Alright, let's talk about this pressure cleaner thing. I finally tackled the job I'd been putting off for ages – the patio. It was looking pretty grim, honestly. Covered in green stuff and just general dirt from winter. I figured scrubbing it by hand was out of the question, would take forever and probably break my back. So, I decided it was time to try one of those pressure cleaners everyone talks about.

Went and picked one up. Nothing super powerful, just a standard electric one. Got it home, pulled it out of the box. First impression? Bit heavier than it looked. Had to assemble a few bits, connect the handle and the hose holder. Pretty straightforward, thankfully. Then came connecting the hoses. Garden hose clicked onto the inlet easy enough. Then the high-pressure hose connects the machine to the spray gun thing. Fumbled a bit with the nozzle attachments – they just push and twist into the end of the wand. Picked the general-purpose one to start.

Dragged the machine closer to the patio, unwound the power cord, plugged it in. Double-checked the water tap was on full. Felt a little nervous, you hear stories about these things being powerful. Okay, deep breath.

Pointed the wand at a particularly dirty slab, away from windows or anything fragile. Squeezed the trigger. Wow. Okay, it definitely has a kick! And the noise – quite loud, a constant hum and the roar of the water jet. But the dirt? Just vanished. Stripped it clean off in seconds. Left a super clean patch, looked brand new compared to the grime around it. Right, this thing works.

Doing the Whole Patio

So I started properly. Began at one end and worked my way across. Quickly learned you need a steady, sweeping motion. Keep the nozzle moving back and forth, overlapping each pass slightly. If you hold it still in one spot, especially too close, it can actually etch the surface a bit. Found that out the hard way on one paver. Luckily, it wasn't too bad.

The process itself was… well, it was work. You're constantly moving the machine, repositioning the power cord so you don't trip, managing the high-pressure hose so it doesn't kink. Water sprays everywhere. My trousers and boots were soaked pretty quickly. The dirt doesn't just disappear, it turns into muddy water that flows wherever gravity takes it, usually towards the lawn or flowerbeds. Had to stop a few times just to rinse the mud away from certain areas.

Some spots were tougher than others, especially the black algae stuff. Had to get the nozzle a bit closer and go slower over those bits. It took a good few hours to do the whole area. My arms were definitely feeling it by the end, holding that vibrating wand.

Things I noticed:

• The power cord is a constant annoyance. Always feels too short or gets caught on something.
• It makes a mess. You're cleaning one thing, but spreading dirty water elsewhere.
• You really need to pay attention where you're pointing it. Easy to accidentally blast soil out of pots or hit plants you didn't mean to.
• The noise gets tiring after a couple of hours.

But honestly, when I finally switched it off and stood back? The difference was night and day. The patio looked fantastic. All the green and black muck gone, the colour of the slabs restored. It was incredibly satisfying seeing the results of the work. Made the whole effort feel worthwhile.

Then came the cleanup. Had to disconnect the hoses, drain the water out of the machine and the wand. Wipe everything down because it was covered in splashes. Roll up the garden hose, wind up the power cord neatly. Then I had to hose down the paths around the patio where all the dirty water had flowed.

So, my final take? Pressure cleaner – definitely effective. Gets the job done much faster and better than scrubbing. But don't think it's effortless. It's noisy, messy, and physically tiring. You need patience and have to be careful. Still, seeing that clean surface at the end? Pretty great feeling. Will I do it again next year? Probably. Maybe I'll wear waterproof trousers next time though.