Alright folks, lemme tell you 'bout my weekend project – the pressure washer! Been meaning to tackle this for ages, and finally got around to it.

First off, I dug out the old pressure washer from the back of the garage. It's been sitting there collecting dust for, like, two years. Looked rough, I ain't gonna lie.

Then I unpacked everything – the washer itself, the hose, the spray gun, all that jazz. Checked for any obvious damage, like cracked plastic or frayed wires. Luckily, nothing major jumped out.

Next, I hooked up the garden hose to the pressure washer. Made sure it was a tight fit, didn't want any leaks spraying me in the face later. Then I connected the high-pressure hose to the washer and the spray gun. Again, nice and snug.

Here's where things got interesting. I plugged in the pressure washer, turned on the water, and flipped the switch... nothing. Just a sad little hum. Crap.

So, I unplugged it (safety first!), and started troubleshooting. First thing I checked was the power outlet. Yup, working fine. Then I inspected the power cord for any breaks or cuts. Nada.

I figured it might be the motor. After a bit of online research, I learned that sometimes the motor can get stuck if the pressure washer hasn't been used in a while. The fix? Give it a little nudge.

So I carefully poked around the motor housing with a screwdriver (again, unplugged!), trying to loosen anything that might be stuck. Gave it a few taps, nothing violent. Then, I plugged it back in, turned on the water, and flipped the switch... and boom! It sputtered to life! Yes!

Now that it was actually working, I adjusted the nozzle on the spray gun to get the right pressure. Started with a wide spray to wet everything down, then dialed it up for the tougher grime.

I started with the driveway. It was covered in all sorts of gunk – dirt, leaves, moss, you name it. Went over every inch with the pressure washer, watching the grime disappear. So satisfying!

After the driveway, I moved on to the patio furniture. They were looking pretty sad after the winter. A good blast with the pressure washer brought them back to life. Looked almost brand new!

Spent a good couple of hours blasting away at everything in sight. The fence, the garden shed, even the garbage cans got a once-over. It was like a whole new world out there!

Finally, when I was all done, I disconnected everything, drained the water, and coiled up the hoses. Wiped down the pressure washer and stuck it back in the garage, ready for its next adventure.

All in all, a pretty successful day. The pressure washer's working like a charm, and everything looks sparkling clean. Totally worth the effort!

• Pros: Super satisfying to see all that grime disappear. Makes everything look brand new.
• Cons: Can be a bit messy. Wear old clothes! Also, noisy as hell. Earplugs are a must.

Would I do it again?

Hell yeah! Now that I know how to fix the motor if it gets stuck, I'll be using this thing way more often. Pressure washing is strangely therapeutic, and the results are amazing. Get yourself one and give it a try!