Alright, so the other day, my car was just disgustingly filthy. I mean, birds had clearly had a party on it, and there was a nice layer of road grime. I’d been putting it off, but then I remembered I actually had that power washer thing still in its box in the garage. Figured, why not give it a shot myself?

Getting Started

So, I dragged the power washer out. It wasn't as heavy as I thought, which was a good start. I fumbled around a bit getting the hoses connected – one for the water supply, the other for the spray wand. Then I poured some car wash soap into the little detergent tank. I wasn't even sure if I was using the right soap, but it said "car wash" on the bottle, so good enough for me!

First, I just gave the whole car a good rinse. Man, that water pressure is no joke! I nearly blasted a hubcap off, not really, but it felt powerful. I had to remember to keep the nozzle moving so I didn't just focus on one spot for too long. I’ve heard stories about people stripping paint, and I definitely didn’t want to be that guy.

The Soapy Part and The Rinse

Then came the soap. I switched to the soap nozzle, and whoosh, a nice thick foam started covering the car. This was actually pretty satisfying, watching all that grime get buried under suds. I let it sit for a few minutes, like the instructions on the soap bottle mumbled something about. I used a wash mitt on some of the really stubborn spots, especially the bird droppings that seemed to be baked on.

Rinsing was next. I swapped back to the regular high-pressure nozzle. It was pretty cool watching all the soap and dirt just sheet off the car. I made sure to get into the wheel wells and underneath the bumpers, places that usually get missed.

• Rinsed from top to bottom.
• Paid extra attention to windows.
• Tried not to spray myself too much (failed a couple of times, obviously).

The Aftermath and Some Thoughts

Took a while, longer than I thought, if I’m honest. My back was a bit sore from leaning over. But, when I finally stepped back, the car looked pretty darn good! Way better than those quick drive-through washes, and I saved a few bucks too, I guess.

You know, it’s funny. I used to be all about convenience. Quick fixes, pay someone else to do it. My old neighbor, Dave, he was the opposite. Always tinkering, fixing his own stuff, washing his car by hand every weekend like it was a religious ritual. I used to think, "Man, Dave, just take it to the car wash!" But after wrestling with that power washer and seeing the results, I kinda get it now. There's something about doing it yourself, even if it’s a bit messy or takes longer.

It’s like that time I tried to assemble a flat-pack bookshelf. The instructions looked like hieroglyphics written by a confused alien. I put a shelf in backwards, another one upside down. It was a disaster. Ended up calling my brother-in-law to rescue me. But this car wash thing? This I actually managed to do right, mostly. And it felt good.

So yeah, the power washer. It’s a bit of work, and you’ll probably get a bit wet, but the car’s clean, and I actually didn’t mind doing it. Might even make it a regular thing. Who knows, maybe I’ll start fixing those leaky faucets next. Or maybe not. Let’s not get too carried away. For now, a clean car is a good win.