So, the patio out back was looking rough. Really rough. Winter did a number on it, left it all green and grimy. Tried scrubbing a bit last year, didn't really cut it. This time, I figured, let's break out the big guns – the high pressure hose water setup I got a while back.

Getting it Set Up

First thing, I had to wrestle the pressure washer out of the shed. Thing's not exactly lightweight. Then, the usual routine: hooked up the garden hose from the outside tap to the inlet on the washer. Made sure that connection was tight, learned that lesson the hard way before with water spraying everywhere but where I wanted it.

Next up was attaching the actual high pressure hose. One end screws onto the washer outlet, the other onto the spray gun handle. Again, cranked those connections down pretty good. Didn't want any surprises once the pressure kicked in. Picked a nozzle – started with one of the wider spray patterns, figured I'd ease into it rather than risk blasting chunks out of the paving stones right away.

The Actual Washing Part

Alright, time for action. Turned the tap on full, let the water run through the system for a second to get air out. Then, flicked the switch on the pressure washer. That familiar hum started up. Took aim at a corner of the patio, squeezed the trigger on the gun.

And whoosh! The difference was instant. That jet of high pressure water just sliced through the grime. Years of built-up dirt, moss, whatever it was, just lifted right off. It's seriously satisfying watching that clean stone reappear from under all that muck. I worked my way across the patio, overlapping each pass slightly.

Had a few stubborn spots, mostly algae that had really baked on. Switched to a slightly narrower nozzle for those bits, gave it a bit more concentrated power. You gotta be careful though, get too close or use too narrow a jet and you can definitely etch the surface. Found that sweet spot distance, about a foot away maybe, and kept the gun moving.

It wasn't super quick, took a good hour or so to do the whole area properly. The hose did its usual trick of trying to kink up now and then, had to stop and straighten it out a couple of times. But man, the result. Totally worth the noise and the bit of effort.

Wrapping Up

Once done, turned off the machine first, then the water tap. Squeezed the trigger again just to release any pressure left in the hose. Disconnected everything, coiled up the hoses, and lugged the machine back to the shed. The patio? Looks almost new again. That high pressure hose water method, it really does the job when you need some serious cleaning power. Simple as that, really.