger nozzle sizes to utilize when drawing your bleach mix. The two smaller size nozzles are for rinsing only without any bleach. I cover some of the details when using these various JRod nozzles with downstream injectors. In addition, I demonstrate how the downstream injector is connected from the pressure washer and show a two bucket option for bleach mix vs rinsing. At time stamp 15:00, I also go over how to use a bypass downstream injector. It’s a different strategy to achieve the same result. Again, I hope these POWER WASH BUSINESS TIPS prove to be helpful for you and your business. If you’re interested in more training, check out my monthly two day training events in Houston!

February 24, 2022 by Doug Rucker Doug Rucker

PRESSURE WASHING BUSINESS VIDEO

What is the number one thing you need when STARTING A PRESSURE WASHING BUSINESS? For over ten years, I’ve been helping entrepreneurs with starting a pressure washing business. I do this through my online video school and monthly 2 day training school events in Houston. This video post is a little bit different from most of my videos because I just wanted to speak straight from my heart on this. There is one thing you need before you do anything else if you are going to start this business. Before you purchase a pressure washer, a trailer or truck, or any other equipment, THIS is what you need to work on! Even before you get the training, you need to work on your VISION for starting a pressure washing business.

VISION FOR PRESSURE WASHING

You first need to work on cultivating a VISION for what your business is going to look like. Are you able to visualize yourself outside cleaning houses, driveways, and roofs? Vision is defined as the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom. Jonathan Swift says vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others. Vision without action is merely and dream, and having a vision for your business is a critical first step toward success. Are you able to visualize yourself communicating with customers? Can you visualize your truck or trailer? Can you visualize your office set up?

PRESSURE WASHING BUSINESS VISION BOARD

I encourage you to set up a vision board as a first step when starting a pressure washing business. Perhaps you would have a picture of a truck or trailer that you dream of having some day. Or maybe you’ll have other pieces of equipment you will need in future such as a surface cleaner, the Kingslinger soft wash system, or a hot water machine on that vision board. These are basically visual goals that give you something to strive for as you grow and develop your business. At time stamp 4:15, I talk about some of the strong impressions early in my life all the way back to childhood which helped form my vision. Ultimately, my own personal vision statement became “I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD!”

PERSONAL EXAMPLES

There are a few personal examples of vision outside of our business that I mention. One of them is the vision of my childhood pastor to start a Christian high school in Clearwater, Florida. I also talk about a student that started in this industry with my school in 2012 and today, he has a large franchise operation. So make sure you have a vision before starting a pressure washing business. Over time, you will grow, develop, and refine that vision.

November 18, 2021 by Doug Rucker Doug Rucker

PRESSURE WASHING CHEMICAL MIX

One of the questions I often receive relates to PRESSURE WASHING CHEMICAL MIX ratios from a downstream injector. To be straight and honest with you right up front, I have never really measured the final ratio using a downstream injector. We use 5 and 8 gallon per minute machines, but mostly 8 gallon per minute machines. We use a 3-5 gallon per minute injector with a check valve. This PRESSURE WASHING CHEMICAL MIX video will delve into many of the details around this important question. Pressure washing business startups might want to watch and listen carefully to increase efficiency, preserve solutions, and maximize profits.

COLOR CHANGE

I am not too concerned with the precise pressure washing chemical mix ratio. What I do look for is color change. The main thing I look for when down streaming is will the mix change the color of organic stains. If I do not see a change in color, this means my mix is not strong enough. At this point, I will need to use a dedicated pump such as my KINGSLINGER soft wash system. This will certainly provide a higher, stronger mix than a downstream injector. This is a 27:00 video so make sure you view the entire video to absorb all the details. I also provide job site before and after pictures for demonstration purposes. Always prewet the surfaces and saturate the grass or landscaping in the area with water. This is fairly quick and easy to do with an open ball valve.

MUSTARD MOLD

This pressure washing chemical mix video includes a brick cleaning project with gold mold or “mustard” mold. This particular organic stain will not undergo much of a color change. This mustard mold stain is very popular in California, especially on various roofing materials. It is extremely difficult to remove. It’s very important to set customers expectations when you see this particular organic stain. You might also be interested in checking out my full line of pressure wash cleaning solutions. I hope this information helps! My passion is training pressure washing startups to succeed, improve their skills, and expand their pressure washing business services.

November 8, 2021 by Doug Rucker Doug Rucker

PRESSURE CLEANING SCHOOL REVIEW

One of my students joined me on a commercial cleaning job in Katy, Texas to learn and expand his skill set to grow his business. He also spoke about his experience, giving this PRESSURE CLEANING SCHOOL REVIEW video. This job was for St John XXIII College Preparatory High School with an extremely impressive campus.

MONTHLY SCHOOL

He attended my monthly school in June 2021 and is actually from the Katy, Texas area. Jacques Nash spoke openly about how “green” he was to our industry. He said “It was very informative and I learned a lot from the hands on training.” The first day of training is on a job site and gives the opportunity to use a wide range of equipment. In addition, he was able to use our KINGSLINGER soft wash system. He also makes it clear that one HUGE advantage is being able to ask questions and “pick my brain” in the moment on the job site. Make sure you listen to his entire pressure cleaning school review video for all the details.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Once someone attends my school, I remain a lifelong mentor to help them succeed in the pressure washing business. Any of my students are free to contact with me anytime with any questions or concerns that I might be able to help with. We use an app called “VOXER” and it is a great way to keep in touch. In addition, there are many great resources available to my students online through the forum and private access area.

DOUG RUCKER STORE

Jacques was in my store purchasing supplies and simply asked what I had planned for the weekend. That’s when he learned about the project I had planned for the school in the town where he lives, in Katy, Texas. So Jacques joined me for this project and was able to get even more on the job hands on training at no extra cost. He was able to use all the equipment on my commercial trailer rig. He cleaned concrete, brick and stone surfaces on this large school campus. For more information, please don’t hesitate to check out our FAQ page.

October 27, 2021 by Doug Rucker Doug Rucker

PRESSURE WASHING VS SOFT WASHING

This PRESSURE WASHING VS SOFT WASHING post and video examines the difference between these two cleaning strategies. This is from my perspective as I got started in the business over 40 years ago. But it also addresses changes in the industry over the years. My very first pressure washing job was in 1979 as a junior in high school.

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

When I began there was no pressure washing vs soft washing debate. However, we did soft wash, but without using that specific terminology. Basically, we would apply the mix gently. In other words, when using gentle pressure we would downstream. We would use the black, green and yellow tips, applying the stream or mist from a distance back away from the surface. So to me personally, down streaming is the original soft wash method. Pressure Washing vs Soft Washing did become more relevant about 10 years later. A franchise power washing company began using, promoting and marketing soft washing as a service alternative. ‘

SOFT WASHING DEFINITION

I define soft washing the following way. Soft washing means applying mix to any surface softly with a dedicated pump. It also always includes a light rinse. This approach allows applying a stronger mix than what down streaming can deliver. In the video, I explain that the original dedicated pump is a pump up sprayer. Be sure and watch the entire video as I provide an answer to the question many people ask me about this. That question is “How do I know what my mix ratio is when down streaming or using a downstream injector?”

NEW PUMP OPTIONS

Pressure Washing vs Soft Washing gains quite a bit of traction once new electric pumps take the place of a pump up sprayer. 12 volt pumps were first, which were wired and hooked into systems and tanks. In addition to new pump options, tank sizes grew well beyond the pump up sprayer size. This allows a new approach we call “batch mixing.” This means creating a cleaning solution with bleach, soap, and water. Then air diaphragm pumps such as the FLOWJET pump came along. This is what we have on our KINGSLINGER soft wash system. Booster pumps and gas operated systems also became more and more prevalent over time. We sell all of these systems and options through the Doug Rucker Store. The full video is 23:00 so I encourage you to take the time to view the entire video.

October 18, 2021 by Doug Rucker Doug Rucker

DROP TUBE FITTINGS

This DROP TUBE FITTINGS post and video comes as a result of a YouTube channel viewer request. There are a couple different ways you can install them. You can get all the parts at your local stores such as Home Depot or Lowe’s, but you can also get them from the Doug Rucker Store website. In this video, I use the lid of a 5 Gallon Bucket for demonstration purpose to more easily show how to install drop tube fittings.

NO FILTER NEEDED

Some people like to use sand filters when installing drop tube fittings. I choose not to use filtration because it restricts the flow. The way we plumb our tanks with ventilation means we never open the lid. Thus, there is seldom any trash or debris found in the tanks. Be sure and view the entire video because there are a lot of variables that I discuss. There are many different parts and many different strategies to make drop tube fittings.

BLUE COLLAR ENTREPRENEUR

Check out the YouTube channel called “Blue Collar Entrepreneur.” I actually got the idea for using uniseals from this channel. It’s a pretty good channel! Cutting holes for the uniseal is a little bit different than for the bulkhead fittings so pay close attention to the cutting process. In this case, the seal is “built in” so to speak. It’s important to prepare the drop tube fittings so that air does not penetrate the system.

If you have any questions at all, please use the comments section in the YouTube video. Also, don’t forget that if you need a website for your new pressure washing business, we can help! Or if you are unhappy with the way your website looks and feels presently, we can also help with that as well! Just click that same link!

September 8, 2021 by Doug Rucker Doug Rucker

STONE COATED ROOF CLEANING

STONE COATED ROOF CLEANING is important to understand if you own a pressure washing business. Decra is one of the most popular brands of stone coated roofing materials. They are actually metal roofing with a grit type coating applied to the surface. To the average eye, they look identical to a regular shingle or tile roof. This is still a relatively new product line and we do not run across many of these in our business in Houston. But have provided roof cleaning service for several customers in the last few years.

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

In this video, I am able to show you precisely what the underside of it looks like. When you are providing stone coated roof cleaning service, it’s important to remember a few things. First, you can the difference because you do not see the kind of layers noticeable on traditional roofing materials. Second, it important to know that it is more expensive to install stone coated roofing. However, the cost is offset as they last much longer. In some cases, they will last two to three times longer than the others.

CLEANING PROCESS

When it comes to stone coated roof cleaning, we have always used our standard bleach mixture. This means typically a 30-40 mixture of bleach to water. And sometimes we also use a light soap. Here is a link to one of the cleaning solutions we use as needed. Rinsing will usually depend on landscaping underneath, gutters and things of that nature. Manufacturers do provide a list cleaning agents they recommend, but we have found they do not work as well. In fact, we have been called upon to clean in some cases after recommended agents were tried and failed. This is when educating the customer becomes a very important strategy for stone coated roof cleaning.

WALKING ON THE ROOF

For stone coated roof cleaning, some argue that you should never walk on the roof. But we have been able to walk on them without any damage occurring. Here are a few key tips to keep in mind. First, it helps to be a light weight person. We use regular soft soled tennis shoes and not cougar paws because they are heavier and add weight. It’s important to watch the video for details on how to walk strategically when providing stone coated roof cleaning service. Installers walk all over them when installing, but you do need to know how to walk in such a way as to prevent damage. Of course, you’ll need a soft wash system and we always recommend the KINGSLINGER.

August 3, 2021 by Doug Rucker Doug Rucker

X-JET PRESSURE WASHER

The X-JET PRESSURE WASHER chemical injection nozzle comes in variety of options that you will need to choose from. You will choose an orifice size which matches the gallon per minute machine you will use with it. Complete product specifications can be found at the Doug Rucker Store website. This video unboxing is the number 13 corresponding to a 4-4.5 gallon per minute machine. The product includes a small bag with color proportioners and a 15 foot hose with screen filter. The hose also has a two way shut off valve. Of course, it also includes the X-JET PRESSURE WASHER nozzle. The instruction guide has a large amount of very helpful information.

X-JET PRESSURE WASHER BUCKET

In this video, I also demonstrate using an X-JET five gallon bucket. This bucket is a no spill container and is connected to the X-JET hose. You’ll want to make sure you keep the bucket well ventilated with the vent hole on the side or back of the bucket. DON’T LOSE THE VENT CAP! Click here for more information on the X-JET bucket. Another option is to make your own bucket, which I provide instructions for in this video as well.

GUN MODIFICATION

You can also use the X-JET nozzle with a pressure washing gun by hooking it up at the end of the lance. My recommendation is not to use the X-Jet for roof cleaning. I have seen too much roof damage caused from higher pressure volumes X-Jetting with a gun. They are great for house washing but not for roof cleaning. This method of cleaning saves money on wear and tear because it reduces the amount of equipment the bleach touches. In general though, I prefer downstreaming over X-Jetting. But they are handy to have because they are more effective for some particular jobs.

WEBSITE SERVICES

Does your new pressure washing startup business need website services? There is no sense in you having to reinvent the wheel! Check out the website services we offer.