Water pressure cleaners have definitely replaced the hose and brush. These days you’ll find them in supermarkets at rock bottom prices. But it’s important that you know how to use them properly and what precautions to take so as not to cause any harm to your boat. Here are a few essential top tips to take into account.
Clean the Hull immediately after taking the Boat out of the Water
These machines expel water at great pressure, enough to remove algae and encrustations. But you should do it quickly without giving them time to dry, which would make it a much more difficult task. It’s also important to know that the water expelled by the cleaner is expressed in litres per minute or per hour.
A greater flow and a larger cleaning jet leads to greater efficiency and also to faster and more effective cleaning.
Clean holding the Water at an Oblique Angle
These devices are known as Karcher, which is the name of the manufacturer. Prices vary from 100 to 700 euros depending on their power. They are capable of delivering pressures of over 130 bar.
If you have areas of strong incrustations or attached molluscs, you’ll have to approach them repeatedly, holding the water jet at an oblique angle to get rid of the incrustations and molluscs.
Get rid of very difficult Molluscs with a Spatula
The need of a spatula is sometimes essential to remove molluscs that definitely do not want to be separated from their host. It is always good to have a spatula to finish the job.
Some people say that cleaning with high pressured water may be bad for the hull and the best way is to test it and see if it is causing any problems. But more often than not, you’ll see that even with more powerful machines generating pressures of 180+ bar, no problems occur.
On deck it’s a real pleasure to see how quickly the boat cleans up and starts to look good as new, with hardly any effort required.But if your deck features teak wood, do not even think of using a high water pressure, because the strong water jet removes an important layer of wood, decreasing its thickness and protective qualities.
In any case, if the timber is very dirty, you can still spray it safely with fast sweeps and at a distance of more than half a meter.
Cleaning the deck with pressurized water is a more delicate matter. In any case, we must be careful not to direct the beam against the rubber seals or windows. Be careful with decorative stickers on the hull, since these will definitely peel off if you direct the jet straight at them.
Regarding dirty ropes, the same issue apply as with teak wood. It is tempting to wash them with the jet, since they clean up quickly and nicely, but they will also be damaged by the high pressure. Therefore it is best to wash them in a bucket of fresh water with a little soap.
Mireia Planells, writer from many blogs specialised in DIY projects for home improvement. You can see some other examples of her previous work in http://uk.tools4pro.com/blog/55_rubi-ts-mosaic-broken-tiles