Cleaning and Stain Removal - powerwash stucco with what before painting

Going to paint my Florida house. What should I wash the stucco with. Bleach, white vinegar, dish soap??? The power washer has an attachment I can use to syphon the wash solution right from a bucket. What do you suggest?

There are commercial cleaners available for washing stucco. If you are looking for a homemade recipe, mix 2 gallons hot water with a couple squirts of dish liquid, 1/2 to 1 cup washing soda like Arm & Hammer, and 1/2 to 1 cup borax. Many recommend TSP (trisodium phosphate) for washing for paint prep. Read label carefully for directions.

Start at bottom and work your way up, doing a section at a time. This keeps cleaner from running down and creating streaks. Keep surface wet while cleaning and rinse immediately before moving on to next section. Watch your pressure and avoid concentrating pressure in one area.

The reason for the need of pressure washing usually deterimines the chemical needed. Mildew and chalk are the 2 biggest problems in fla. Bleach will kill/disolve mildew and detergent is needed for chalk.

Not all chemicals are good to run thru the pump. Some cleaners can have a detrimental effect on the pump. Also the nature of running any agent thru the pump, delutes it.

I prefer to use a pump up garden sprayer for the chemical application and use the PW to remove the cleaner and help clean. Stubborn areas will require a 2nd treatment, possibly with some scrubbing.

Chalk can be hard to remove. If you don't remove it all you should add emulsa bond to the 1st coat of paint [or primer] Chalk is the substance that leaves a film on your finger if you run it across degraded paint.

i tend to like the prespray idea as well..prespray your area give it a few mins to work then rinse with the pw