Newbie Question? Driveway & Flowerbed Edges

[gregative]

I'm a fleet washer who finally broke down and bought a surface cleaner so I could do my driveway & pick up a few extra jobs.Anyway, needed some tips (if any) on how to get the drive and flower bed edges well without all of the backblow of mud/dirt. Also did a buddies house a long time ago and was trying to get his sidewalk & was blowing the mulch all over the place when near the edge. Is it just part of the gig or are there any wisemen who have solved this problem?

[CCPC]

Originally Posted by gregative

I'm a fleet washer who finally broke down and bought a surface cleaner so I could do my driveway & pick up a few extra jobs.Anyway, needed some tips (if any) on how to get the drive and flower bed edges well without all of the backblow of mud/dirt. Also did a buddies house a long time ago and was trying to get his sidewalk & was blowing the mulch all over the place when near the edge. Is it just part of the gig or are there any wisemen who have solved this problem?

If you run your surface cleaner right up against the edge of the lawn or bed, and even raise the edge of the surface cleaner slightly, you shouldn't have to much problem avoiding a mess.

With experience, as well as using the proper tip ( I like 9510 pattern), you can rinse around mulch beds and other areas very easily without blasting mulch and dirt all over the place. Usually what you are describing is what happens when someone tries to rinse concrete close to mulch beds with too much pressure.

[814jeffw]

If nothing else, use a variable pressure wand and edge, or "cut in" with that and finish with the surface cleaner.

Jeff

[MMI Enterprises]

Then there is the theory that well if it blows it shouldna been thar in first place..

[Paul Kassander]

You can also get the edge working from the outside in to keep the pressure and wind created by the spray directed away from the flowerbed. Then when you are done just do a low pressure rinse pushing the stuff that blew onto the walk back in the bed.

For the muddy-puddling areas, or locations that are higher than the walk and overrun what you are cleaning, just dig a small retention area so the muddy water has a chance to dam up and settle out before running over the walk. Them fill it back up before you leave. Sometimes there isn't much you can do about stuff like that but deal with it the best you can.