Pressure washers - what's the point?

Pressure washers - what's the point?

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Discussion

GarageQueen

Original Poster:

2,295 posts

245 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
Ok, so I've gone and got myself a fancy pressure washer, but I can't really see the point.

It's hassle to assembly the water, power, hose etc, its noisy and just can't get the car clean!

I still have to go round with a mitt once the soap is on and wash the bumper roof etc or the dirt just hangs on the surface. You can't use them near the tyres or rubbers and then once I've rinsed I still have to chamois and dry by hand.

I might be missing the point but how do the garage's use these things and get the car clean??

To my eyes it's even using just as much water as a standard hose.

AdeTuono

7,240 posts

226 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
GarageQueen said:
Ok, so I've gone and got myself a fancy pressure washer, but I can't really see the point.

It's hassle to assembly the water, power, hose etc, its noisy and just can't get the car clean!

I still have to go round with a mitt once the soap is on and wash the bumper roof etc or the dirt just hangs on the surface. You can't use them near the tyres or rubbers and then once I've rinsed I still have to chamois and dry by hand.

I might be missing the point but how do the garage's use these things and get the car clean??

To my eyes it's even using just as much water as a standard hose.
What's the point? They're not really meant for washing cars.

DR10

1,849 posts

173 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
It is good for arches and hard to reach places. You still need to wash it by hand though.

leigh1050

2,372 posts

164 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
I use mine for snow foam and getting rid of loose dust.And rinsing when I've finished hand washing.

ezi

1,734 posts

185 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
You're doing it wrong, they aren't a replacement for washing the car they just make it easier.

JBliss

1,145 posts

156 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
ezi said:
You're doing it wrong, they aren't a replacement for washing the car they just make it easier.
+1
Snow foam and 2 bucket or 3 bucket method will get the car clean

kev b

2,708 posts

165 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
They are really good for ruining wheel bearings,cars or bikes.

I use mine for applying snow-foam, clearing drains, cleaning gutters, removing moss from paths and as I live in a farming county for removing huge clods of mud from bodywork before I wash the car.

Conscript

1,378 posts

120 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
GarageQueen said:
You can't use them near the tyres or rubbers...
confused

plenty

4,655 posts

185 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
They're for getting the top layer of grit and dirt off the car before you hand wash.

If you dive straight in with your bucket without pressure-washing your car first, you're basically rubbing the grit into your paintwork.

ianrb

1,529 posts

139 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
kev b said:
They are really good for ruining wheel bearings,cars or bikes.

If you're a moron that is.



Centurion07

10,381 posts

246 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
plenty said:
They're for getting the top layer of grit and dirt off the car before you hand wash.

If you dive straight in with your bucket without pressure-washing your car first, you're basically rubbing the grit into your paintwork.
What do you think you're doing firing a high-pressure jet of water at it then? confused

CharlesAL

532 posts

123 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
They're mostly a waste of time if you've only been driving on the road and you keep the car clean. For a properly dirty car they're very handy.


GC8

19,910 posts

189 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
GarageQueen said:
Ok, so I've gone and got myself a fancy pressure washer, but I can't really see the point.

It's hassle to assembly the water, power, hose etc, its noisy and just can't get the car clean!

I still have to go round with a mitt once the soap is on and wash the bumper roof etc or the dirt just hangs on the surface. You can't use them near the tyres or rubbers and then once I've rinsed I still have to chamois and dry by hand.

I might be missing the point but how do the garage's use these things and get the car clean??

To my eyes it's even using just as much water as a standard hose.
TFR

Google, use it (with the pressure washer): you'll thank me.

plenty

4,655 posts

185 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
Centurion07 said:
plenty said:
They're for getting the top layer of grit and dirt off the car before you hand wash.

If you dive straight in with your bucket without pressure-washing your car first, you're basically rubbing the grit into your paintwork.
What do you think you're doing firing a high-pressure jet of water at it then? confused
When you wash a car with a sponge, mitt or cloth any grit gets rubbed into the paintwork by your hand washing motion. There is also a good chance that the dirt particles will stay on top of your sponge, mitt or cloth.

The stream of water from a pressure washer lifts the grit from the paint to the ground - it does not push it into the paint.

When doing the dishes you run them under the tap before attacking with the scourer - it's the same principle.

paintman

7,669 posts

189 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
Used incorrectly - at point blank range - they're very good at removing lacquer if you've got stonechips.
The wheel bearings on motorbikes has already been mentioned.
If you aren't aware of the risks then there's usually only one way you'll find out.

GC8

19,910 posts

189 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
If we are washing cars with a pressure washer then you do it as follows. wet the car, then work in a TFR solution with a soft brush, then pressure wash off.

A pressure washer that can strip your paint wont move road dirt without TFR. Even a steam cleaner cant.

Centurion07

10,381 posts

246 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
plenty said:
The stream of water from a pressure washer lifts the grit from the paint to the ground - it does not push it into the paint.
Without the bond between dirt and paint broken before you attack it with a jetwasher that's exactly what it's doing. Admittedly, not as badly as going straight at it with a sponge/mitt, but it's still doing it.

Talk to any valet/detailer & ask them why they use all sorts of different foams/chemicals etc BEFORE they use a pressure washer on a car. You need something to break that bond and lift the dirt away from the surface in the first place; a high-pressure water jet is not the most paint-friendly way of doing that.

Even the guys at the local £5 handwash place will spray your car with chemicals first before hitting it with a jetwasher. Why do you think they would waste money on that when their profits aren't exactly going to make BP blush?

redtwin

7,518 posts

181 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
Those cheap handwash places are the main reason I haven't used my pressure washer in nearly 2 years. Just not worth the hassle setting everything up, running hose pipe and extension leads then packing everything away again.

I could have a wash, dry, hoover, tyre shine, window clean and the strongest air freshener known to man in the time it takes me to just wash the car. Sure all that may cost a tenner, but I save my water, electric and back.

plenty

4,655 posts

185 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
Centurion07 said:
Without the bond between dirt and paint broken before you attack it with a jetwasher that's exactly what it's doing. Admittedly, not as badly as going straight at it with a sponge/mitt, but it's still doing it.

Talk to any valet/detailer & ask them why they use all sorts of different foams/chemicals etc BEFORE they use a pressure washer on a car. You need something to break that bond and lift the dirt away from the surface in the first place; a high-pressure water jet is not the most paint-friendly way of doing that.

Even the guys at the local £5 handwash place will spray your car with chemicals first before hitting it with a jetwasher. Why do you think they would waste money on that when their profits aren't exactly going to make BP blush?
I completely agree and we are talking at cross-purposes as I interpreted your original post to indicate that you were confused as to why pressure washers are used at all.

My point was simply that you don't start the hand wash until you've taken off as much of the surface dirt as possible. Of course you need to loosen the dirt before you use a pressure washer. To use my earlier dish analogy, it's equivalent to soaking the dishes in a dish tray first before washing them (with snow foam or an all-purpose cleaner being the equivalent of adding washing-up liquid to the dish tray).

Once you've loosened the dirt (ideally with snow foam) then you wash the dirt off with a pressure washer before going in with a wash mitt.

Centurion07

10,381 posts

246 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
plenty said:
Centurion07 said:
Without the bond between dirt and paint broken before you attack it with a jetwasher that's exactly what it's doing. Admittedly, not as badly as going straight at it with a sponge/mitt, but it's still doing it.

Talk to any valet/detailer & ask them why they use all sorts of different foams/chemicals etc BEFORE they use a pressure washer on a car. You need something to break that bond and lift the dirt away from the surface in the first place; a high-pressure water jet is not the most paint-friendly way of doing that.

Even the guys at the local £5 handwash place will spray your car with chemicals first before hitting it with a jetwasher. Why do you think they would waste money on that when their profits aren't exactly going to make BP blush?
I completely agree and we are talking at cross-purposes as I interpreted your original post to indicate that you were confused as to why pressure washers are used at all.

Of course you need to loosen the dirt before you use a pressure washer. To use my earlier dish analogy, it's equivalent to soaking the dishes in a dish tray first before washing (with snow foam being the equivalent of adding washing up liquid to the dish tray).

Once you've loosened the dirt (ideally with snow foam) then you wash the dirt off with a pressure washer before going with a wash mitt.
Ah sorry. Your first post just said use a jetwasher to remove the dirt, it didn't mention loosening it with something first. No worries.