Spring Clean: Pressure Washer Edition
We all know the feeling – faced with a whole winter’s worth of grime, road salt and dirt built up on our cars, it seems like the easier option to simply leave it or just take it through a car wash.
But if you’re also wondering ‘how much is my car worth’ the answer is ‘more if it’s been looked after’ – and part of that is keeping it clean and looking after it, especially after a long, grotty winter. Road salt and dirt build-up can accelerate the development of rust, can spoil paint, not to mention just make your car look less saleable.
And the easiest way to get started with a good car cleaning regime? A pressure washer. These tools aren’t an impulse purchase, but get a good one and you’ll wonder how you ever managed with just a hose, bucket, and sponge.
The blast of pressurised water can easily whip away dirt and grime from a car’s wheels and bodywork in an immensely satisfying way. You can also use different attachments for things like blasting snow foam car shampoo or cleaning under the chassis. We’ve rounded up some of the best pressure washers for home users below.
Nilfisk Core 130
Remarkably for what’s essentially a driveway tool the Nilfisk Core isn’t ugly. Looks aren’t everything of course, but it’s nice to have something you won’t feel embarrassed about leaving out.
The Core 130 has the ideal power and pressure figures to deal with both car cleaning and larger jobs, such as spraying off a driveway or dirty campervan. It performs brilliantly in all scenarios and feels solidly built, inside and out.
Specifications
Max power: 1500W
Max pressure: 130 bar
Max flow rate: 462 l/r
Hose length: 6m
Weight: 6.6kg
Turtle Wax TW110 Pressure Washer
If you want a seriously portable pressure washer for small cars and light domestic use then this offering from Turtle Wax is ideal. It’s truly tiny but still packs a punch, perfect for getting all but the most stubborn grime off your car’s bodywork.
It comes with a useful attachment for foam cleaning, and you can specify extra accessories such as a patio cleaner.
Specifications
Max power: 1400W
Max pressure: 110 bar
Max flow rate 330 l/r
Hose length: 5m
Weight: 5.7kg
Worx WG630E.1 Brushless Hydroshot Cordless Pressure Washer
A cordless pressure washer? Unthinkable a few years ago, but the proliferation of compact, power-dense lithium-ion batteries means it’s now possible to have a powerful pressure washer in the palm of your hand. The Hydroshot isn’t as powerful as a mains cleaner but it’ll still make short work of a car – up to three, in fact, on a single charge.
You don’t even need to be connected to mains water, as the Hydroshot will run from a bucket that you can take with you. Perfect for cleaning when you’re out and about. Or the world’s best water fight…
Specifications
Max power: 18W
Max pressure: 24 bar
Max flow rate: 200 l/r
Hose length: 6m
Weight: 2.4kg
Karcher K4 Premium Power Control Car & Home Pressure Washer
If you want the best all-round pressure washer kit to tackle every job on your property, this is the best option. Though it’s more expensive than the other offerings on this list it’s by far the most versatile. It’s super-powerful, which means its motor doesn’t have to work very hard for the gentle pressures of car cleaning – great for longevity.
It also comes with all the important accessories you need, plus you can buy more if you need them. And the eight-metre hose makes it significantly less of a pain to move around a vehicle than the usual five-metre affairs.
Specifications
Max power: 1800W
Max pressure: 130 bar
Max flow rate: 420 l/r
Hose length: 8m
Weight: 12kg