Okay, so I decided to finally grab one of those car power washer kits you see online. My car was looking pretty sad, covered in dust and who knows what else from the road. Figured I'd give it a shot myself instead of hitting the car wash every week.

Getting Started

Got the box delivered. Pulled everything out. It wasn't too complicated, really. There was the main pump unit, a spray gun thingy, a long hose for the water, another hose with a filter to dunk into a bucket, a power cord for the car's cigarette lighter socket, and a couple of different nozzle heads. Also had a little soap bottle attachment.

First thing, I laid all the parts out on the driveway just to see what I was working with. The instructions were okay, mostly pictures, but it seemed straightforward enough. Snapped the hoses onto the pump and the spray gun. You gotta make sure they click in tight, otherwise, I figured water would probably spray everywhere.

Hooking it Up

Next, I grabbed a big bucket I use for gardening and filled it up with water from the outside tap. Dropped the filter end of the intake hose right into the bucket. Made sure the filter thing was fully submerged so it wouldn't suck air.

Then, ran the power cord over to the car and plugged it into the 12V socket – you know, the cigarette lighter thing. Had to leave the car running, or at least the ignition on, to get power to it. Heard the little pump unit hum to life. Okay, seemed like we were ready to go.

Washing Time

Picked up the spray gun. Felt a bit plasticky, but okay for the price. Pointed it away from the car first and squeezed the trigger. Took a second, then water started shooting out. The pressure wasn't crazy high, not like those big industrial ones, but definitely stronger than my garden hose.

Started spraying down the car, beginning with the roof and working my way down. It did a decent job knocking off the loose dirt and dust. Focused a bit more on the wheels and lower parts of the doors where all the grime collects. Had to hold the nozzle fairly close for stubborn spots, like bird droppings.

• Knocked off loose dirt pretty well.
• Wheels needed a bit more attention.
• Pressure was manageable, didn't feel like it would strip paint or anything.

Soaping Up and Rinsing

After the first pass, I switched things up. Unplugged the power for a sec. Filled the little soap bottle attachment with some car wash soap and water, then screwed it onto the end of the spray gun. Plugged the power back in.

Pulled the trigger again, and yeah, it sprayed out foamy soap. Covered the whole car in suds. It wasn't super thick foam like you see at professional places, but it coated everything. Let it sit for a minute or two to loosen up the grime.

Then, took the soap bottle off, put the regular nozzle back on, and started rinsing. Again, top to bottom. Made sure to get all the soap off, especially around the windows and mirrors. This part took the longest, just making sure there were no soapy streaks left behind.

The Result

So, how did it turn out? Honestly, pretty good! The car was definitely clean. Not showroom perfect, you know, I didn't scrub every inch by hand, but way better than before. For a quick wash at home, it did the job.

Packing it up was easy. Just disconnected the hoses, drained the water out of them, wiped down the pump unit a bit, and put everything back in the box it came in. Stores away nicely in the garage.

Overall, I'm happy with this little kit. It's convenient, doesn't use a ton of water since it just pulls from the bucket, and saves me a few bucks compared to the automatic car wash. It's not gonna deep clean baked-on tar, but for regular washing, it works. Glad I tried it out.