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Tucsongardener.com |
Cleaning Machine
As a container plant grower I've made the
mistake of not putting some sort of saucer under each of the
pots. I don't do it because I don't want to have to spend money on the extra
saucers or I don't have the right size or I'm afraid the saucer will hold
water and be one of those hidden breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Now I'm
paying the price My concrete porch and walk is badly stained where the
pots sat and the water drained through.
With the recent remodel
of the family kitchen the carpenters, plumbers, tile setters, and painters used my
carport as a shaded storage and work area. That meant the carport floor became a
magnet for dry wall and cut tile dust, spilled joint compound, grout, thin set, adhesive
and paint. So with all those stains and those left by my potted plants I decided I
wanted to try one of those high pressure washers I'd seen advertised. So I rented one for
a couple of hours.
The Beast
I figured I'd be using a small electric washer but ended up with a gas model with a 5.5
horsepower engine mounted to a big metal plate. (Wheels would have been nice.) After
getting a few instructions on how the thing worked I hoisted the monster into the back of
the truck and headed home. Figuring I'd clean my carport, walkways, and back porch I told
the clerk behind the counter I'd rent the tool for a day. He said if I finished early to
bring it back and save myself a few bucks.
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The 2000 psi gas pressure
sprayer was somewhat of a beast to use. It had a tendency to wander aimlessly from all the
vibration caused by the motor. |
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The power of high
pressure water knocked loose dirt, paint, mold and things I couldn't even identify from
the concrete. |
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There was no problem setting the 2000 psi sprayer up once I got it out of the truck.
All I had to do was hook up the sprayer hose and then the garden hose. Next I had to turn
on the hose full blast and give the gasoline engine a pull. It started right up. I figured
the neighbors weren't too happy with all the noise from the gasoline engine. Maybe I
wouldn't be using it all day.
I grabbed the spray wand with both hands and pointed it toward a spot of paint on the
concrete. Wham! It was gone. Recent paint spills washed away nicely. Old paint didn't
budge. That was okay, I was there for the new stuff.
Ten minutes later my arm was a little sore from holding the wand and I had a hum in my
ears because of the loud motor. I'd washed quite a bit of crud off the walk and carport
but what I left behind was a lot of water and it wasn't nourishing any of my plants.
The Guilt
As a Tucson gardener I recognize the value of water. Using it to wash off a few stains on
the concrete at close to three gallons a minute wasn't such a good idea after all. I
hurried to get the paint off the concrete and used the sprayer to get rid of a few other
major stains. I took a broom and pushed the water so it went toward some of my landscaping
instead of down the driveway. Then I undid the garden hose, sprayer hose and loaded the
machine back into the truck. Hey there's been a drought. I had no business wasting water.
If you live in an area with an abundance of water the pressure sprayer is a very useful
cleaning tool. In the desert you have to decide what's more important - a cleaned surface
or saving a valuable vanishing resource. I'm sure I won't be renting a high pressure
sprayer again and I'm going to live with most of the stains on my concrete.
(2000) |
