Abraham Lincoln once said “A person who represents himself in a court of law has a fool for a client.”

Just think about that for a second: Most people aren’t trained as lawyers, so they won’t know all the legal terms, procedures and loopholes to give themselves the best chance, especially when going up against a trained professional. Thus, their chances of winning their case will be slim to none, and their attempt to do so will be awkward at best. Why take the risk?

So, how hard could it possibly be to properly and safely maintain the exterior of a commercial building, restaurant or strip mall? Surely Timmy and Tina, the teenagers who were just hired last week, or Mr. Wilson, the in-house maintenance manager, should be able pressure-wash the siding and concrete walks in your 75-unit apartment complex; isn’t that the easiest, most cost-effective way to do things?

Think about it again. Please.

Set aside the thought, because in either case above, neither person would likely have the experience and knowledge to remove gum from concrete, or mildew or graffiti from vinyl siding without damaging it, or remove dangerous, slippery grease from restaurant entrances that a professional, experienced, properly equipped exterior cleaning contractor would provide. Also set aside the thought that, in addition to needing the proper experience and equipment, one would need the proper knowledge and professional-grade detergents to get the best possible results.

Additionally, think about the risks of having an inexperienced employee use a high-pressure wand that could easily cause damage to concrete, windows, stucco or vinyl siding. A high-pressure stream of water that accidentally comes into contact with bare skin can create painful and dangerous injuries to your employees. Imagine the inexperienced employee incorrectly tries to use a dangerous caustic chemical to remove grease or stains and ends up splashing it in his eyes or onto his skin, causing dangerous burns. The costs of dealing with the legalities of job-incurred injuries to the employee will far outweigh any perceived savings from trying to handle it yourself, in-house, with an employee. I guarantee it.

Secondary to the liability risk, when you consider the entire financial costs — you’re paying the employee’s hourly rate, paying for the pressure-washing equipment, the gas to run it, the cost to repair it when it breaks, the costs of any chemicals or detergents that need to be purchased — you simply can’t do it more cost-effectively in-house.

There is hardly a scenario where it would make sense to try and handle your pressure washing in-house using your employees. It is for all of these reasons that we recommend hiring a licensed, knowledgeable pressure-washing company like AllClean Pressure Washing to meet your exterior cleaning needs. In the long run, it will save you time, money – and possible legal hassles.