Okay, so let's talk about using the water pressure washer this weekend. The driveway was looking seriously grim, algae and dirt everywhere. Decided it was time to get it sorted.

Getting Started

First thing, I dragged the pressure washer out from the garage. It's an electric one, not too heavy but still awkward. Unwound the power cord and the high-pressure hose. Checked the connections, made sure nothing looked cracked or worn out. Safety first, right? Didn't want water spraying everywhere it shouldn't.

Then, I grabbed the garden hose. Connected one end to the tap outside and the other to the inlet on the washer. Turned the water on slowly, let it run through the machine for maybe 30 seconds before even thinking about plugging it in. Heard you're supposed to do that to get the air out. Seemed to work, no weird noises.

Picking the Right Tool

My washer came with a few different nozzle tips. Had a look, figured the green one, I think it was 25 degrees, looked about right for concrete. Didn't want anything too aggressive that might chew up the surface, but needed enough power to shift the muck. Snapped it onto the end of the spray wand. Felt secure.

The Actual Washing Bit

Okay, plugged it in. Found an outdoor socket. Flipped the switch on the washer. It hummed to life. Pulled the trigger on the wand, and whoosh! That water came out strong. Started at one end of the driveway.

Here’s how I did it:

• Held the wand with both hands, helps control the kick.
• Kept the nozzle maybe a foot or so away from the surface.
• Used a sweeping motion, side to side, overlapping each pass a little.
• Worked in sections, slowly moving down the driveway.

Honestly, it was pretty satisfying watching the dirt just peel away. You could see the clean concrete emerge right behind the spray. Some spots were tougher, especially where the green algae was thick. Had to move the nozzle a bit closer and go over those areas a couple of times. Took a while, maybe an hour or so for the whole driveway, but it wasn't difficult work, just steady.

Wrapping Up

Once the main washing was done, I switched to a wider nozzle (the white one, maybe 40 degrees?) just to give everything a final rinse down, pushing all the loose dirt off the driveway and into the drain. Looked much better.

Then, shut everything down. Turned off the power switch first, then turned off the water tap. Squeezed the trigger on the wand one last time to release any pressure left in the hose. Disconnected the garden hose, then the high-pressure hose. Let the water drain out of everything. Wiped the machine down quick with a rag. Rolled up the cords and hoses, maybe not neatly, but rolled up. Pushed it back into the garage.

The Result

Job done. Driveway looks almost new again. Big difference. The pressure washer definitely earned its keep today. Glad I finally got around to doing it. It's a bit of effort setting up and packing away, but the cleaning power makes it worthwhile for these bigger outdoor jobs.