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The best pressure washers for cleaning cars, decking and patios
Pressure washers have endless uses, from cleaning your car or bike to the patio, the gutters, a well used barbecue, dusty garden chairs and even your windows. Some even use them to clean carpets and chimneys, which seems foolhardy, but the trick is to use the best pressure washer for the job since the likes of Kärcher and Clarke differ from Bosch and Worx.
Using high pressure is essential to lift any sort of deeply ingrained dirt, but lower-pressure washers are more economic if you’re just cleaning mucky boots. Either way, these handy devices use less water than trying to clean stubborn dirt with a hose because they require far less water to make an impact.
Pressure washers can cost anything from £50 to £650, but you can find in-depth reviews of all the biggest brands in the business below, and some advice from a professional gardener on how to use them. First, here’s a quick look at our top five:
The best pressure washers: At a glance
How to choose the best pressure washer
The key thing to look at is the cleaning pressure. Anything over 150 bar is high, capable of blast-cleaning concrete, while anything under 50 bar is low and best left for plastic garden furniture. Consider the quality of the materials too, metal pumps are better than plastic ones, for example.
Also take into account any additional features and accessories it comes with – such as nozzles, spray washers or a remote control – since these can be expensive to buy separately. Hose length, noise level, weight and value for money are also important. They generally draw between 1,400 and 2,800 Watts, which at today’s prices will cost between 37p and 74p an hour to run
As with other power tools (see our guides to the best lawn mowers, best hedge trimmers, best leaf blowers and best strimmers) pressure washers vary greatly in weight, power and usability.