Pressure washers - what's the point?
Discussion
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.
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.
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.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.
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? If you dive straight in with your bucket without pressure-washing your car first, you're basically rubbing the grit into your paintwork.
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.
TFRIt'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.
Google, use it (with the pressure washer): you'll thank me.
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? If you dive straight in with your bucket without pressure-washing your car first, you're basically rubbing the grit into your paintwork.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.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?
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.
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.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?
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.
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