Pressure Washing Farm Equipment: The Complete Guide
We don’t have to tell you how messy farms can get. Whether it’s the dust accumulation from plowing fields or mud and grease from tractors themselves – your equipment is going to take a beating. And to a certain extent, that’s fine – this equipment is built to withstand the rigorous, intense conditions that working on a farm entails.
However, at a certain point, pressure washing farm equipment is a necessary part of your operation. It protects your investment and keeps your farm a safe place to work. But how do you pressure wash farm equipment? What is the best pressure washer for a farm? Do you need a detergent, too?
You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers. Here at Hotsy, we’ve helped countless farmers supercharge their cleaning process and extend the life of their equipment through our pressure washers and detergents. As such, we’ve come to be known as the premier choice for farmers seeking a commercial pressure washer in TX.
Today, we’ll guide you through everything you need to know about pressure washing farm equipment. First, let’s talk about what farm equipment and areas need to be cleaned regularly – and why a pressure washer is the premier choice.
What Farm Equipment & Areas Can be Cleaned With a Pressure Washer?
From commercial agriculture to dairy farming, the use cases for pressure washing are seemingly endless on farms. Here are the types of equipment and buildings that can benefit from the addition of a pressure washing solution:
- Barns
- Tanks
- Machinery
- Tractors
- Milking Parlors
- Out Buildings
- Cattle Pens
- Greenhouses
- Plows
While dirt, mud, and much are a part of your day-to-day life, that doesn’t mean they don’t pose a liability over the course of time. Here’s why pressure washing farm equipment is so important…
Why is Pressure Washing Farm Equipment Necessary?
Farmers have been using pressure washers to clean their farm equipment for many years. Because of how pressure washers work, there is no solution as fast or effective. There are several reasons why pressure washing is necessary.
Obviously, it helps to remove dirt, dust, and other debris from the equipment. This can help to keep the equipment in good condition. It also helps to remove grease and oils from the equipment, keeping the equipment functioning properly and reducing the risk of fires or other accidents.
Overall, keeping your farm equipment and machinery clean preserves the initial investment you made in it. And you already know how expensive some of this equipment can be. Keeping it running smoothly for as long as possible is paramount to your farm’s profitability. It’s also essential for eliminating downtime and lost productivity. On a farm, timing is everything.
Say you’re harvesting walnut trees – and the time for harvest is rapidly approaching. As you prepare, you notice your shakers aren’t working properly as bearings have become locked as a result of grease messes. This can lead to missing your window of opportunity to harvest trees at the perfect time. All of this could have been avoided through regularly scheduled cleaning and maintenance!
The second reason to keep your equipment clean is to prevent the transmission of bacteria and other microorganisms on the equipment onto your trees or animals. The last thing you want to do is kill off trees or part of your herd through contamination that could have easily been avoided.
All things considered, farm equipment needs routine cleaning – and a pressure washer is the fastest, most effective way to get the job done safely. So – let’s talk about what you’ll need for the process.
What Equipment is Needed to Pressure Wash Farm Equipment?
Of course, you can’t get started pressure washing farm equipment without the pressure washer itself. But with all the different pressure washer types, making the right decision can feel overwhelming.
Don’t worry – we’ve got this. We’re going to help you choose the best pressure washer for a farm below. Then, we’ll talk about everything else you’ll need to really get the most effective, efficient cleaning process possible – including a pressure washer degreaser soap and PPE.
What is the Best Pressure Washer for a Farm?
Choosing the right pressure washer comes down to a few key considerations. First, do you need a hot water or cold water pressure washer? A cold water pressure washer certainly has its place – but on the farm, you need the extra cleaning power of a heated unit. This will cut through grease, mud, and other grime much faster than a cold water unit would.
Another important criterion to consider when seeking the best pressure washer for a farm is the PSI. What is a good PSI for a pressure washer used on a farm, though? We recommend a unit with right around 3,000 PSI. This is powerful enough to make quick work of even the toughest messes with little risk of damaging expensive farm equipment.
You should also consider the GPM your unit is rated at. Wait – what is GPM on a pressure washer? This metric speaks to the flow of water – in other words, how fast the unit can clean. And for farm equipment, we suggest a GPM of around 3-4.
One of the most overlooked elements of choosing the right pressure washer for agriculture or dairy farms is the water source. Do you have a water source nearby your equipment? If not, you’ll need to either build a DIY pressure washing trailer or invest in a reliable pressure washer trailer for sale at Hotsy.
One final consideration is the operation of your unit – should you go with an electric vs gas pressure washer? For cleaning farm equipment, gas is superior. This style is more versatile since you aren’t restricted by cords – you can clean in the field, at the warehouse, or anywhere in between. Moreover, these units tend to be more powerful.
And if you’re looking for a quick recommendation, our article on the best commercial pressure washer is a great starting point! Otherwise, reach out to the experts at Hotsy – we’ll get you taken care of with exactly what you need for your unique farm equipment.
Our hot pressure washer for sale are the #1 choice among not just farmers – but everyone who needs the most reliable, efficient cleaning solution. Nothing cleans like a Hotsy, after all! Except, of course, a Hotsy paired with the right degreaser…
Make Sure to Pair Your Pressure Washer With a Specially Formulated Detergent
Along with the best pressure washer for farm equipment, you need the best pressure washing soap. Not just any detergent will do – and we certainly advise you against using a DIY pressure washer soap! Instead, trust the specially formulated products we offer at Hotsy. These are designed to address specific messes you face on the farm for the fastest, most effective clean possible.
But the real benefit of our detergents is the advanced formula HCC additives. These help prevent scale build-up and fight corrosion in your equipment – further extending the life of your investment. And, they’re highly concentrated getting you the most bang for your buck. A little goes a long way!
Think about what you’re up against most – caked on dirt and mud, grease, and oil. Depending on your specific type of farm, you may also deal with regular animal-based messes – like blood, feces, and more.
All of this is to say that you need to make sure you use the right soap. But what kind of soap do you use in a pressure washer? Chances are, you’ll need a few different types on hand for tackling different types of messes on different types of surfaces. For example, what you’ll use to clean wheel grease and mud off your tractors is different from what you’ll use to clean the inside of your silos and fertilizer tanks.
This is why we recommend getting in touch with us at Hotsy. We can talk about what your exact cleaning needs are and which solutions are engineered for that particular use case. With that said, here are some of the most common detergents we see farmers using:
- Breakthrough!
- Floor Wash
- Advanced Formula Aluminum Brightener
- Polished Aluminum & Stainless Steel Cleaner
- Yellow Fever
- Carbochlor
- Power Shine
Other Pressure Washing Necessities for Your Farm
Using a pressure washer with detergent is going to change the way you clean your farm equipment. But, you can’t neglect other necessities – like the PPE gear needed for high-powered jets of water and strong chemical cleaning agents.
You should stock up on safety goggles, rubber boots (non-slip), and pressure washing suits/gloves. These should be waterproof and insulated to protect against powerful hot water jets.
Along with PPE, you may want to look into other cleaning products we have in store at Hotsy. We have automatic parts washers for sale to help you clean small parts from equipment fast and effectively. You should also stock up on hot water pressure washer parts and accessories to supercharge the process. This includes things like extra long hoses, wand extensions, foamer attachments, flat surface cleaners, soap tips for pressure washers, and more.
Of course, it’s always a good idea to keep some manual scrub brushes on hand too just in case you come across something your pressure washer is incapable of cleaning – although that occurrence is rare.
How Do You Pressure Wash Farm Equipment? Step-by-Step Recommendations
Now that you’ve got all your equipment on standby, it’s time for the fun part. How do you pressure wash farm equipment, though? Recommendations will vary depending on what exactly you’re cleaning. The specific process for cleaning tractors will vary from the specific process for cleaning cattle pens.
However, the principles for efficient, effective, and most importantly, safe cleaning are universal. Start by learning how to start a pressure washer in our blog. You’ll want to clear the area of any people/animals, or equipment that you don’t want to get washed. It may be worth covering up glass windows depending on how powerful your pressure washer is.
Then, check out our article on how to use soap with pressure washers. This will guide you through the ins and outs of adding detergent to your unit’s tank – including the specific concentration you should follow.
At that point, it’s time to get to cleaning. We always recommend starting with a sudsy soak. Spray the detergent onto the surface and let it sit for at least 5-10 minutes (longer if the weather allows – but you don’t want to let the soap dry on the surface). This soak allows the detergent to work its magic on the caked-on dirt, grease, oil, or other muck you’re cleaning.
After that, you can follow up with a powerful blast of pure water to rinse away the suds and – hopefully – reveal a beautiful, like-new surface underneath. There will be times, however, when you need to repeat the process. You may even want to manually agitate the mess with a scrub brush if the first pass is ineffective.
When using your pressure washer, spray in a top to bottom sweeping motion. Don’t let the jet sit on one area for too long – this can lead to damage. And, you should also be sure you don’t let the nozzle get too close to the surface being cleaned. This can also cause damage.
We have an article discussing more advanced pressure washer tips and tricks that we encourage you or whoever is going to be operating the pressure washer to read. And for a more broad overview, our guide on how to operate a power washer is a great entry-level resource.
Closing Thoughts on Pressure Washing Farm Equipment
Agriculture farms, dairy farms, poultry farms, and cannabis farms all vary greatly in what they’re raising/growing. One thing is consistent across all these types of farms, though – things get really dirty out there!
Keeping your farm equipment and buildings clean is not something you can overlook – which is why pressure washing farm equipment is so important. And now that we’ve taught you what all you need to buy and how to actually go about pressure washing your farm equipment, there is only one thing left to do – grab your necessities and prepare for that first cleaning cycle. With the right supplies and equipment, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is!
Just need to clean equipment a few times a year? It may make more sense to look into commercial pressure washer rental – which we can help with, too! No matter what your pressure washing needs are, you can count on Hotsy to guide you through the process. Reach out to our team today – or visit one of our many South Texas locations!
