Alright, so I finally got around to using my Karcher pressure washer the other day, and I figured I'd share how it all went down. It’s actually not as complicated as some folks make it out to be. Here’s my rundown from start to finish.

Getting Started - Unpacking and a Quick Look

First thing I did was get the machine out of the garage. Gave it a quick once-over, made sure all the bits and pieces were there – the main unit, the high-pressure hose, the trigger gun, and the lances. Mine came with a couple of different lances, which is handy.

Connecting the Water Supply

This is step one, really. I grabbed my garden hose – made sure there were no nasty kinks in it, because that can mess with the water flow. I then connected one end to my outdoor tap. The other end, I attached to the water inlet on the Karcher. It usually has a filter on it, which is good. Just screwed it on by hand, snug enough so it wouldn’t leak. I learned the hard way once with another machine to not over-tighten these plastic bits.

Plugging in the Power

Next up, power. My Karcher is an electric one, so I uncoiled the power cord. Made sure the area around the plug and the machine was dry. Safety first, you know. Plugged it into an outdoor-rated socket. I always double-check the power switch on the machine is in the OFF position before plugging anything in.

Attaching the High-Pressure Hose and Gun

Okay, so the big yellow (or sometimes black) high-pressure hose. One end connects to the machine itself – usually a screw-on fitting or a quick-connect. I made sure that was tight. The other end connects to the trigger gun. Snapped that into place. Pretty straightforward.

Choosing and Attaching a Lance

Now for the business end! I had a couple of lances to choose from.

• One was a Vario Power lance, where you can twist it to change the pressure from a gentle fan to a more focused jet.
• The other was a Dirt Blaster lance, which has a rotating pencil jet for really tough grime.

Since I was cleaning my patio slabs, which were pretty mucky but I didn't want to damage the pointing, I started with the Vario Power lance. I set it to a medium fan spray to begin with. You just push and twist it onto the end of the trigger gun.

Turning it All On - The Moment of Truth

Right, here we go.

1. First, I turned the garden tap on fully. Let the water run through the hose and into the machine for a moment.
2. Then, I squeezed the trigger on the gun – before turning the machine on – to let any air out of the system and get water flowing through the lance. You'll see it sputter a bit, then a steady, low-pressure stream will come out.
3. With the trigger still squeezed (or you can release it and squeeze again after power on), I switched the Karcher's main power switch to ON. The motor whirred to life.

The Actual Washing Process

I pointed the lance at a dirty paving slab, keeping it about a foot away to start. Squeezed the trigger, and whoosh! The difference was instant. I worked in sweeping motions, overlapping each pass a bit, just like spray painting. If I hit a stubborn spot, I’d either move the lance a bit closer or twist the Vario lance to a more powerful jet. For the really tough bits of moss, I might have briefly switched to the Dirt Blaster, but you have to be careful with that one on softer surfaces, keep it moving!

I made sure not to point it at pets, people, or windows. And I kept the electrical cord and the machine itself away from the direct spray and any puddles.

Using Detergent (Optional)

My model has a little sucky tube for detergent, or some have a tank. I didn't use detergent this time, but if I did, I’d pop the tube into the detergent bottle, and usually, you set the Vario lance to its lowest pressure setting for it to draw the detergent through. Then you apply it, let it sit for a few minutes (but not dry), and then switch back to high pressure to rinse it all off.

Shutting Down Properly

Once I was done, and the patio looked a whole lot better, I followed these steps to shut it down:

• Switched the main power switch on the Karcher to OFF.
• Turned off the garden tap.
• Squeezed the trigger gun again to release all the pressure from the hose and machine. This is important – you’ll hear the pressure release.
• Once the pressure was out, I unplugged the machine from the power socket.
• Then I disconnected the garden hose from the machine, and the high-pressure hose from both the machine and the trigger gun.

Clean Up and Storage

I gave the machine a quick wipe down, emptied any remaining water out of the hoses, and coiled them up. Stored everything away neatly in the garage, ready for next time. It’s good to store it somewhere it won’t freeze if there’s any water left inside.

And that’s pretty much it! Took a bit of getting used to the first ever time I used one years ago, but now it’s a breeze. Just take it step by step, and you’ll be blasting away grime in no time. Hope this helps someone out!