Many of us car owners take great pride in keeping our cars looking clean and shiny. There is something naturally satisfying about having a clean, good looking car.
Alas, as much as we might love having a clean car, doing the work by hand can be time-consuming and tedious.
There is always the option of an automatic car wash, but this can be expensive and doesn’t get into all the nooks and crannies that a handwash will, as well as the possibility that it leaves some fine scratches on your car. If you are looking for a better way to get your car clean, you might be wanting to consider using a pressure cleaner. But have you considered choosing a portable pressure washer instead of the more bulky, plug in versions?
Portable pressure cleaners are versatile enough to tackle multiple cleaning tasks, including washing your car, and yet not too powerful to risk damaging your car’s paintwork. Other great benefits are not having to find somewhere to plug It In or needing to attach a garden hose.
The Worx Hydroshot portable pressure washer, for example, can tackle everyday cleaning, washing cars, watering plants and flowers, and cleaning patio furniture. In this post, we are going to look at how to wash a car with a pressure cleaner. We will give you some tips for protecting your vehicle when using a pressure washer and teach you how to wash the car more efficiently.
Read the Manual
The first step is learning how to use a pressure washer. Before using a pressure cleaner for car cleaning, you should read the manual. Learn about the different pressure settings, the right way to set it up, and all of the recommendations for using the pressure cleaner. Beyond just reading the manual, you might want to take some time to practice with the pressure washer before using it on your car. Get used to handling the pressure cleaner and see how it feels when you work with different settings and nozzles.
Know Your Nozzles
The nozzles change the angle of the spray and this affects the power with which the water comes out of the pressure cleaner. If your portable pressure washer does not have nozzles, it might use an adjustable wand to change the pressure settings. Most pressure cleaners will come with 2-4 nozzles or settings that are measured in degrees. As you go up in degree, the spray gets wider and less powerful. Starting with the weakest, you usually have options like 40°, 25°, 15° and 0°. Portable pressure cleaners like the Worx Hydroshot work in exactly this way, with various spray options If you are using a portable pressure washer for car cleaning, 40° or 25° are good options. Anything lower can produce too much pressure and risk damaging the paint. However, with the Worx Hydroshot you can comfortably turn in to 0° when you are wanting a little more pressure, knowing that it will never damage your paint. Some pressure cleaners may also come with special nozzles for soaping or cleaning your car.
Pressure Cleaner Accessories
Having a pressure cleaner will make car washing easier, but you can get as good results using a portable pressure washer, and these also come with the option of accessories. The right accessories will not only make the work easier, but it will also help you get better results. As an example, some pressure cleaners are compatible with brushes that can be used to scrub the car while applying water. If your pressure cleaner does not have a detergent tank, you might also want to look into getting a soap dispenser attachment, like the Hydroshot soap bottle attachment WA4036.
Use the Right Soap
Most people do not realise that using the right detergent can make a big difference when washing your car. You don’t want to put something like washing up liquid in the soap dispenser. When you are looking for a good detergent for pressure cleaning a car, you will want something that is made for cars and made to be used with a pressure cleaner. Additionally, you should read the instructions before using the detergent. Some pressure cleaner car wash detergents need to be diluted before you use them, especially with a portable pressure washer that pushes less water through it.
Prioritise Safety
Washing your car might seem like a simple task, but a pressure cleaner can be dangerous when used the wrong way. Before you start using your pressure washer, you should take the time to learn about pressure cleaner safety. As a start, you should wear the appropriate safety gear. With more powerful nozzles, a pressure cleaner can damage your skin. Make sure to wear safety goggles, closed shoes, long sleeves and trousers, and work gloves. Additionally, you should make sure to avoid pointing a pressure cleaner at other people. Fortunately, a portable pressure cleaner has less pressure, enough to get the job done, but not enough to be able to damage your skin or your car. However, safety advice should still be followed.
Close It Up
A pressure cleaner operates with a considerable flow of water. Before you get started, make sure all of the doors and windows are closed. All it will take is just a quick spray for the pressure cleaner to soak the interior of a car. If the car is not closed up, your car pressure cleaner could create a mess in the interior of the vehicle. The good thing about a portable pressure washer is that they use a lot less water, and you can even use recycled water from a bucket or rainwater from a tank – so much better for the environment! It’s still important to keep those windows closed though, you don’t want to be sitting in a damp patch later.
Find a Good Location
Location is not that big of a deal if you are washing your car by hand or using a garden hose with a nozzle. However, the power of a pressure cleaner can easily kick up pebbles and other debris. If the debris hits the car, it could damage the paint. When you go to wash your car with a portable pressure cleaner, try to do it on solid concrete or tarmac. If your driveway is gravel or stone, you will want to find a different location.
Use the Right Technique
There are a few points you need to know about using a pressure cleaner on your car. The first is that you do not want to put the nozzle too close to the vehicle. Give yourself at least a foot of space between the end of the nozzle and the vehicle. Additionally, you shouldn’t keep the spray in one location for a long time. Even if you are trying to remove caked-on dirt, you should keep the spray moving around over the area. Beyond the way you handle the pressure cleaner, you should start with a rinse, then move onto soaping the vehicle and then finish by rinsing off the soap. The 40° nozzle should be good for all three steps for most cleanings, but if the car is covered with caked-on dirt, you might want to consider the 25° for the rinsing step. The same techniques can be used with a portable pressure cleaner but you don’t have to worry about getting up close to your car. Keep Your Tools and Accessories Clean You should always clean your tools and accessories when you are done. This isn’t just about taking care of the tools, it is also a step that will protect the finish of your car. It doesn’t take much dirt being in the brush to damage the paint on your car. Make sure to wash all of your tools and accessories before you put them away. You should also check them to make sure they are clean whenever you get them out to use them. Give everything a quick rinse before you start washing your car if you need to. If you have a portable pressure washer and you have used any cleaning products directly in your bucket, give the motor a clean by running through some fresh water for a minute.
For some of the most efficient, easy to use, and environmentally friendly pressure cleaners on the market, browse the collection of portable pressure cleaners from Worx today.