Okay, so the driveway was looking absolutely dreadful. Green stuff, dirt, you name it. Decided it was finally time to break out the power washer. Dragged the machine out from the shed first.

Getting the Hoses Ready

First thing was the water hose. You know, the regular garden hose that feeds the water into the power washer. Had to find the one that wasn't full of kinks. Found my trusty heavy-duty one. Screwed one end onto the outdoor spigot. Gave it a good tighten with my hand, then maybe a little extra nudge with some pliers just to be sure. Didn't want any leaks spraying everywhere.

Then, I uncoiled the hose and walked it over to the power washer. Found the inlet connection point on the machine. It usually has a little filter screen there. Pushed the hose connector on and tightened that end up too. Double-checked both connections. Nice and snug.

Turning on the Water and Power

Next step, walked back to the spigot and turned the water on. Didn't blast it full force right away, just opened it up slowly. Listened for any hissing sounds or drips from the connections. All seemed good. Let the water run through the hose and into the power washer for maybe half a minute to push the air out. You can usually hear it.

Then came connecting the high-pressure hose, the one that goes from the power washer pump to the spray gun wand. Screwed that onto the outlet on the machine, then connected the other end to the spray gun. Made sure these were really tight because this is where the serious pressure is.

Pulled the starter cord on the gas engine. Took a couple of pulls, like it sometimes does, but then it roared to life. Loud sucker.

Doing the Actual Washing

Alright, time for the fun part. Grabbed the spray gun firmly. Pointed it at a dirty patch on the driveway, keeping a bit of distance at first. Squeezed the trigger. Whoosh! That pressure really kicks back a bit, gotta hold on tight.

Man, it worked great. Just peeled the layers of grime right off the concrete. Moved the nozzle back and forth in steady, overlapping strokes. Found a rhythm. Had to be careful not to get too close or stay in one spot too long, especially on older surfaces.

• Started from the top edge of the driveway.
• Worked my way downwards systematically.
• Kept the hose behind me as much as possible to avoid tripping.
• Took a couple of breaks just to rest my arms.

The hose management is always a bit of a dance, moving the power washer unit itself occasionally as I covered more area, and making sure neither the water supply hose nor the high-pressure hose got tangled or kinked up.

Finishing Up and Cleanup

Once the whole driveway looked clean, I released the trigger on the spray gun. Went over and shut off the engine on the power washer first. Then, walked back to the house spigot and turned off the water supply completely.

Squeezed the trigger on the spray gun again just to release any remaining pressure in the high-pressure hose. You'll hear a little hiss. Then I could safely disconnect everything. Unscrewed the high-pressure hose from the machine and the gun. Then disconnected the garden hose from the power washer inlet and the spigot. Water spilled out, of course, that's normal.

Drained the hoses as best I could, then spent a few minutes coiling the garden hose back up. Put the power washer and its hoses away back in the shed. Job done. Driveway looks a hundred times better. A bit of work, sure, but satisfying.