A pressure washer is an awesome invention that makes cleaning even the dirtiest looking surfaces a breeze. But for it to work, you need to use the right type of soap for various dirty surfaces. While it would be nice to use your basic dish soap in a pressure washer you need to use different soap with different chemical compositions for different purposes.
Can I Use Regular Soap In A Pressure Washer?
No. Putting soap in a pressure washer can end up clogging your pressure washer. Since most soaps are natural they tend to react with untreated or hard water and form a calcium carbon solid form. It is better to use soap specially made for use in pressure washers. Not to mention the fact that most soaps are not as dense which could result in a backsplash that can cause eye irritation if any of the mixes gets in your eyes.
What Kind of soap can I use in my pressure washer?
This depends on the type of surface you are cleaning. If you are cleaning a car you can use pressure washer soap for cars. If you are washing a cement surface, then use a generic pressure washer detergent that is strong enough to clean grime off a cement surface.
You cannot use dish soap to clean a moldy fence. You need soap meant for eliminating mold spores for this purpose. Not to mention the soap is different from detergents and as such, they are meant to fulfill different cleaning purposes.
In summary, soap will not be as effective as a detergent in cleaning a much dirtier surface than dishes. So it is better to use the right kind of cleaning agent created for the said task. Just make sure what you use is disposed of responsibly if it is not environmentally friendly.