Alright, so the patio was looking pretty grim this weekend. You know how it gets after winter – green stuff everywhere, dirt ground in. Just nasty. Had some time, so I figured I'd break out the pressure washer and sort it out.

Getting Started

First job, dragging the machine out of the shed. Thing’s not light, but manageable. Checked the oil, checked the gas – always do that first, learned that the hard way once. Then, hooking up the hoses. Garden hose to the tap, other end to the machine's inlet. Made sure the filter screen was clean, don't want gunk getting sucked in. Then the high-pressure hose, connects to the machine outlet and then to the spray gun. Gotta make sure those connections are tight, otherwise, you get water spraying everywhere but where you want it.

Picking the Right Tool for the Job

Nozzles. Always a bit of a guess which one's best. I usually start with a wider angle nozzle, like the green or white one. Less chance of accidentally carving your name into the paving stones, you know? The red one? Forget it, unless you're trying to strip paint off metal from ten feet away. Too aggressive for most jobs around the house.

The Actual Washing Bit

Okay, turned on the water tap first, let it run through the machine a bit to get the air out. Then, fired up the engine. Bit noisy, yeah, but that's the sound of getting stuff done. Squeezed the trigger on the gun, pointed it away at first, just to check the pressure and the spray pattern.

Started on a corner of the patio that doesn't get seen much, just in case. Held the nozzle maybe a foot or so away from the surface. You gotta find that sweet spot. Too far, doesn't clean well. Too close, you can chew up the surface, especially wood or softer stone. Moved the spray back and forth, slow and steady, overlapping each pass a little. It’s kinda satisfying, watching that built-up grime just vanish, revealing the clean stone underneath. Like magic, but noisy, wet magic.

• Worked in sections, methodically. Left to right, top to bottom.
• Paid attention to really dirty spots, might need a slightly closer pass, but carefully.
• You definitely get wet doing this. Boots and old clothes are a must.

Did the whole patio, took maybe an hour or so. Much faster than scrubbing with a brush, that's for sure. My back wouldn't handle that anymore anyway. Also did the garden path while I was at it.

Wrapping It Up

Once everything looked clean, I gave it all a final rinse with the pressure washer using a wider nozzle from further away, just to wash down any loose dirt and debris. Then, engine off. Turned off the water tap. Squeezed the trigger again to release the pressure in the hose – important step, don't forget! Disconnected all the hoses. Drained the water out of the machine and the hoses as best I could. Rolled up the hoses, bit of a pain but gotta be done. Wiped down the machine a bit and rolled it back into the shed.

Job done.

Patio looks a hundred times better. It’s a bit of effort, sure, but seeing the difference makes it worthwhile. Beats looking at green slime all summer.