Okay, so I finally got around to messing with electric pressure washers. I've been putting it off, because honestly, I thought they'd be kinda wimpy. Boy, was I wrong. Here's the whole story.

First thing, my deck was looking ROUGH. Like, green-slime-covered-from-winter rough. I was gonna scrub it by hand, but my back screamed "NOPE!" So, I figured, what the heck, let's give one of these electric pressure washers a shot.

I picked up a Ryobi one from Home Depot. It was on sale, and seemed to have decent reviews. Unboxing it was easy. Not a ton of parts to fumble with, which is always a plus in my book.

Assembly was pretty straightforward. I just had to click the wand together, attach the hose, and plug it in. I made sure to read the instructions (for once!), especially about hooking up the water supply. You gotta get all the air out of the hose, or it'll just sputter.

The moment of truth: I turned it on. It actually had some kick! Not like those gas-powered monsters, but definitely enough to blast the grime off my deck. I started with the widest nozzle, just to get a feel for it.

I started spraying, and man, the dirt just flew off. It was so satisfying! It was like watching a really gross ASMR video. I kept the nozzle about a foot away from the wood, just to avoid damaging anything.

• Pro-Tip #1: Wear eye protection! Seriously, bits of stuff WILL fly back at you. I learned that the hard way.
• Pro-Tip #2: Test it on an inconspicuous area first. You don't want to strip the paint off your favorite lawn chair by accident.

I went over the whole deck, switching to a narrower nozzle for tougher spots. Some areas needed a little extra love, but overall, it cleaned up surprisingly well.

Next up, I decided to tackle my car. It was covered in road salt and general winter nastiness. I used the soap nozzle and some car wash soap. This thing foamed up like crazy!

Rinsing was easy, and the pressure washer got all the soap off without any streaks. My car looked almost new again. I was starting to become a believer in the electric pressure washer hype.

But here's the catch: It took longer than I thought it would. Especially on the really stubborn grime. A gas-powered one probably would have ripped through it faster, but honestly, I was okay with the extra time. It was quieter, and I didn't have to mess with gas and oil.

Clean-up was easy. I just unplugged everything, drained the water, and coiled up the hose. It stores pretty compactly, which is important since my garage is already overflowing with tools.

Final Verdict

Electric pressure washers aren't as scary as I thought. They're powerful enough for most household tasks, and they're way more convenient than gas-powered ones. I'd definitely recommend one if you're looking for an easier way to clean your deck, car, or siding.

Would I use it for really heavy-duty stuff? Probably not. But for everyday cleaning, it's perfect. Plus, my back thanks me. No more scrubbing on my hands and knees!