Pressure Washing Your Paving: A Handy Guide

Pressure washing is a quick and easy way of getting all the algae, moss and other unwanted dirt off of your patio. Much better than spending hours hand scrubbing, using a pressure washer is also more efficient than grabbing a normal garden hose to wash the grime away.

It’s up to you whether you want to use a special detergent for this process, as this will make the process a lot easier and help to break down the dirt quicker.

When using an appliance like this, please always make sure to wear safety goggles to prevent any debris from flying up into your eyes. Just follow these steps and your paving will be good as new in no time!

1. Clear all furniture, pots, plants and ornaments from the area so you have a blank canvas to work with.

2. Use a broom suitable for outdoor purposes to sweep away any leaves, dirt and loose debris away. This is essential! You want to make sure that you’re prepping your canvas well to get the best results.

3. Make sure water is running easily through your garden hose before you start. Connect the hose to the pressure washer and allow the water to flow through just to ensure any air locks have been removed. When using a hose reel, it’s imperative that you make sure this is unwound fully and free of any kinks or blockages! A smooth water flow is essential here.

4. Plug the pressure washer into the mains electricity and then turn it on. This will pressurise the machine - which is precisely what you need!

5. Switch your pressure washer nozzle according to what kind of power you require. More stubborn kinds of dirt may require increased power to get a full clean. Just be sure to only use something like a pencil jet nozzle on hard surfaces like stone or brickwork. Use less power if you’re also taking the opportunity to clean a wooden decking, for example.