Should You Power Wash Your House During a Rain Storm?

I was power washing my house yesterday afternoon, and I could see dark clouds rolling in from the distance. I knew that it wasn't looking too good because the weather forecast said there was about a 50% chance of thunderstorms. I knew that I really wouldn't have the time to power wash any other day, so I rushed as much as I could to finish it up.

While I was working, there was a light sprinkle, but it was nothing terrible. By the time I finish and get everything inside, the heavens open up and a huge downpour starts. As I watch from my glass door, I was wondering: Could I have just gotten the soap onto the house and then let the rain wash it all away?

Should You Power Wash Your House During a Rain Storm?

The whole thing got me thinking, would it be better to power wash in the rain? Actually, it does have its advantages. Rain allows for power washing soaps and detergents to sit on exterior surfaces without drying. Allowing detergents to dry could potential damage the surface and make for a tougher wash. The detergent I use says to let it sit for only 5-10 minutes before rinsing the surface.

Another benefit from power washing in the rain is that overcast skies help enable you to easily see areas that need to be cleaned. But wait, wouldn't it make more sense to see something better in the sun? Yes and no. When it is sunny, it can cause greater reflections off of windows, which can be blinding. That, or depending on your environment, it can cast shadows which make it tougher to distinguish spots that need to be clean.

When You Shouldn't Power Wash Your House in the Rain

Going back to my initial question: Can I just let the rain "power wash" my house if I left the soap on and let the rain do its thing? Not really. Maybe if it always came down as intense as it did yesterday, but that's not guaranteed. Also, the angle of how the water hits the house makes a difference. Most of the time, rain comes straight down. Even when it is angled, its barely angled enough. That, and it took a lot of effort with my power washer on full gear to get out some of the stains. I doubt a typical rain storm can match that same pressure.

Get our free mobile app

Notice how the title of this article is "Should You Power Wash Your House During a Rain Storm?" and not "Thunderstorm." I mentioned before that we were expecting thunderstorms yesterday. Before it got bad, I heard thunder in the distance. Technically, I probably should've packed up when I heard thunder, but right over my house was clear while the clouds were yet to fully roll in.

Rain can make power washing more efficient; however, there are cases when you shouldn't power wash in the rain. If it was anything like yesterday's storm (heavy/torrential downpour) with thunder and lightning, you should absolutely not power wash yourself. Do I really need to tell you to stay away from lightning? Other extreme weather conditions you should steer clear from are hail, snow, tornadoes, etc. I hope that is common sense.

Overall, Power Wash in the Rain

Unlike mowing your lawn, where you want to have a dry day, you are totally good to power wash in the rain, especially if its just a nice drizzle. If anything, it will help the cleaning process and get things done quicker.