Alright, let me tell you about my weekend wrestling match with the pressure washer. The driveway and back patio were looking pretty sad, honestly. Lots of green stuff, grime, you know how it gets after winter.

Getting Started

First thing, I hauled the pressure washer out from the garage. Thing weighs a ton, or feels like it. Checked the oil, looked okay. Topped up the gas – always make sure you got enough before you start, it’s a real pain to stop midway.

Then, the hoses. Connected my garden hose to the inlet. Made sure the connection was tight, don't want leaks spraying everywhere. Uncoiled the high-pressure hose, snapped one end into the machine and the other onto the spray gun, or wand, whatever you call it. You gotta hear that click to know it's secure.

Choosing the right nozzle tip is important. They usually come with a few different colors. I started with the green one, kind of an all-purpose fan spray. Didn't want to go full blast with the red pinpoint one right away – heard stories about people carving lines into their wood decks by accident.

Safety check! Put on some old boots, safety glasses are a must – you don't want grit flying in your eyes. Gloves too, helps with the vibration.

Firing It Up and Washing

Turned the water supply on full. Squeezed the trigger on the wand for a bit to get water flowing through and push the air out. Flipped the engine switch on, set the choke. Gave the pull cord a good yank. Usually takes two or three tries for mine to roar to life. Loud sucker.

Okay, time for the fun part. I stood back a few feet from the patio concrete first. Squeezed the trigger. Wow, the power still surprises me sometimes. Started making sweeping passes, overlapping each one slightly. It’s amazing watching the dirt just lift off. Super satisfying.

• Started with the main flat areas.
• Kept the wand moving constantly. Don't linger on one spot too long, especially on softer surfaces like wood or siding.
• Had some really stubborn green algae near the downspout. Switched to the yellow nozzle (a bit narrower spray) for more power there. Did the trick.
• Did the driveway next. Same process, just took longer 'cause it's bigger.

You gotta be careful around windows and light fixtures. I kept a good distance and used a wider spray angle there. Also made sure to spray down on the house siding, not up under the panels.

Wrapping Up

Once everything looked clean, I turned off the engine. Very important: squeeze the trigger again to release any remaining pressure in the hose. Heard that makes the machine last longer. Then, turned off the water supply at the spigot.

Disconnected everything. Garden hose first, then the high-pressure hose from the machine and the wand. Drained the leftover water out of the pump by giving the pull cord a couple of gentle pulls (engine switch still off, obviously). Wiped the machine down with a rag. Put the nozzles back in their little holders so I don't lose 'em.

Rolled it back into the garage. Job done. Patio looks a hundred times better. It's a bit of work, setting up and putting away, but the results are worth it. Beats scrubbing by hand any day.