Cleaned by Pete's Work

You can keep up with Cleaned by Pete and see a few of the jobs we are doing. Just visit our sister blog House Washing Springfield MO. I try to add some of the jobs we are doing there. You can always find us on "facebook" just look for Cleaned by Pete.

Cleaned by Pete

just a power washer serving the greater Springfield & surrounding areas.

417.459.7869

Ebb and Flow

The power washing business is one that relies on alot of different factors, well at least mine does. We relay on a couple of painters we do prep work for, a couple of contractors and builders, and a stone mason or two. If they slow down I also slow down, typically August and September are slow in the building trades thus I try to put on more house washing if possible. This year is has been good to us not bragging just a statement. With summer over our patio cleaning business is also slowing down as well as cleaning those outside eating areas for our commercial clients. Cooler temps mean less folks eating outdoors. Snow will soon be covering the sidewalks and the use of salts and ice-melts will lead to jobs this spring. The ebb & flow, plan for it have those sales pitches ready.

Now all this is based on my location also, I will work as long as it does not become a safety issue for clients or my machines. When we did KEC it was a year round job and income keeping the van with the washer and supplies in a heated building. Keeping it warm and ready to go year round. Trailers and other set ups are harder to find a large heated area to use. Heating a large area keeping equipment and supplies also takes more money. Budgeting to pull you through lean times has always been with us here in the Midwest. The more north you go the smaller the season gets and winterizing become more important, you have to budget or find other incomes during these times. I can not take on a part-time job at a store for the reason, my business comes first if someone should need "Cleaned by Pete" and conditions are right I will be doing that cleaning when the customer need it. Building and growing my business. It does put us in a hardspot, what do we do? Feeding the family comes first and as small business owners we have to compromise somewhat.

I don't know about carpet cleaning that much I know that with the proper equipment I have seen them cleaning year round. Our brothers in the other fields as painting can move inside for winter jobs. The construction trades can also move inside if they have walls and a roof up. But a person who is specializing in house washing or concrete cleaning doing outside work is at the mercy of the seasons. Being on call to grow your business is a must taking on small jobs or cleanings may be something one has to do to get by. I'm very "old school" in regards to putting food on the table and a roof over the families head. If I can do it I will. It is harder to clean in the winter and more precautions are needed and have to be taken, all part of working with water and being a power washer.

We as an industry are linked and tied to others no matter what field of washing we take, from residential to commercial. Depending on the area you live or work in we are also tied and linked to the seasons and weather in general. I use to worry about it alot more than I do now, but if you take it day by day and build your business step by step along the way you will be a success. If it was easy you would not see the 1 or 2 year turnover in power / pressure washing companies that we do. With less job this time a year it is easy to blame them. A new crop comes in and pops up every couple of years. You may think they are taking your business away. That is a easy blame but only work and perseverance will make your business not getting rid of them will help you. Those that fly-by-night or "low ball prices" will always be there whether is is the group doing it now or the new crop that will spring up next year. Your problem is not them it is all in the ebb and flow of being in the power washing business. Working hard and a never say die attitude is a must in any business but with a little luck and a good business plan you should be able to weather the storm or the ebb & flow of this business. Hang in and hold on, this industry has its' ups and downs but still can be quite rewarding career.

The Magic Behind It: Using a Nozzle Chart

Using the Nozzle Chart an instructional guide. I have blogged about nozzles size, how to use them and why nozzling works with a power washer. I was still asked how do you come up with that information? I tell them the nozzle chart tells you what you need to know. It is not magic or hard to see once you have been shown so I'll give it a try. 

Below you will see a basic nozzle chart there are more complex one out there but this one is good for us to learn on.

Ok it all we need to know before starting is how many gallons per minute your power washer puts out. We don't care how powerful it is, what size the motor is, what type of pump it has or what brand. 

For this first try let's say our washer is a 4 gpm (gallons per minute) @ 4000 psi (pounds per square inch) the only reason I'm noting the psi is you'll never make more than what it is rated at. I can not put out 5000 psi with a 4000 psi machine, even with a smaller nozzle. The machine will simply bypass water, if you size a nozzle to small, which will just over work your unloader wearing it out faster.

Now we want to clean some vinyl on a home, do we need 4000 psi the rating on the washer? No not for vinyl lets say for example, more like 1000 psi will do the job. Up to the chart find 1000 psi and go down till we find our gpm output which is 4 gpm .......... found it? If so move to the left till you find the first column. You should be on 08 if you want only to use a 1000 psi with a 4 gallon washer you need a #08 nozzle in the fan pattern you wish.

Let's go again we want to use 2000 psi for some cleaning 2000 psi down to 4 gpm move to the lst column you would need a 05,5 you saw there is no 4 gpm so we use the closest to it 3.9 in this case.

Once again, 3500 psi no 4 so what is close 3.7 or 4.2 I alway go with the smaller number since you can not create more water flow than what you have so I would use a #4 tip which is what we would also use to achieve full pressure. I did this to show you can tune your pressure just so far since nozzles come in only full and half sizes we can do only so much.

What if we have a 5 gallon out put machine? Lets try it. I want 1500 psi same thing find the 1500 column down to this time 5 to the left. You should be at? A #10 nozzle.  Wanting 2500 psi you should have found a #06. The larger size lets more water pass through giving a softer or less harsh psi. I now hope you see it is not magic or that hard to use to find what you need for washing. You never have to touch your unloader like some think you do to set psi. You set it at peak psi and use nozzles to control your psi.

Our simple chart above was good for training but lets go back to washing that vinyl home I would like to use only 800 psi but our chart does not go down that far. Other Charts do though. Let's have a go at this one.

Harder to read I'm sorry but we can see the 800 psi column down to 4 gpm left to first column and we need a ..... #08.5 to wash a vinyl sided home. At 5 gpm a #11 works.

I hope this now make more sense to you. Using nozzles to reduce psi or nozzling as I call it is simple and easy. You need not worry about blasting or harming soft surfaces with a oversized nozzle and a wider fan pattern you can open up your world of clean.

High pressure is good for a few things but controllable psi is far more useful.

I wish to add since I have different machines that I use a nozzle is a nozzle so they can work in all the different machines. The tool box is full of nozzles so I can use the chart this way too. I have a #08.5 nozzle that I may want to use with my 4.5 gpm unit. What will it do? Find the nozzle size in the first column..... move to the right till I find the closest output to 4.5 then up to see what it can do. If my eyes are right looks to be 1000 psi. One more try lets say we have a #50 which some like to soap and rinse homes with. Why? What will it put out with a 8 gallon machine? Size 50 in the first column to the output to 8 gpm moving right looks like 7.1 is the closest out put, then up,  shows 100 psi. That is about twice the psi of an average garden hose "soft washing". With the chart a handful of nozzles you can adjust your washing pressure to most projects. Power to soft washing it is all in the tips you use.

Does not matter what our max out put was does not matter what our motor size was, didn't matter what brand or type of pump we have. If I was using any 8 gallon (that was properly outfited, meaning it has the proper motor and running speed) out put machine with a #50 nozzle it will be putting out @100 psi of washing power. I'm a geek when it come to having the right tools and equipment. Being able to fine tune a power washer to get the best, safest, and most effect use from the water we use helps save this resorce. 

Water is one of the most precious resources we have doing our part to get the best  effect from it is "eco friendly" and a no-brainer. Each doing their part, to do what we can to help mother earth out a bit, is what a professional power washer does or should be doing.

Cleaned by Pete
power, pressure & soft washing
417.459.7869
for all your cleaning needs Springfield MO.

One thing we face as a small business "The Pest".

One thing we face as a small business is "the pest".

Not bugs, not the dog next door or even neighborhood kids running around. As a small business owner we face a whole different type of pest; the unwanted solicitor. Better known as spammers, phishers, or telemarketers. Being a small business we need to take all leads and calls coming in, with cell phones you may never know where or who may be calling you for a job, quote or question about service. Each call or email is important and may help pay the bills to survive this economy.

Will they ever stop?

Your phone is ringing the number looks unfamiliar but you still need to answer it, only to get the "Your google map listing may not be right" or the pause that never says any thing. These marketers need to make a quota of calls each day you may find your phone getting two or three calls form the same number each day. I have a caller that I can not get rid of calls three times each Wednesday every week at almost the same time I know the number and just don't answer it, but it take time from what your doing, stopping getting the phone out and looking at the number. These phone calls are getting bad. More telemarketers are calling all the time if you answer they are selling your phone number to other telemarketers, it is big business annoying other people on the phone by wasting your time.

I have tried to slowed them down some, by waiting for the phone to ring at least three times then waiting about three to four seconds before saying the company name. I use to say Pete speaking how may I help you. With the "robo" call they have the company name and a contact person which they them call back later and pretend to know you or have done business with you. I now wait three to four seconds and say the company name and wait if no response I will hang up. Hopefully the robo call will take it as a fax, or answering machine and they will not call back or put your number up as a live number for others to call.

Emails are another source for these leaches to practice their trade. Even opening emails can now be tracked and can unleash some form of take over a "hack" maybe just your address book or worse. It takes time for you to do a search to see what is new or out there but you have to be careful you never know. What is one to do? I wish I knew we now live in a different world where thief and scammers are out there and participating in their trades only you are the one that looses each and every time. You loose time you loose productivity you could higher a screener or call center to receive your calls but you are a small business and pinching pennies now. In any case does trowing money at it  fix the problem? I think not, until things change or these practices are exposed callers will call emailers will email with out regards to you or me it is their business to intrude into ours.

As for now there is not much a person "the small business owner" can do but to help get the word out on these numbers I do post constant callers to some of the pages that do track them as: http://www.badnumbers.com/657-202-9040/ or http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-954-688-3007  this may help others or help drive these people away (fat chance) but it does help vent a bit if nothing else. Here is another one: http://www.callercenter.com/206-333-0505.html . Doing business in the modern world  takes different avenues and approaches.

I would like to add one more thing here. I have nothing against the men and women who make a living at call centers or even calling from their home, you need to make a living too. But no means "no" and you should honor a one call limit, most are courteous when told no. There are some, that give your industry a very bad name, but this is true in all industries.

This is just fitting! As I am fishing this entry off and doing a bit of rewording, I just now received a call from 503.333.577eight who is out of Portland OR but is working closely with the golf courses here in town and thought my company would be a good fit with their advertising package. What is the best thing they represent "the list of courses" which they don't know range from private courses, country clubs and those owned by the city, county or parkboard some do not advertise at all being that the parkboard owns and runs them. They didn't want to talk about this detail. Life is just full of little ironies isn't it.

Pictorial History of Power Washing, part II

A pictorial history of power washing.

A few more pictures of the pictorial history of pressure washing. First hot-water high pressure washer was invented by Alfred Karcher in 1950 in Germany. Which some say was a refinement of Frank Ofeldt's steam cleaner. Designed and invented in the United States. The steam pressure washer or "high-pressure Jenny" is introduced much earlier, in 1927. Refinements have been made but we all own and use something that is credited to these two gentlemen. These pictures have been used from the internet. If you or your companies owns them and may wish them removed please email us and we will remove them. Pictures have link to web sites where you can find them and more information.

The Hypressure Jenny was the first Steam Cleaner ever made - first in the world! It was invented by Mr. Frank W. Ofeldt, II in 1927. He immediately joined Homestead Valve Manufacturing Co. in Coraopolis Pennsylvania, and later became Chief Engineer of the Hypressure Jenny 

 //www.jennyproducts.com/HistoryArticle.html

Sioux was founded in 1939 in Beresford, South Dakota, initially manufacturing steam cleaners used to clean automobile engines.  In 1965, the company was sold to John and Virginia Finger, who began designing additional models of steam cleaners and hot or cold water pressure washers, with larger capacities and pressures for application in other industries. http://www.sioux.com/history-of-sioux-corporation.html

In 1977 the first Epps Products pressure washer was produced.  The model 800E, @ 800 PSI and 3 GPM. http://www.eppsproducts.com/aboutus.html

http://www.tractorumbrellas.com/photo/malsbary-steam-cleaners-farm-machinery

http://www.hotsy.com/oldestworkinghotsy.aspx

The powerful streams of water ripped through clay, rocks and gravels, blasting away entire mountains.  http://www.brackensgoldrush.com/History.htm

This 1900 photo shows a water cannon blasting away a hillside at the Calhoun Gold Mine, in Lumpkin County, during the second gold rush.
Courtesy of Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia Collection

The last two pictures so how water pressure cannons we use early on for dirt removal sometimes whole mountains here we have more volume than pressure, today we have great pressure with less volume doing the same job. It all comes down to dirt and grime removal.
For all your dirt and grime removal call Cleaned by Pete for a free prompt estimate at 417-459-7869 serving the Southwest and greater Springfield MO area.

Extension or Telescoping poles: the locking system

Extension or Telescoping poles: the locking system

If your read the entry about poles the other day you know the entry took a different path but I did leave it as it was. I had not thought about going in to the aspects of telescoping poles. One of the readers wanted a bit of clarification on the locking mechanism that are used to keep the length of the pole in place and then allow it to be collapsed back down. I said I would put in a quick entry and here it is.

Sunday morning found me reading my e-mail and a question form a reader popped up, could I explain the locking mechanism on the pole just a bit more. I have a few examples of the locking styles that I have seen, used or been around. I know you can find more styles out there or systems using a combination of these locks. 

I mentioned in the last blog a few styles, but a picture is worth a thousand words and may help in starting to understand the locking types.

The first pole shows a cam lock this lock, it is inside and by twisting the poles the cam is pressed or locked inside against the other pole, The can be a tappered cam or an off centred cam. Second pole has one style of the lever lock it pinches one pole's outside tightly against the other poles inside locking them in place. The last is the pin lock where a pin falls into a predrilled hole to keep the pole in place.

The cam lock 

The cam lock has been around for a long time and is use on several styles of poles. Though with water fed poles it has a draw back, you can not run your water line inside of the pole. There are some companies that use cam locks still and just run the water line on the outside of the pole. I see a lot of window washing poles are still external feed poles. Cam lock's also can be the knurled end is fitted into the end of one pole then the off set plug locks against the side of the other pole holding them in place. To lock this in place you twist the poles in opposite directions. An other draw-back is smaller poles are harder to grip when wet.

cam lock device

The twist lock or locking cone lock

This is the oldest style use on most water fed poles or pressure washing heavy duty ones you may encounter. It work by tighten the large cone shaped ring on fingers under it to pinch or tighten against the smaller pole inside. You tighten the cone shape barrel by twisting it the tighter you do now the harder it is to undo later. I have had trouble getting grime in the fingers and over-tightening is a problem. Keeping it clean and a genteel snug to tighten it is all that is needed to keep this problem from happening.

The tappered cone is tightened down against the fingers locking the poles in place.

Twist locks come in several sizes to work with the different diameters of the poles or tubing.

Pin locks

This is a sure way to lock into one length it will not move or come loose with work it is a very positive way to keep the poles at the working length. I have never used one of these style of poles so I can not give you much feed back. One draw back is there are preset hole drilled into the pole giving you only the preset length, this is not a big deal though you are only less than six inches off. 

Push the button it lifts or depresses the pin and you can slide out the pole to the desired length.

Pin lock style lets you lock the pole into the desired length it is a very positive locking system.

Lever lock or clamp lock

The last system I will look at is the lever lock it is a clamping system it has a clamp the is activated by a lever or a screw-nut. You use the leverage to tighten the internal pole against the out side of the sliding pole it is fixed onto the other pole keep it from moving. One disadvantage is the larger screw-nuts may get in the way but the smaller streamlined lever is less likely too. Over tighten may be a problem here too and breakage of the plastic lever.

 the screw-nut type of locking clamp

lever locking style of clamp lock

Typical arrangement of the telescoping pole what ever the locks they use the have a smaller pole inside of a larger pole and some type of locking system to keep it in place.

Other styles of locks

You may see other style of locks too I found a few pictures.

I hope this will help to clear up some of your questions on the locking systems and how they work. All these locking systems work by pinching against the wall of the pole except the pin system. Keeping your pole at the desired length while working is all that is needed but being able to quickly change and adjust the length is where each may differ. This will all be up to each user of which system he or she will use. I have carpal tunnel in my hands and find the large twist locks the easiest to work with and have been using this system for a lot of years as I stated in the last blog entry. Thank you for reading our blog and please visit our web sites, links are on the right. As always call:

Cleaned by Pete at 417-459-7869 for all your power washing needs in Springfield and the Southwest MO area

House Washing Wednesday

House Washing Wednesday

Cleaned by Pete: house washing for the Southwest and greater Springfield MO area.

We post pictures of home we wash in the greater Springfield MO area each Wednesday. Today's home is:

 

Insert picture of your home here!

With a simple call to 417-459-7869 for a free prompt estimate

Cleaned by Pete can take your home from dull to dazzling with a house wash.

Using the latest safe methods for cleaning and environmentally safe cleaners. 

comments

"Many Thanks for a job very welldone! The day after Pete cleaned my house he drove past on an errand, saw something that didn't meet his standards, I didn't notice it, but returned and did that part over again! Pride in your work is something one doesn't see very often. Alive and well at Pete's. Thanks again!"

 "Yes! I called you ... I should have told you how awesome of a job you did - you did!"

  "totally awesome!"

 

House Washing Wednesday

It is house washing Wednesday once again so here are some photos of home Cleaned by Pete have washed in the South-west and greater Springfield area.

House washing take on may forms sizes shapes and Cleaned by Pete know and has the equipment, tools and knowledge on how to clean and what do do to make your home the best looking house on the block. Give us a call at Cleaned by Pete for your free prompt estimate 417-459-7869

www.cleanedbypete.com

email: cleaned_by_pete@yahoo.com

House Washing Wednesday

Wednesday will be the day we post pictures of homes that Cleaned. From the soft-wash method to pressure washing or using both as need we can clean your home in the Springfield and Southwest MO area. Click here for more pictures of home we have washed.

An all brick home was covered in green pollen and dust from new home building in the neighbourhood using our extensions and water-pole we pressure the brick clean.

Home close to the lake was covered with mold and mildew they had taken out several over grown planted areas and not being cleaned for over 10 years a good cleaning made all the difference

New owner wanted all dust dirt mold off after purchase with all the bushes and vegetation not letting the sun in and auto water sprinklers around the home mold, rust and water stains were the main trouble cleaning areas.

This was a rental that collage student had it was covered in mildew, algae, and brown mold the  front porch covered with grease, oil and dirt from where they serviced their motor-bikes and scooters we won't talk about the rear deck.

Beautiful gardens but they transfer sap and due to watering the algae and mildew like to grow

A small rental that needed cleaning Cleaned by Pete cleans all sizes of homes

Southwest MO has a algae and mildew problem which are carried airborne even after a through cleaning it can reattach itself and start growing again we call it shotgun algae since it just spots the home in  dull gray to black color.

We had to re-clean and rework this one after 2 guys & 3200 psi washer got into the washing business their first client. They cut it with full pressure and a 0 degree nozzle and burned the siding with cleaners trying different spots on the front of the home and garage.

We have been doing this home for 3 years now keeping it cleaned it backs up to a wheat field plenty of dirt from plowing and planting and fallowing plus the pool area and plants add areas of concern in keep it clean.

Cleaned by Pete takes great pride in our work and we treat your home as ours when we are cleaning it. We will clean till you are 100% satisfied with the results. I will post more pictures here on the jobs we do and have done if you ever want to contact us go to our web pages of Facebook and you will find the contact info.

   Cleaned by Pete or what a power washer does:

Well this is going to be all new to me too. Blogging is fast becoming the best way to get noticed on the web. With the winter cold fast approaching here in Springfield MO water pressure washing better know as power washing is slowing down, for the season. Since I will have some free time I figured blogging will give me something to do. With that being said, I hope to learn a bit more about blogging and hope to entertain and maybe educate anyone who would read and watch this site. This being my first entry I will make it shorter and just introduce to you the company I have it is Cleaned by Pete  Mobile contract Cleaners  We have several web sites by clicking on our company names you can open different links on a new tabs to our different sites and check out what services we can do. In general we do what other "pressure washers" do but we strive for 100% satisfaction from our customers and do cleaning and washing others never thought of. I hope to enlighten you into our world of cleaning and all the different applications that can be done with water cleaning. We use low pressure steam, pressure washing up to 4000 psi, cold and heated water washing, soft-wash, high pressure wet-steam, high pressure dry steam, wet media blasting to name a few things and hope to let you know how and why they work. We are not fly by night or splash and dashers, we have years under our belts and plan to be around in years to come. I hope this will be fun for the readers I think it will be from this end.

Here is a video to help introduce us, thank you for your support.