So, I’d been eyeing up my patio for weeks, right? It was looking a bit grim, green stuff growing in the corners, the usual. And I kept seeing these ads, these little brass nozzle things you stick on your garden hose. "Turn your hose into a pressure washer!" they screamed. Sounded too good to be true, but hey, for a few bucks, what’s the harm? I’m all for a bit of DIY and saving a bit of cash if I can.

My Grand Plan and Getting Started

I figured, okay, I’ll grab one. It arrived in a tiny packet, looked simple enough. Just a nozzle, really. Maybe a couple of different spray tips. My old garden hose was ready, coiled up like a sleepy snake. The idea was simple: screw this thing on, turn on the tap, and blast away years of neglect. Easy peasy.

So, the first step was obviously getting it connected. I unscrewed the regular spray gun from my hose. That came off easy enough. Then I took this new 'pressure washer' attachment. It was just a direct screw-on. Felt a bit light, if I'm honest. Not much heft to it. But I thought, well, maybe the magic is in the design, not the weight.

The Moment of Truth... Or Was It?

I cranked the outdoor tap all the way. Walked back to the nozzle, took aim at a particularly grimy paving slab. Pulled the trigger, if you can call it that. It was more like just opening a valve on some models, or it just sprayed once the water pressure was there.

And water came out. Yes, indeed. It was… a jet of water. Definitely stronger than my usual hose setting. But a pressure washer? That’s a strong claim. I’d say it was more like a very focused, slightly angrier garden hose. You know what I mean? It wasn't that high-pitched whine and powerful blast you get from a proper electric or gas pressure washer.

I spent a good while out there. Here’s what I did:

• I tried the different nozzle tips it came with. One was a fine jet, another was more of a fan.
• I went right up close to the dirt. Like, inches away.
• I stood there for ages, tracing lines on the paving stones.

Sure, it shifted the loose surface dirt. It made the green algae look a bit sad and washed out. But those stubborn black spots? The really ground-in grime? They just sort of smirked at me. The water bounced right off them. I even tried it on the car a bit, just to see. It was okay for rinsing off dust, I suppose. But bird droppings that had been there a day or two? Nope, they weren’t budging easily.

So, What's the Real Deal?

After about an hour of this, my arm was tired, and the patio looked… marginally better. Like it had a light shower rather than a deep clean. I stood back, looked at the nozzle, looked at the hose, looked at the still-quite-grubby patio.

Here’s the thing: these attachments, they can only work with the pressure your tap provides. There's no motor, no pump to boost it. So if your home water pressure is just average, you're getting an average jet, just more focused. It's basic physics, really. I should have thought it through more, instead of getting suckered in by the convenience.

My takeaway? It’s not a pressure washer. Not in the way most of us think of one. It’s a decent jet nozzle for your hose. Good for watering stubborn plants from a distance, or maybe washing down the bins, or getting mud off your boots. But for serious cleaning, the kind that actually makes old things look new? You’re going to need more oomph than this little gadget can muster from a standard garden hose.

I’m not saying they’re useless. Far from it. For quick, light rinsing tasks, it’s probably fine, and better than just using your thumb over the end of the hosepipe like we did as kids. But a replacement for a proper pressure washer? Nah. Don't expect miracles. I went back to my old ways for the really tough stuff, or I guess I'll have to rent a real machine next time. Live and learn, eh?