Okay, let me tell you about my weekend messing around with that Kärcher pressure washer I got.

Getting Started

So, the driveway and the back patio were looking absolutely grim. We're talking years of dirt, some green stuff growing in the corners – you know how it gets. I'd been putting it off forever. Finally decided to bite the bullet and picked up one of those yellow Kärcher machines. Heard good things, figured I'd give it a shot.

Got it home, pulled it out of the box. Wasn't too complicated, thankfully. Just had to snap a few bits together – the handle, the hose holder thingy. Pretty straightforward. Found the different nozzles it came with, looked simple enough.

First Try - Hooking It Up

Alright, time to actually use the thing. Dragged it out to the front driveway first. Hooked up my garden hose to the inlet. Made sure it clicked in tight. Then connected the high-pressure hose to the machine and the spray gun. Double-checked everything was snug. Plugged the power cord in – used an outdoor extension cord, of course. Felt a bit like preparing for a mission.

Turned on the water tap first. Then, took a breath and switched the machine on. It hummed to life. Okay, moment of truth. Pointed the gun away from anything important and squeezed the trigger. Whoosh! Water shot out. It had some kick!

The Cleaning Part

I started with the basic flat spray nozzle on the driveway concrete. Began sweeping it back and forth slowly. Wow. You could literally see the dirt lifting off in stripes. It was actually pretty satisfying to watch the clean path appear behind the spray. Like erasing years of grime.

• Worked my way across the whole driveway slab by slab.
• Switched to the pointy, spinning nozzle (I think they call it a dirt blaster?) for some really stubborn oily spots near where the car sits. That thing really concentrated the power. Had to be a bit careful not to gouge the concrete, but it definitely shifted the tough marks.
• Got a fair bit of splashback, definitely should have worn older shoes. And maybe waterproof trousers! Lesson learned.

Moved onto the patio next. Same process. The paving slabs came up much brighter. It tackled the green algae stuff in the damp corners really well. Didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would. The machine wasn't too heavy to pull around either, which was nice.

Wrapping Up

Once I finished, I switched the machine off, then turned off the water tap. Squeezed the trigger one last time to get rid of the pressure in the hose, just like the instructions said. Disconnected the garden hose, then the high-pressure hose. Wiped the machine down a bit – it got pretty splattered. Rolled up the hoses and cord. It stores away quite neatly, doesn't take up a ton of space in the shed.

Overall impression? Pretty good, actually. Did the job I wanted it to do. The driveway and patio look way better, almost like new concrete and slabs. It was surprisingly easy to set up and use, even for a first-timer. Yeah, you get a bit wet and messy, but the results were worth it. Happy I finally tackled that job.