Tip of the Day: How to use a pressure washer

A recent news story out of Orange County, Florida—a woman was charged with felony child abuse after being accused of having pointed a commercial pressure washer at her 2-year-old daughter—can serve as a reminder that even consumer pressure washers are dangerous when not used properly.

Typical mishaps with pressure washers include chemical burns to the eyes and skin abrasions, and you can also be injured by material shot back at you.

Watch our safety alert video (right) and follow these guidelines when using a pressure washer this spring and summer to protect yourself and your belongings:

• Wear safety glasses or goggles, shoes, and hearing protection.

• Set the nozzle to the widest spray angle that removes the stain.

• Start with the nozzle 2 feet away from the cleaning surface and move closer as needed, but no closer than 6 inches. Practice first by cleaning a hidden area.

• Point the nozzle away from your legs and feet, other people, and pets, as well as lights, air conditioners, and other electrical devices.

• Be wary of using a solid-stream nozzle and setting, which can cause the most harm.

Essential information: If you’re in the market for a new pressure washer, check out “Quicker Cleaning for Less.” And read our Spring-Cleaning Guide for advice on tidying up your home, your car, and your life.

Comments

[Steve]

Hi, I have just bought a gas powered pressure washer from pressurewasherbitz.com.

I think they are far better to an electric powered washer as the GPM is much higher, yes they can damage wooden decking - but you have to hold them away and use the right nozzle - easy!

Best pressure washer

[John]

It would be good if you ran a reliability or some other sort of service life or frequency of repair tests on these devices. I've owned three separate Karcher electric washers (each at or near the top of their line) and none of them have been operational after storing over-winter. Storage in a heated space makes no difference. I tried that first, found that the machine did not work and was advised by the manufacturer to store it with non-toxic antifreeze in the system even if it was in a heated space. I replaced the unit and tried again, but that made no difference either -- in the spring, the device made only clicking noises. Repairing one of these things costs a major fraction of the initial price and repair manuals and parts are apparently not available to the public.

I gather their industrial units are very good, and their gas-powered consumer units may be fine, but these consumer electrics just do not hold up. I think that, if you checked, you would discover that several large retailers who carried their units a few years ago have stopped. Inquiries indicate that the reason may be related to these reliability problems.