woodturner

I'm wondering why some will invest in a pressure washer to wash their cars. I imagine that it does a good job of getting rid of bugs that have attached themselves to the front grill, etc., but what other benefit does a pressure washer have?

97-SC300

iTrader: (17)

A pressure washer removes more dirt off your car during the rinse stage of the wash process. With a pressure washer, one you've rinsed your car, you are washing a cleaner surface and scrubbing less dirt and grit on your paint. That results in less swirls and scratches.

Other benefits would include being able to attach a foam cannon that you can use to break down dirt or spray any chemical you want on your paint.

Honestly, my car is coated, I pressure wash it one a week-two weeks in doors..... it removes a good 90-95% of dirt on my car without me even touching the paint with a mit. Definitely nice to have in the winter for your daily driver.

tmf2004

iTrader: (15)

Just to add to 97's post its great for home use as well... Its definitely a great pre wash rinse much better than your regular hose IMO... pressure wash, 2 bucket method, and leaf blower will eliminate most scratches.

jfelbab

It also uses much less water and is good at removing underbody salt and grime. It does wheel wells very well and at lower pressure (around 800-900 psi) cleans tires better than scrubbing with a brush. Add to that the foam dispenser and you have a great tool for washing a lot of cars at a time.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Because foam.



How to Implement a Foam Lance into your Wash Routine

Browninggo

What foam adaptor are you using @zmcgovern4?

97-SC300

iTrader: (17)

That's definitely a good point. Can't believe I forgot to mention that!

I think most people don't give that enough thought, but during the winter months, if you are indoors with a drain, using a pressure washer is definitely a bonus as it will use a ton less water.

mnewxcv

lot of good points so far. one for me is being able to wash the dirty areas of the car better, wheels and wheel wells, tires, undercarriage, etc, that if i just hosed off and then washed with a rag, i could basically say good bye to the rag. if you wash your car once a week you probably wouldnt benefit from a PW, but if you let your car get dirty between washes, its definitely a good idea to PW before hand wash, as stated, to reduce contaminants on paint to reduce swirls/scratches/marring.

jbjones85

iTrader: (20)

+ 1 on this.

01LEXPL

iTrader: (10)

Why not? I wash mine sometimes twice a week in the summer... Mind you the PW comes out for 'heavier duty' washing, and just a quick rinse with it is almost more effective than actually using soap if you're just maintaining the finish, I find.

We had a nice warm, awesome weather streak, three weeks last summer, I would use the PW to blast away the dust/ road grime in lieu of actually breaking out the watering attachment and wash bucket!

mnewxcv

true that, i think a cheap electric PW pays for itself in the long run if you look at water savings alone, not to mention decrease in labor/time washing

sydtoosic

@OP... and there you have it, i don't think there's anything for me to add, it's already been posted... so ** drops mic, kicks over mic stand and walks towards Z Macs foamy Lexus }

woodturner

Very good points, gentlemen. I guess I need to consider a purchase. Kinda looking at the Karcher K5.540. I don't really care for the notion of having to lug a pressure washer around the car so the long(ish) hose on this one is appealing.

tmf2004

iTrader: (15)

i bought this one in 2012 and works great... i use it on the car, driveway and rear patio...

woodturner

Yeah, I saw that one too. It sure has an attractive price!