Alright, decided it was time to finally tackle the moss and general grime that had taken over the back patio. Been meaning to do it for ages. So, first things first, I hauled the high-pressure washer out from the garage. Thing feels like it gains weight every year, I swear.

Next up, gotta get the water hooked up. Grabbed the garden hose, made sure the little filter screen thingy on the washer's inlet was clear – learned that lesson before, clogged up easy. Screwed the hose on nice and tight. Don't want leaks spraying everywhere when you turn the water on. Then, uncoiled the pressure hose itself and the wand, clicked those into place. Finally, ran the power cord out, making sure the connection was dry and safe, plugged it in.

Getting Down to Business

Before actually starting the engine, I turned the tap on fully and squeezed the trigger on the wand for a bit. Gets the air out of the system, helps the pump. Then came the nozzle choice. I usually start with the wider fan nozzle, maybe the green one? Less chance of etching the paving stones. Definitely avoid those super-narrow 'pencil jet' ones unless you know exactly what you're doing – they can cut through stuff you don't expect.

Okay, time to fire it up. Flicked the switch, the motor kicked in with that familiar hum. Took a firm grip on the wand – these things have a bit of a kick – and started on a corner of the patio. You gotta keep the wand moving, nice steady sweeps back and forth. Holding it about a foot away seems about right for general cleaning. You see the dirt just lift off, it's pretty satisfying.

• Keep a consistent distance.
• Overlap your sweeps slightly so you don't get stripes.
• Watch out for spraying grit towards windows or yourself!

Worked my way across the slabs. Some stubborn spots needed a slightly closer pass, or a slower sweep. The green mossy bits came off pretty easily, leaving clean stone underneath. Had to stop once to untwist the pressure hose, always seems to get tangled up somehow. Just switched the machine off, untangled, then back on again.

Wrapping It Up

Once the whole area was done, looked much better. Turned the machine off first, then turned the water tap off. Squeezed the trigger again to release the pressure left in the hose – important step, don't skip it. Then, disconnected the garden hose, let the water drain out. Disconnected the pressure hose and wand, drained those too. Gave the machine itself a quick wipe down.

Finally, coiled all the hoses and the power cord back up, snapped the wand into its holder, and lugged the whole thing back into the garage. Job done. Patio looks a hundred times better. Always feels good to get that sorted.