6 Surprising Uses for Your Pressure Washer

If you own a pressure washer, or are considering making one part of your property care arsenal, you may be wondering just how much use you can get out of it. The usual pressure washer projects include cleaning house siding, cars, boats, decks, power equipment, and tractors. But what else can you do with it? We have 6 surprising ways to make your pressure washer even more useful:

1. Dingy fences.

Good fences make good neighbors. And good-looking fences are certainly better than dingy, dirty ones. Use your pressure washer to clean your fences and keep the borders of your property looking their best. Be mindful of the material that your fence is made of, however. For wooden fences, use a 40° or higher nozzle to avoid damaging the fence. For metal or plastic fences, you could go a bit stronger and use a 25° nozzle, but test it on a inconspicuous spot before attacking your whole fence. With too strong a force, you could damage the fence.

2. Grimy cement.

After seasons and seasons of use, cement structures start to look dark and dirty. You may not even notice how dirty they’ve become until you begin to pressure wash them. Put your trusty pressure washer to work on sidewalks, garage floors, loading docks, building foundations, pool platforms, and other cement surfaces and watch them return to their former glory. Cement usually requires a pretty strong stream, so start with a 15° nozzle and upgrade to a 0° for particularly stubborn stains. And be careful! These strong nozzles can do a lot of damage if they are not used safely.

3. Scrape peeling paint.

Pressure washers are a great time-saving tool for scraping paint. Instead of spending hours with a manual scraper, prep surfaces for new paint with a simple spray. Choose the best nozzle for the job based on the surface material; 15° for hard surfaces such as metal, and 25° for wood. When in doubt, start with a higher-degree nozzle for a softer spray and switch to a lower-degree nozzle if needed.

4. Prep the pool.

Once in a while, it may be necessary to drain and clean your above-ground or in-ground pool. After draining the water, a pressure washer is an ideal tool for cleaning off the rings of residue that accumulate at the top of the water line, calcium and limescale residue, and other grime. Be sure to clean the drains and filters as well. Most pools will find a 25° nozzle sufficient for this task, but upgrade to a stronger nozzle if needed.

5. Wash second-story windows.

Second- and third-story windows can be quite the hassle to clean. To avoid wobbling on a tall ladder, use your pressure washer with some detergent to clean the outsides of high-up  windows. Use the detergent nozzle for washing with soap first, then switch to the light-pressure 40° nozzle to rinse. You can even use a telescoping long-reach pressure washer wand to get to super high-up windows. While you’re at it, might as well clean under the eaves, too!

6. Get the grill ready.

Having company over for a summer barbecue? Use your pressure washer to ensure the grill is clean and pristine. It’s a good idea to give your grill a good cleaning at least once per grilling season. Be sure to disconnect your propane tank and any electrical hook-ups before you begin. See this helpful instructional video for more tips: