Alright, so I finally got around to tackling the patio this weekend. It was looking pretty grim, honestly. Lots of green stuff, dirt, you name it. Just hadn't had the time, but it was getting embarrassing.

Getting Set Up

First job was digging the power washer out from the back of the garage. Thing's heavier than I remember. Had to wrestle it out onto the driveway. Then, hooked up the garden hose to the inlet, made sure that connection was super tight. Last thing I wanted was water spraying everywhere before I even started.

Checked the oil and gas levels in the machine. Topped up the gas. Pulled out the different nozzle tips. I looked at the concrete first, decided to go with the greenish one, think it's like a 25-degree angle? Didn't want to use the red pinpoint one, heard that can mess up concrete if you're not careful.

Safety gear next. Just some old boots, because you know you're gonna get wet. And put on some safety glasses. Don't fancy getting grit in my eye.

Doing the Work

Pulled the cord a few times. Fired right up, loud as ever. Started at one end of the patio. Held the wand maybe a foot or so away from the surface. Began sweeping back and forth, nice and steady.

Man, you see that dirt just lift right off. It’s kinda cool watching the clean path appear behind the spray. Had to overlap each pass a bit to avoid leaving stripes. Some spots were tougher, had to move the nozzle a bit closer or go over it a second time. Especially where some moss had really taken hold near the edge.

• Swept debris off first (forgot to mention that, did that before starting).
• Kept a consistent distance from the surface.
• Moved slowly and steadily.
• Overlapped my passes.

It took a while. Probably a solid hour just on the main patio slabs. My hand started to ache a bit from holding the trigger down. And yeah, my boots were soaked through pretty quickly. Water mist gets everywhere.

The Result

Finished up, turned the machine off. Let the water run clear from the hose for a sec before disconnecting everything. Rinsed off the machine itself quickly. Then I just stood back.

Wow. Big difference. The patio slabs went from that dingy grey-green to a much brighter stone colour. Looks way better, much cleaner. Totally worth the couple of hours and the sore hand. Now I just gotta let it dry out properly. Job done.