When it comes to finding a particular detergent for your Ryobi pressure washer, you’ll want to ensure it is made specifically for Ryobi products. Most commercially sold units employ downstream chemical injectors to do their job, meaning that any soaps or chemicals are added to the water after the pump. Unlike upstream injectors, which adds detergents before the pump, downstream injectors work effectively at lower pressure settings and are especially long-lasting. Unless you convert yours to an upstream injector, you’ll need a detergent made to work with downstream injectors. Again, the simplest way to do this is by getting Ryobi brand detergents and foams.
There are various products that should not be placed in your Ryobi pressure washer. Regular detergents, soaps, bleaches, alkalines, acids, or solvents should be avoided at all costs, as well as industrial grade solutions. If you’re running low on pressure washer detergent or are on a tight budget, it may not seem like a bad idea to use one of these as substitutes. However, most average household solutions do a poor job at cleaning surfaces in the way to the same extent that pressure washer detergent will, with some soaps also leaving behind undesirable residue.
What’s worse is that these materials can also bring harm to the pressure washer itself. Due to being made with improper ingredients, you risk the gaskets losing their flexibility or jamming the tubing with sudsy foam and soaps. There’s also a likely chance that your warranty will no longer be valid if the problem at hand stems from using inappropriate cleansers such as these.
