Alright, so I finally decided to tackle the grimy patio this weekend. It was looking pretty sad, honestly. Moss, dirt, who knows what else baked on over the years. Figured it was time to get one of those pressure washer things everyone talks about.

Getting Started

Pulled the machine out of the box. Seemed simple enough. Had to snap the handle on, connect the high-pressure hose to the machine itself and then to the spray gun thingy. Took maybe ten minutes, tops. No real head-scratchers there, which was nice.

Next up, hooked up the garden hose to the back of the washer. Made sure that connection was snug – didn't want water spraying everywhere before I even started. Then unwound the power cord and plugged it into an outdoor outlet. Safety first, right? Cleared the patio furniture and the kids' toys out of the way too.

Firing It Up

It came with a few different nozzles. I picked one that looked like a general-purpose fan spray, not the super-intense pinpoint one. Didn't want to accidentally carve my name into the concrete slabs, you know?

Turned on the water tap first. Then, took a breath and flipped the power switch on the washer. It hummed to life. Squeezed the trigger on the spray gun, and whoosh! Water came blasting out. Man, that thing has some kick to it, gotta hold on tight.

The Actual Cleaning

Started at one end of the patio. Kept the nozzle maybe a foot or so away from the surface and just used a steady, sweeping motion, side to side. It was amazing, seriously. You could instantly see the clean concrete appear underneath the layer of green and brown gunk. Like erasing years of neglect right before my eyes.

• Technique: Just kept overlapping the sweeps slightly to avoid leaving lines.
• Stubborn Spots: Had a few areas with tougher stains. Moved the nozzle a bit closer, went over them a couple more times, and they eventually gave way. Patience is key.
• Managing Hoses: Yeah, juggling the power cord and the two hoses took some getting used to. Had to stop and untangle myself a couple of times. Part of the process, I guess.

Worked my way across the whole patio slab by slab. Took a good hour or so, maybe a bit more. It's definitely a bit of a workout for the arms, holding that trigger down and guiding the spray gun.

The Result and Cleanup

Stepped back when I was done. Wow. Big difference. The concrete looked so much brighter, almost new again. Really satisfying seeing that transformation. All that built-up dirt, just gone.

Cleanup was easy. Turned off the machine, turned off the water tap. Squeezed the trigger one last time to release the pressure. Disconnected the garden hose, then the high-pressure hose. Gave the machine a quick wipe down and coiled up the cords and hoses. Stored it back in the shed.

So, yeah. The pressure washer. Definitely gets the job done. Patio looks a hundred times better. Was a bit of work, but seeing that clean surface made it totally worth it.