Advice for pressure-washing underbody?

I took my ORP offroad the past few weekends and it's pretty darn dusty underneath. Is this something a pressure-washer (the $150 home depot electric kind) could help with? And if so, anyone have any tips of things to definitely avoid pressure-washing (cushings and gaskets, for example)? Thanks!

 

Dusty or muddy? If it’s just dust I wouldn’t even waste time personally, it’s going to be a never ending thing if you go off-roading often. But if you have to than any regular pressure washer can do the job.

 

Mostly dust, but it's a fairly thick layer (California dirt roads are incredibly dusty due to the heat + volume given winter rains). Just wondering how safe it is to let it build up like that and a pressure-washer seems like a good investment.

 

Unless you live by the Sultan Sea, California dust don’t rust.

 

Maybe a little safer, compressed air will do the job on dust pretty nicely. Perhaps a little more difficult to get the nozzle into the tight spots, but you don't have to worry about water intrusion. Given that you may need to get closer to get the nozzle where you need to, a decent dust mask, like for painting, and some good safety glasses, would be a good idea.
I lived in Yuma, speaking of the Salton Sea, for nearly 30 years, so I got real familiar with dust from off roading! Out at work, we made a wand for our air system. Normal squeeze handle, but a 3 foot section of metal tubing, similar to brake tubing, on it instead of just the little nozzle thingy. Let us clean the undersides of vehicles with ease, without having to crawl under them. No dust mask needed, but safety glasses required.

Alternatively, maybe just a garden hose with a regular garden hose nozzle is adequate for dust. Don't have to get quite so close to get the nozzle where you need it, and since it's low pressure water, it will keep the dust out of the the air. No dust mask. You'll still need safety glasses though.

Have fun!
Pat☺

 

Somehting like this - https://www.mtmhydroparts.com/produ...1hrpttZf91JvQUfJEWzALpECCe9OKu4BoCIvgQAvD_BwE

 

There's guy on YouTube, the Detail Geek, that pressure washes the underside of every vehicle he details.
He goes fast so the pressure washer doesn't linger in any one spot. Check out one of his videos and you'll see.
Also, one of the car washes near me has a pressure wash that comes on as you drive into the wash bay. I've used that many times with no problems on other vehicles.

 

Wear eye protection. Just saying.

 

I just use a regular hose to get mud off. I’ll also use the jet option of my garden nozzle to spray inside the holes in the frame until water runs out of every hole. I usually put the front on ramps, then rear, to clean everything out real good. But I’m. usually soaking by the time im done.

 

This is probably better than pressure washing. You’re interested in a good rinse, not in forcibly removing everything that the high-pressure stream can dislodge. Some pressure washers will remove or damage undercoating or paint. Don’t do that.

 

As a general rule, there's risk in everything if you don't know how to do it. Educate yourself on proper technique and equipment and then decide.

One of the great things about pressure washing is you get enough force to remove debris by using much less water. Less water can also mean less damage.

If you use a pressure washer on your paint and it's fine, you aren't going to hurt the paint on the frame. If you could blast off the undercoating with the same pw that you wash the car with, it wasn't adhering properly and will likely have rust behind it.

There are ways to adjust the amount of pressure, there are simple inline regulators and you can change nozzles to reduce the pressure.

Lastly, with a water broom sitting on the ground there is enough clearance between the nozzles and the vehicle so that you are going to lose impact pressure as the pattern widens.
If/when you are using a wand you can do the same by just moving the nozzle away from the surface you are cleaning.

 

$5 bucks in quarters (redundant) over at the local self service car wash with pressure washer wand, is what I use.

 

Using a garden sprinkler is a cheap yet effective solution.

 

I know this is an old thread, but in case anyone comes across it, searching for a similar solution, this device works well for undercarriage washes.

11" WATER BROOM - RYOBI Tools

It fits most standard pressure washer wands. Also works well for cleaning sidewalks and driveways.