Here’s everything you need to know—including the safety risks involved—about this heavy-duty cleaning method
Bathroom features like tubs and showers are havens for gunk and grime because of extended water exposure, and pressure washing can be a good way to restore their original glory with minimal physical effort. But before committing to this cleaning style, it’s important to know about the risks that it can pose to both yourself and your bathroom and prepare accordingly to get the best results. The following guide breaks down why or why not you might choose to go this route, plus exactly what to do to stay safe if you do.
Pressure washing can be dangerous and damage your property if not done correctly. We highly recommend hiring a pro to ensure the job is completed safely and correctly.
While it should never be your first choice to use a pressure washer indoors, you might want to consider pressure washing your shower or bathtub if you’ve tried every other method to remove grime with no luck.
It generally isn’t advised to use a pressure washer in your bathroom, so be sure to test out other cleaning tricks first and only use this option as a last resort.
Pressure washers range in price from $100 to $1,000 to buy outright, but you’ll pay just $35 to $175 per day to rent one instead. If you are considering investing in one for long-term use, remember that you get what you pay for and more expensive options will last longer and deliver better results. Since this is a more precarious spot to use the power tool, you might even want to hire a local cleaning service to do the job for you. That’ll cost you about $30 to $50 per hour.
Although pressure washing indoors isn’t recommended because of physical hazards and the damage it can cause to delicate interior fixtures, the following steps will help you stay as safe as possible during the process.
Gas-powered pressure washers are a big no for indoor use for a couple of reasons. For one, they emit dangerous carbon monoxide fumes that can be especially hazardous when working in closed spaces. Plus, they are more pressurized than electric alternatives and therefore more likely to cause damage to things like tile and grout.
A common pressure washing mistake is not protecting your fixtures. Although you can adjust a pressure washer to be more or less forceful overall, there are some bathroom elements that may be damaged even if your machine is set on low. The high pressure can tear apart reapplied caulks, weak seals, or delicate fixtures. In general, you’ll want to avoid pressure washing things like caulk, sealant, or a tub or shower that’s been refinished as these features are extremely delicate to begin with.
The last thing you want to have to worry about while cleaning your tub or shower is tripping over a cord, so be sure to choose a wireless pressure washer for such tasks if possible.
Even if you’re extremely careful about where you point the nozzle, there’s still likely to be overspray when using a pressure washer. Keep yourself safe from slippage by having towels or mop handy for quick drying and wear shoes that won’t slip and slide.
Once you’ve carefully considered whether you can do the job safely, read through these tips to get your shower or tub spick-and-span in no time with a pressure washer.
Before getting started, make sure you have the following tools and materials at your disposal.
Tools
Electric pressure washer with green, 25-degree nozzle
Garden hose
Mops or towels
Shower brush or abrasive cleaning pad
Safety equipment: non-slip shoes and goggles are highly recommended
Materials
Plastic sheeting
Duct tape
Choosing the right nozzle for such a project is of the utmost importance. If you can’t obtain a green, 25-degree nozzle, a yellow, 15-degree nozzle is the next best bet. Never use a zero-degree red nozzle for indoor uses because such a high concentration of pressure will almost certainly damage your shower or tub.
Remove anything from your space that might get in the way or become damaged during the power washing process before beginning. That includes everything inside of your shower or tub, like shower caddies, soaps and shampoos, and loofahs, as well as anything nearby that may be affected by overspray, like bath mats or electric appliances such as hair dryers or toothbrushes.
When everything is removed, cover the floor and bathroom features like the sink and toilet with plastic sheeting, and use duct tape to seal tightly.
You’ll need to attach your pressure washer to an external water source whether or not it’s cordless. In most cases, this will be your garden hose. Place the pressure washer outside but close enough to your bathroom that it can reach your shower or tub without difficulties (usually by a window).
From there, connect the pressure washer to your hose and place it through the closest window or door into your bathroom. Then, if it’s not cordless, plug the pressure washer into a GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupters) outlet to prevent electric hazards. Fortunately, it won’t be difficult to find one because this type of outlet is mandatory in bathrooms.
Finally, start cleaning with your pressure washer set on low. If you find that that’s not enough, gradually increase until you get the desired effect.
Moving the nozzle horizontally, begin at the top of your shower or bathtub walls, and work your way downward. Working in the opposite direction will push debris upwards and make the cleaning process both lengthier and more difficult.
Once you’ve reached the bottom of your shower walls, turn off your pressure washer and finish the rest by hand. Use an abrasive cleaning pad or electric or manual shower brush to remove grime from the caulk or sealant at the base of your walls.
If you’d rather avoid the added costs of pressure washing, the following tips will stop grime before it becomes necessary.
Aim to scrub your shower or tub walls once every one to two weeks to prevent extreme gunk and grime build-ups. The longer you let it accumulate, the more likely an intensive solution like pressure washing will be necessary.
Scrubbing dirty shower or tub walls clean by hand is much easier to do if you first apply a solution to loosen it up. Before resorting to pressure washing, try applying one of the following solutions to clean your shower first.
Equal parts baking soda and warm water
One part water and two parts vinegar
Equal parts bleach and water (remember never to mix bleach with any other chemicals)
Store-bought grout and tile cleaning solution
Not having to do an arm workout to get a clean shower is undeniably the biggest draw of pressure washing, but there are other tools that are less invasive but will still cut down on your workload. Electric bathroom scrubbers are wireless, easy to maneuver, and will do the majority of manual labor for you. They are also way less likely to damage tub or shower features in the process.
The cost to hire a house cleaner near you to clean your shower or tub isn’t too high: about $30 to $50 per hour. Pressure washing services specifically range from $100 to $750 for both indoor and outdoor features like pressure washing a fence. By contrast, you’ll pay far less to do it yourself if you decide to rent rather than buy a pressure washer. If you’re worried that you aren’t skilled enough to operate the machine safely, though, you may be better off leaving the job to a pro.
It‘s risky to pressure wash indoors, and we wouldn’t recommend it, but following all safety guidelines can prevent the worst outcomes. Always make sure to use an electric-powered machine over one that’s gas-powered, remove obstacles that could cause tripping or falling, and keep appliances like hair dryers and toothbrushes unplugged and out of the way to prevent electrical hazards.
Though you might think that power and pressure washing are the same thing, there’s one small but important difference between the two: heat. Pressure washing uses cold water and power washing hot water, but both use similar amounts of pressure and the demands for operating each machine are virtually the same.
Even at the lowest setting, there’s always a risk that pressure washing might damage your shower or tub. Never use this technique if there’s pre-existing damage in your shower or tub, like peeling caulk, sealant, or cracked tiles. And skip this method entirely if there are any wood features present.
The white nozzle is your best choice for power washing indoors. The white nozzle, or the 40-degree nozzle, comes with a pressure even lower than the standard green nozzle but still has enough force to clean the surface. It works great for painted and wooden surfaces. It also doesn’t damage more delicate materials like ceramic or tiles. However, avoid pressure washing delicate furniture, caulking, and other surfaces that require more tendered touches than regular surfaces.
