So, the driveway, man, it was looking rough. I mean, truly, utterly, embarrassingly grimy. We're talking years of who-knows-what caked on there. I'd look at it and just sigh. Tried sweeping it. Yeah, that did next to nothing.

Deciding to Tackle It

One Saturday, I just couldn't stand it anymore. My neighbor, Dave, he keeps his place looking like a magazine cover. His driveway? Spotless. I think I was starting to get driveway shame. So, I remembered I had this water pressure washer thing still in its box in the garage. Bought it ages ago, one of those "I'll use this all the time" purchases, you know? Then it just sat there, gathering dust. Classic.

Getting Started with the Machine

Dragged the box out. Unpacked it. It wasn't too complicated, thankfully. Just a few bits to snap together. The instructions looked like they were translated ten times, but the pictures helped. Hooked up the garden hose to one end, the power cord to the outlet. Picked a nozzle that looked kinda medium-duty. Didn't want to accidentally peel paint off something, or worse, carve new patterns into the concrete.

Turned on the water, then flipped the switch on the washer. Braced myself. It made a bit of a hum, then whoosh!

The Actual Cleaning Process

Pointed it at a really dirty patch. Wow. The difference was immediate. Like one of those cleaning product commercials, but actually real. The grime just sort of… dissolved and washed away. It was surprisingly satisfying to see the clean concrete emerge from under all that muck.

I started working in sections, sweeping the spray back and forth. It wasn't super fast, but it was effective. You gotta find the right distance and angle. Too close, and you might damage the surface. Too far, and it doesn't clean as well. Got a bit of a rhythm going.

Thing is, this whole pressure washer adventure almost didn't happen because of an incident last year. I'd borrowed a friend's older model, a real beast of a gas-powered one. Tried to clean a small garden statue. Well, I got a bit too enthusiastic, or maybe the nozzle was wrong. Ended up blasting a tiny stone cherub's nose clean off. My friend was good about it, but I felt terrible. Stuck the nose back on with super glue, but it was never quite the same. So, I was a bit gun-shy about using one again, especially my own.

But this electric one felt much more controllable. Less like wrestling a fire hose.

Some Things I Noticed

• You will get wet. And probably muddy. Don't wear your Sunday best. I ended up with speckled trousers and shoes full of gritty water.

• It kicks up a lot of debris. Dirt, tiny stones, bits of old leaves. Safety glasses are probably a good idea. I didn't use them at first, then got a fleck of something in my eye. Lesson learned.

• It's a bit of a workout for your arm and back, holding that wand and moving it steadily for a long time.

• The power cord and hose can get tangled if you're not careful. Had to stop a few times to untangle myself.

The Result

After a couple of hours, the driveway looked a million times better. Not perfect, there were still some stubborn oil stains, but the general awfulness was gone. Stood back and actually felt a bit proud. Even Dave gave me a nod of approval from across the street. Or maybe he was just surprised to see me doing yard work.

So yeah, that was my big water washer pressure day. Glad I finally did it. And glad the cherub statue incident didn't put me off for life.