Alright, let's talk about tackling the grime with a high pressure washer. My patio was looking seriously sad, like it hadn't seen a good clean since... well, probably ever.

Getting Started

First things first, I had to dig the machine out of the shed. Took me a bit to find all the pieces, you know how it is. I remember when I bought it, I was looking at the usual suspects, Bosch, Karcher... everyone seems to rate them both pretty highly. Honestly, didn't see a massive difference for what I needed, just basic home stuff, maybe the car sometimes. This one I got felt sturdy enough.

Hooking it up wasn't too bad. Connected the garden hose to the inlet, made sure the filter was clean – learned that lesson the hard way last time. Then plugged the power cord in. I picked a nozzle that looked kind of medium, didn't want to strip the paint off anything by accident.

The Actual Washing

So, I squeezed the trigger. Whoosh! Thing jumped to life, pretty loud actually. Started on the concrete slabs first. You could see the difference straight away. Just cutting lines through years of dirt. It was kinda satisfying, not gonna lie.

Power Matters (Sometimes)

I noticed some stubborn spots, mossy bits mostly. The instructions mentioned pressure levels, something about needing more 'oomph' for stone, maybe like 130 or 150 bars for really tough jobs. Mine isn't quite that beastly, probably more in the general use range, maybe 1300 to 2000 PSI, something like that? It was enough for most of it, but I really had to hold it close on the green stuff. Took a bit longer.

• Started slow on a corner first.
• Kept the nozzle moving, didn't want to etch lines into the stone.
• Got absolutely soaked from the spray bouncing back. Definitely wear old clothes!

Moved onto the wooden fence panels next. Had to be way more careful here. Turned the pressure down if the machine allowed, or just held the nozzle further back. You can easily splinter wood if you go too hard. It lifted the green algae off nicely though, without wrecking the fence.

Lessons Learned

It's messy work. Water and dirt fly everywhere. Prepare for cleanup afterwards, not just of the patio, but probably yourself and the machine too. Also, check your water supply connection often, mine popped off once because I didn't tighten it enough.

Overall, it did the job. The patio looks a hundred times better. Was it quick? Not really, took a good chunk of the afternoon. But cheaper than hiring someone, and like I said, kinda fun seeing the dirt disappear. The machine held up fine, no dramas there. Just gotta remember to drain it properly before putting it away again.