Alright, so today was the day I finally got around to cleaning that big water tank we have out back. It's been sitting there looking pretty nasty for a while now, covered in green stuff and general grime.

Getting Started

First things first, dragged the pressure washer out of the shed. Always feels heavier than I remember. Checked the oil, filled it up with gas. Hooked up the water hose from the spigot – made sure that connection was tight, don't want water spraying everywhere before I even start.

Then I picked a nozzle. Didn't want anything too aggressive to start, might peel paint or something, though this tank is pretty sturdy metal. Went with one of the wider-angle ones, maybe the green or white one? Can't recall the exact color code thing.

Safety stuff next. Put on some old boots, definitely didn't want wet feet. Grabbed some safety glasses too. You never know what debris might fly off when that water hits.

The Actual Washing

Fired up the machine. Loud as always. Started spraying the tank from top to bottom. It's satisfying, seeing that dirt just melt away. You make these wide, sweeping motions, overlapping each pass a bit so you don't leave streaks.

The top half came clean pretty easily. Most of that was just dust and loose dirt. The lower parts, though, especially near the bottom, had some really caked-on algae or mildew. That green stuff really likes to hang on.

• Had to switch to a slightly narrower nozzle for more power.
• Got closer to the surface too, maybe a foot away.
• Really had to move slowly over those stubborn patches.

There was this one section, looked like maybe some rust stain or something tough. Hit it multiple times. It lightened up a lot, but didn't come off completely. Decided not to push my luck, didn't want to damage the tank itself by getting too aggressive.

Finishing Up

Once I'd gone over the whole thing and was happy enough with the stubborn spots, I switched back to the wider nozzle. Gave the entire tank a good rinse from top to bottom again, just to wash away any loosened debris and soap scum if I'd used any (didn't need detergent this time, thankfully).

Turned off the pressure washer. Disconnected the hoses. Let the pressure out of the wand like you're supposed to. Drained the water out of the pump before putting it away.

The result? Much, much better. The tank looks almost new, well, definitely cleaner. Still got that one faint stain, but overall, a huge improvement. Took maybe an hour, hour and a half, including setup and cleanup. Good workout for the arms too, holding that wand.

So yeah, that was my adventure pressure washing the tank today. Bit of effort, but worth it to not have that eyesore sitting there anymore.