The Best Pressure Washer for Car Cleaning (Review & Buying Guide) in 2018

If you’re having issues trying to figure out just what kind of pressure washer you need or whether you need one at all, then allow us to enlighten you with this simple yet comprehensive buyer’s guide and FAQ for car pressure washers.

Benefits of Pressure Washing Cars

There are those who prefer to go the old-fashioned method of washing cars – using buckets. There are also those that use ordinary garden hoses, thinking that it is more efficient than using buckets. Sadly, nothing beats pressure washers when it comes to cleaning cars. Here are some of the more common benefits of power washing your car.

• Makes cleaning your car more efficient

If you have ever tried cleaning and washing your car by hand you know that the biggest benefit to using power washers is that they cut down the time needed to clean your vehicle. If you use the old method of having to wash your vehicle without using a garden hose and using only a bucket of water, you will have to refill your bucket several times to make sure that you get the best clean on your car. In addition to the number of times that you will be going back and forth to your water faucet, you will also be talking about the pain on your back as well as the sore muscles in your arms as you lift the water-filled bucket from the faucet to the car. Can you imagine it?

Now let us say you are going to use the water from your garden hose. This will be more efficient than having several buckets of water, of course. However, it will still not be as efficient as spraying your car with pressurized water. The water from your garden hose will still move under pressure, but this will be significantly less than what you can get from a pressure washer. As such it will take significantly more time to remove dirt and debris that may have stubbornly stuck onto your car’s body. So what do you do? Most of us will try to reduce the opening on the nozzle of our garden hose with our thumbs to help increase the pressure. But have you tried doing this for several minutes? Plus, you really don’t get consistent pressure, do you?

Enter pressure washers and you can immediately see the difference. If it will take you an hour or so washing your car using the bucket method and perhaps 30 to 45 minutes on the garden hose, with a pressure washer you’re looking at a work time of 15 to 30 minutes, depending on how dirty your car is. The precious minutes you save can be used on more important things such as more quality time for the family. You get the point.

• Allows for more thorough cleaning

The whole idea about washing your car is to remove dirt and other unwanted particles that can damage its beautiful paint. Unfortunately, there will always be particles that will be located in hard-to-reach areas such as in the spaces between car body panels, under the hood, and under your car. The area behind your tires and wheels are also quite difficult to clean and wash by hand alone. So even if you think you did a pretty good job washing the exterior of your car there really is no guarantee that you performed thorough cleaning.

Because pressure washers come with an assortment of spray nozzles that will give you an amazing array of choices, you can easily clean every nook and cranny, every square inch of space in your car. You can also clean hard-to-reach areas like the ones we already mentioned. Let us take for example the area behind your wheel. If done manually, you will have to really work your hands into each of the tiny spaces that you can see. Oh wait. How about the spaces that are not clearly visible from the outside? Or how about spaces that are so small you cannot even fit your stubby fingers through? Well, good luck with that. Using a power washer helps you clean these areas by simply blasting pressurized water through these spaces.

 

On hindsight, not sticking your fingers through tiny spaces can also help save that limb of yours. At least you will not be complaining any time soon that you hurt your fingers for sticking them where they shouldn’t.

• Helps remove more stubborn dirt

This is akin to what we have been discussing above about giving your car a more thorough clean. Have you tried cleaning dried-up bird droppings or even tree saps on your car using an ordinary garden hose without having to physically remove the stubborn dirt with your hands? You see the water pressure coming from your garden hose is not powerful enough to blast these stubborn dirt and debris off the surface of your car. That is why you will still have to physically manipulate these so that they will be removed.

On the other hand, really powerful pressure washers will blast these dirt and debris off the surface of your car. Simply set your nozzle to the highest possible pressure, direct the spray on the object you want to remove, and let it rip. There’s no need for physical manipulation or scraping of the dirt. It gets blasted by the high water pressure.

Have you tried whitewater rafting before? How about swimming or even standing directly under a waterfall? Or simply remember the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami or even the 2011 Tohoku Japan tsunami and you can easily understand just how powerful water can be. Now imagine this same force being applied over this stubborn dirt on your car and you can see why the system really works.

• It is more cost-effective

Did you know that you can actually save a lot if you use pressure washer in cleaning your car? First of all, you save on water since you will only be using a fraction of the volume of water that it would take to complete the task. Doing it manually with the bucket, how many buckets do you think you will need to really clean your car? If you use a garden hose, how long should the tap remain open for you to clean your car? Well-designed pressure washers can save you up to 80 percent on your water consumption. Now this can translate to savings on your water utility bill.

Secondly, washing your car will typically involve a series of steps such as the initial rinse, the application of a car cleaning soap, and the final rinse, as well as few other steps in between. The thing is that each step will require a different set of tools to get the job done. Many pressure washer systems today already come with either a built-in foamer or a foam spray attachment so you no longer have to buy a separate detergent applicator onto your car. You save on these as well.

Lastly, the amount of time you save cleaning your car is simply irreplaceable. Imagine if you can cut down your car cleaning time from 1 hour to just 30 minutes, that’s 30 more minutes to spend with your family, your friends, run important errands, watch a favorite TV show, or any other activity that you love doing. Yeah, 30 minutes may not mean so much, but it is still a priceless commodity. 

 

Types of Pressure Washers

There are a variety of ways in which pressure washers can be classified which easily translates to their typology. These are generally divided into their power sources and their functional capacity.

According to power source 

• Electric motor – As the name implies, these operate on electricity and are, thus primarily used in light to moderate applications mostly for home use. They are generally plugged into an electric outlet, although they can also be connected to a power generator. 

• Gas or petrol engine – These are usually indicated in medium to heavy applications and are often used in commercial and industrial establishments. The downside to these systems, of course, is the exhaust fumes that they generate. 

• Diesel engine – These are similar to petrol-engine pressure washers except that they run on diesel engines. The downside is similar to a gas engine pressure washer and should only be used outdoors. 

• Hydraulic pressure – You will only see these in agricultural and farm industries although establishments with existing hydraulic systems can also use this type of pressure washers. The good thing about this type is that it is not dependent on either electricity or fuel. These are also super-quiet, lightweight, and compact. 

According to functional capacity 

• Light duty – These have a pressure rating of about 1300 to 2000 PSI delivering, at most, 2 GPM. These are ideal for most home applications such as cleaning deck areas, small to medium patios, garden equipment, and small cars and motorbikes.
• Medium duty – These pressure washers have a pressure rating of 2000 to 2800 PSI and a flow rate of 2 to 3 GPM. These are indicated for cleaning sedans, SUVs, trucks, grates, gutters, hot tubs, swimming pools, large size patios, fences, and drains.
• Heavy duty – These come with pressure ratings of 2900 to 3000 PSI at 3 to 4 gallons per minute. These are excellent for even larger vehicles, stone- and brick- work, and others.
• Extra heavy duty – These are really powerful washers often exceeding 3300 PSI and are preferred for really tough jobs.

What Type of Pressure Washer Do I Need?

Now that we have an idea of the different types of pressure washers, the next logical question is which of these types of pressure washers you will need. To help you answer this question here are some things that you have to consider.

• Purpose

This is the most important consideration since you would want a pressure washer that will serve its purpose very well. If you are looking for a cleaning tool for a small car or small sections in your home, then a light-duty machine should suffice. However, if you have a large SUV, then this will not be sufficient; you need a medium duty machine for that. And if you have a mini bus at home, only a heavy duty power washer will do. Well, you get the idea.

• Location

You also have to consider your location or the location of the object that you want to clean. If you have a barn, then a hydraulic pressure washer is your best choice. If you have very sensitive neighbors, an electric model fits the bill as you don’t want fumes from your petrol or diesel engine pressure washer to be the source of argument with your neighbors.

• Source of water

There are those who would like to connect their pressure washers directly to a water tank. If this is the case then it is imperative that you also buy a filter to help prevent the entry of debris from the tank to the pressure washer pump. Otherwise, you risk damaging it.

Features to Look For

It’s not usually enough that you get just any other pressure washer. There are also certain cool features that you might want to look for. Here are some of those.

• Soap or detergent tank

We mentioned about the versatility of certain pressure washers especially those that already include an on-board detergent tank or even a soap attachment. This will help you create a soapy foam on your vehicle, simplifying the process of cleaning.

• Cord and tool storage

While not absolutely necessary, if the power washer comes with a storage compartment for organizing and keeping your power cord, tools, and accessories then it would be a big plus.

• Adjustable or replaceable nozzles

These will give you the right kind of pressure to use on a variety of tasks. Personally we’d recommend the adjustable nozzles as it gives you freedom from having to replace the nozzles every time you encounter a different task.

• Adjustable or interchangeable wands

Like changeable nozzles, adjustable wands can offer you added versatility in the use of the power washer.

• Thermal relief and unloaders 

These are safety features that help manage the buildup of heat from your unit. It also helps mitigate the potential problems caused by excessive pressure buildup in your device.

Safety Tips When Using a Pressure Washer

Pressure washers should always be treated as machines. And like all machines it is imperative that you observe basic safety rules whenever using a pressure washer. Here are a few tips to enhance your safety around these devices.

• Even before you start using the pressure washer make sure to read the owner’s manual first as this contains invaluable information on how to safely operate the machine.
• Always wear protective goggles as the water pressure can send debris and other materials flying directly into your eyes. While most power washers operate with minimal noise it is often advisable to use ear muffs as well.
• Always stand on a flat and stable surface to help minimize the risk of falls. Don’t use the pressure washer while on a ladder. The force of the spray can send you tumbling down.
• Always use the correct spray setting and nozzle. Observe the correct distance between you and the tip of the nozzle and between the tip of the nozzle and the surface being cleaned.
• Make sure to place your electric power washer in an area where it will not be reached by water splash or spray. While these may be designed to be waterproof, they still run on electricity and this makes it especially dangerous around watery environments.
• Never point the pressure washer’s spray gun to yourself, at other people, animals, plants, and other objects that may not be able to withstand the high water pressure.
• Keep your spray gun away from power sources, electrical fixtures, and power lines. Don’t ever plug your electric power washer on an extension cord. It should always be plugged directly into a wall outlet.

Pressure washers have become indispensable tools in keeping our cars free from dirt and other unwanted materials. These gadgets provide a variety of benefits. It is thus crucial that you learn how to choose the right one that corresponds best to your needs. With our list of the best car pressure washers you’re definitely on the right track.