October is when householders start cleaning up their property: it is when waterblasters become Hirepool's most sought-after piece of equipment.
"My choice is the petrol-driven 1500psi waterblaster," says Eddie Gilliland, the company's Waikato region manager.
"It weighs only 23kg and the handlebars and wheels are removable so it will fit into the car boot.
"Our house in Hamilton gets all-day sun around the back, but the front really suffers in winter: the paths and driveway are black from mould and mildew, and it's slippery when wet.
"I mix up a bucket of 30ml of household bleach to every litre of water and brush it on to the paths and steps, letting it soak in for 20 or 30 minutes to break down and kill the mould.
"The secret is to first wet the area - not too much, though - but to saturate any nearby plants and keep them wet until the bleach has been washed away.
"For weather boards, use half as much bleach, and don't let it dry before blasting because it might discolour the paint. So, don't do the cleaning in direct sunlight."
Mr Gilliland says water blasters of 1000 to 1500psi are suitable for most surfaces - 2000psi for large concrete and brick surfaces; 1000psi for soft woods.
And he recommends continual motion to prevent etching, streaking or damaging the surface.
Blasting away winter's blackness
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