Power Washers

If I told you tomorrow that a wonderful piece of machinery will arrive to your doorstep, capable of removing all those stubborn stains on your driveway, porch, patio, garden wall, etc., and best yet, you’ll have fun blasting it, I’d have your attention, right? You bet, and we’re pleased to report that said piece of wonderful machinery indeed exists, and it is called a power washer.

The history of how power washers came to be isn’t that complex. Essentially, we had hoses, which we still have, but power washers pressurize the water, up to 200 times the air we breathe in and around us. This results in a power stream that is highly effective at completely breaking down any and everything in its path. Most folks arrive to power washers due to some sort of problem. For example, they might have a stubborn oil stain on the driveway, or moss that has been growing out of control on a garden wall, or even dirt stains that form due to runoff after the rain. These are things that cannot be handled nor cleaned traditionally with sponges, chemicals, etc. You need something with high-pressure power, and a power washer is aptly constructed to take care of this.

Similar to most products, not all power washers are alike. On the power side, the two most popular options are gas and electric. Gas-powered washers are heavy-duty pieces of machinery. When folks opt for a gas-powered washer, they’re going to get much more horsepower from a spray perspective than an electric-powered washer. The only downside is you need to regularly buy fuel and the noise can be bothersome. If you’re using the washer to operate in a more commercial/industrial setting, a gas-powered washer is your better bet. But if you’re just using the washer around the house, and electric one is fine.

Electric-powered washers are cheaper to maintain, and of course, much better for the environment. Most electric-powered washers have anywhere between 2,000 to 3,000 PSI. This stands for pounds per square inch. The other measurements to keep in mind when comparing washers across brands are gallons per minute (GPM) and cleaning units (CU). The CU is likely the best overall measurement to use when comparing, and can be calculated simply by multiplying the PSI by the GPM.

The last area to examine is cold vs. hot water. While cleaning with hot water is invariably better (especially when you add in soap), not every instance will require it. If you want to clean out leaves on the roof, and simply blow them down with the washer to the ground to then clean up, cold water is fine. If, however, you’ve got an oil slick that is growing by the day in your garage, only hot water and soap can remedy that.

Westinghouse is one of the more popular power washer brands. Their ePX3000 washer is a big seller, known for being compact, but packing a decent punch. Another well-known brand in the power washer circle is Suyncll. These washers are not only functional, but stylish as well. They’ve got an electric green washer that just screams, “shoot me!” Their powerful PSI is also a value-added. And if you have a boat and are looking to blast that grime off the bottom as a result of excess salt exposure, look no further than Homdox. This is a robust unit that includes a soap dispenser and does great work in the boating world.

Cleaning is a drag, but it’s a whole lot more fun with a power washer. Pick one up to mess around with at first. You’ll quickly be begging your significant other to make more messes for you to clean!