Okay, so I finally did it. Got myself one of those pressure washers. My patio, you wouldn't believe how bad it looked. Green stuff growing everywhere, dirt baked in from years of just… well, existing I guess. Tried scrubbing it last year, my back was killing me for a week and it barely made a dent. So, I thought, time for some power.

Pulled the machine out of the box. Felt pretty solid, heavier than I expected. Had to attach the handle, the hose reel thingy, and figure out which nozzle did what. The manual was… okay? Mostly pictures. Spent maybe 20 minutes getting it all hooked up to the garden hose and the power outlet. Felt a bit like playing with giant lego, hoping I didn't miss a crucial step.

Firing it Up

Alright, moment of truth. Turned on the water, flipped the switch. It jumped to life with a roar. Honestly, it startled me a bit. Grabbed the wand, squeezed the trigger, and WHOOSH. Water shot out way harder than I thought it would. Picked a spot on the patio that was particularly nasty.

Started moving the nozzle back and forth. You could see the dirt just melting away. It was actually amazing. Like erasing years of neglect right before my eyes. Found a rhythm, just slowly sweeping the grime off the concrete slabs. It's weirdly satisfying, you know? Seeing that clean surface emerge.

• Tried the different nozzles. One was like a laser beam, super strong, maybe too strong for some stuff.
• Another one fanned out wider, better for covering bigger areas faster. Stuck with that one mostly.

Did the whole patio, then decided, why stop there? Moved onto the garden path. Same deal, blasted away moss and dirt. Then I looked at the fence. It looked dingy. Figured I'd give it a quick once-over.

Learned a Few Things

Hold on tight! That wand has a kick, especially when you first pull the trigger.

Watch where you point it. Got too close to the wooden fence in one spot and, yeah, it took off a sliver of wood. Didn't damage it badly, but definitely a lesson learned. Keep a bit of distance, especially on softer materials like wood or paint you want to keep.

Also, you get wet. Like, properly soaked. Water splashes everywhere, especially when you hit corners or edges. Wear boots, not sneakers. I learned that the hard way, squelching around by the end.

Took a good couple of hours, moving methodically. My arms felt it afterwards, holding that vibrating wand. But man, the difference. The patio looks almost new. The path is clear. Even the fence looks brighter (minus the tiny spot I shaved).

So yeah, the pressure washer. Bit noisy, bit messy to use, and you gotta be careful. But does it work? Absolutely. Way better than spending a weekend on my hands and knees scrubbing. Totally worth the effort for results like this. Now I'm looking around wondering what else I can blast clean…