A pressure washer is an excellent household tool for cleaning outdoors. It will keep decks, concrete, driveways, fences and any area that needs repainting free of stains, grease and dirt that scrubbing doesn’t touch.

Until recently, pressure washers were mainly rented as needed, but now they are so affordable that they can be purchased for jobs around the house.

Pressure washers need electricity from the mains and a water supply. The water is pumped through a jet nozzle for different degrees of pressure. There are different nozzles for different kinds of jobs and some models have pressure adjustment settings.

If you feel that purchasing a pressure washer would be worthwhile, consider the type of work you need to do. The pressure is measured in bar and the flow rate of the water is measured in litres per minute. They come with light, medium and heavy pressure capacity. Light pressure is 100 bar. This is useful for your car, garden furniture, bikes and general cleaning. Medium pressure, 110 bar, is needed to remove grease from concrete, siding and decks. Heavy pressure, 130 bar, is needed for paint stripping and very large areas.

A household DIY model usually has a flow rate of six litres per minute. For heavy duty work 40 litres per minute is needed. With more flow rate, the pressure also needs to increase which means the machine will also get bigger, because it will need a larger motor.

There are useful accessories to consider that attach to the washer. A patio cleaner attachment allows you to spray a flat surface without getting splash-back. It has a shroud that keeps the spray focused and makes the job go faster. Another popular attachment is a drain cleaner. It is an effective way to keep drains and pipes clean even though it may not be as powerful as a professional drain cleaner. For washing cars and caravans, a rotary brush is available which cleans well and is gentle on the paintwork.

Some models allow you to use detergent that is mixed with the water under pressure. It is important to use the correct detergent for the specific model you have. The instruction manual will have this information.

There are some safety rules that are essential for work that combines water and electricity.

The electricity supply should be protected by RCD a trip-switch that will disconnect the electricity if needed

Wear protective gear including goggles because debris will fly

It is not a toy. Don’t use it for water play with children or animals

Test the pressure for the job, and don’t use a higher pressure than necessary

Read the instructions and follow them

When you search online or go shopping, remember to keep in mind the kind of jobs you have and choose a machine that fits. Prices range from hundreds of pounds to thousands of pounds. Don’t buy more pressure than your household cleaning requires. It is a waste of money and you could damage your property.