Pressure Washing in Anaheim, CA

Pressure washing in Anaheim has less to do with fighting moss than with removing what dry weather leaves behind. The city gets about 14 inches of rain a year over roughly 35 rainy days, and its climate is classified as hot semi-arid. With so few storms to rinse surfaces, dust, pollen, tire grime, bird droppings and oil build up on stucco, driveways, patios and roofs for months at a time. Shaded walls, planter edges and spots hit by sprinklers can still grow black and green algae. The work is matching the right method to each surface and keeping the dirty water where it belongs.

Santa Ana winds and the dust they leave

The Santa Ana winds are named for Santa Ana Canyon in Orange County, where the winds funnel through the gap between the Puente Hills and the Santa Ana Mountains. Southern California sees about 10 to 25 Santa Ana events a year, mostly in autumn, each lasting one to seven days. The National Weather Service describes them as dust-bearing, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued windblown dust advisories covering inland Orange County during strong events. After a wind event, fine dust settles on window sills, patio furniture, solar panels and textured stucco, where it holds onto moisture and grime. A wash after the wind season ends removes that layer before it sets in.

Soft washing versus pressure washing

Both methods use a pressure washer, but they apply very different force. Soft washing puts a cleaning solution on at low pressure, gives it time to break down dirt and organic growth, and rinses gently. We use it on stucco, painted trim, fascia and concrete or clay roof tile, all of which can be damaged by a high-pressure stream. Pressure washing, usually with a rotary surface cleaner, is for hard flatwork such as concrete driveways, sidewalks and pool decks, where higher pressure is needed to lift embedded dirt evenly.

Where the wash water goes

Anaheim's own stormwater page notes that urban runoff flows untreated through the storm drain system and empties directly into local waterways. Chapter 10.09 of the Anaheim Municipal Code defines a prohibited discharge as any discharge that is not composed entirely of stormwater or that contains any pollutant, and Section 10.09.020 makes it a violation to cause, allow or facilitate one. The rule applies to a property owner's contractors as well, and a violation does not depend on intent. Washing at home is not a free pass: the code's exceptions cover non-commercial vehicle washing at residences, not cleaning a driveway or a building.

The Orange County stormwater program, a partnership of all 34 cities in the county, the County of Orange and the Orange County Flood Control District, publishes guidance for mobile power washers. It says to do dry cleanup first, keep work away from storm drain inlets, and never let wash water reach the curb, gutter or storm drain. Wash water can be collected with a wet/dry vacuum, pump or tank; directed to a landscaped area with the owner's permission, as long as it fully soaks in before the crew leaves; or sent to a sewer cleanout, utility sink or toilet with the owner's permission. We plan each job around one of those options.

Anaheim's water-use rules

Anaheim Public Utilities has been at Water Reduction Plan 1, which is voluntary, since the City Council stepped down from Plan 2 on July 18, 2023. Some water-waste rules still apply at all times. The city's water conservation FAQ lists washing down driveways and sidewalks with potable water as prohibited except to address an immediate health and safety need, and treats water running down a driveway or sidewalk as waste. That is one more reason we sweep or blow surfaces first, use trigger guns that stop the flow when released, and never hose debris into the street. If you are unsure whether a particular cleaning is allowed, ask us at the estimate or check with Anaheim Public Utilities.

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Mid-century homes and hillside homes

Anaheim grew from 14,556 residents in 1950 to 104,184 in 1960 and 166,408 in 1970, and the western part of the city is still dominated by mid-century tract houses. On older homes we look for painted stucco that may be chalking, original wood trim and fascia, and cracks that a high-pressure stream could open. The eastern third of the city, Anaheim Hills, was built to a master plan, and sloped lots there mean wash water can travel quickly toward the street, so containment gets extra attention.

Hard water and spotting

The City of Anaheim puts the hardness of its tap water at about 300 parts per million, or about 18 grains per gallon. Water that hard leaves mineral spots when it dries on glass, metal and dark surfaces. On windows and solar panels we use filtered water for the final rinse, and on the rest of the house we rinse from the top down and avoid letting water dry in full sun.

What a typical house wash includes

• A walk-around to note stucco condition, peeling paint, cracks and where water drains
• Dry cleaning first: sweeping or blowing off loose dirt, webs and debris
• Covering or wetting plants, closing windows and protecting outlets and fixtures
• Protecting nearby catch basins and setting up recovery or a landscape area for runoff
• Low-pressure application of a cleaning solution suited to the surface
• A gentle top-down rinse of walls, eaves, trim and doors
• A final walk-around with you before we pack up

Anaheim is the center of our service area, from the mid-century neighborhoods of West Anaheim and the historic Anaheim Colony downtown to the resort district and the hillside streets of Anaheim Hills. From there we work across north and central Orange County, including Fullerton, Placentia, Yorba Linda, Brea, Orange, Villa Park, Garden Grove, Stanton, Buena Park, Cypress, La Palma and Santa Ana. Every city in the county takes part in the countywide stormwater program, so the basic rule is the same everywhere: wash water stays out of the curb, gutter and storm drain. Water-use rules are set by your water provider, which may not be the city you live in, so check with your provider for the rules that apply at your address.