Alright, so today was the day I finally tackled the grime on the patio. It's been bugging me for ages. Got the pressure washer out from the back of the garage. Thing's heavier than I remember, or maybe I'm just getting older.

Getting Started

First thing, had to untangle the garden hose. That’s always a bit of a fight, isn't it? Connected the hose to the inlet on the washer, made sure it was tight. Don't want water spraying everywhere before I even start. Then, plugged the power cord into the outdoor socket. Checked the circuit breaker, just in case. Safety first, kinda.

Prepping the Machine

Next up was picking the right nozzle. I’ve got a few different ones. Started with a wider spray angle, maybe the green or white one? Didn't want to accidentally carve my name into the paving stones. Popped that onto the end of the wand. Clicked right in. Filled the little detergent tank too, thought I'd give that a try on the really bad spots.

Firing It Up

Turned the water tap on fully. Squeezed the trigger on the wand for a bit, just to get the air out of the hose and water flowing through the pump. You can hear the difference. Then, flipped the power switch. The machine hummed to life. Not too loud, this electric one, which is nice.

The Actual Washing

Okay, time for the fun part. Pointed the wand at the dirtiest corner of the patio. Started with a sweeping motion, keeping the nozzle maybe a foot away from the surface. Wow! The difference was instant. Years of green stuff and dirt just vanished. It’s super satisfying watching that clean line appear.

• Worked my way across the patio, section by section.
• Had to overlap my sweeps a little to avoid leaving stripes.
• Some stubborn oily spots near where the grill sits needed a closer blast and that detergent helped loosen them up.
• Got splashed quite a bit. Should've worn boots instead of old sneakers. Oh well.

Did the brick pathway leading up to it as well. That was looking pretty rough too. Took a good hour, maybe hour and a half, going back and forth. My hand was getting tired from holding the trigger down, gotta admit.

Wrapping Up

Once everything looked clean, I turned the machine off. Then turned the water tap off. Squeezed the trigger again to release the pressure left in the hose – important step! Disconnected the garden hose, letting the water drain out. Unplugged the power cord and carefully wound it up. Did the same with the pressure hose and wand.

Wiped the machine down a bit with an old rag. Pushed it back into its spot in the garage. Felt pretty good looking back at the patio. It’s not perfect, brand-new perfect, but man, it looks a hundred times better. Definitely worth the effort today.