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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think it’s antisocial to power wash the patio today

184 replies

AirborneElephant · 25/02/2026 15:36

Where I am today is a beautiful sunny day. It’s warm enough to sit out with a jumper. The first sunny day ALL YEAR, and tomorrow and for the rest of the week it’s going back to being wet and dreary. So I made my lunch, sat outside, and revelled in the sun and birdsong. Until about an hour later when my neighbour started pressure washing his patio, and he’s still at it now.

Yes, I know it’s the middle of the day. I know it needs doing, I will do mine at some point. I know I am privileged to have a nice garden to sit in. But TODAY? The only sun we’ve had for months? AIBU to think that’s fucking selfish?

OP posts:
Rollergirl79 · 26/02/2026 19:22

I agree OP, it's annoying. The prick I used to live next to was always jet washing and it was so loud. I could hear it with all the doors and windows closed and he'd take forever to do it. Now we live in the country side and for once I can't wait for summer. I hated having neighbours but then im not very tolerant of people in general!

JukeboxJulie696969 · 26/02/2026 18:46

User253853 · 25/02/2026 15:37

Sorry - it’s sunny. Jobs need doing

At some point you may be doing your patio. It may or may not annoy them at that given time. Unfortunately that’s how it is when you choose to live somewhere where other people live.

ToadRage · 26/02/2026 18:21

Its none of your business what he does in his own garden. While I believe it's pointless to pressure wash your patio if its going to rain you have no right to complain.

Noglitterallowed · 26/02/2026 17:54

AirborneElephant · 25/02/2026 15:44

It’s the fact that we have had no sun for months. I don’t care in the summer, he does his garden when he wants and I do mine when I want, no big deal. It just feels like the only possible chance for any sun for what feels like forever has been stolen.

Stolen!! Tad dramatic as is the whole post really. Surely this can’t be serious

ValidPistachio · 26/02/2026 17:53

AChickenNamedDoris · 26/02/2026 17:50

I'm 100% with you on this one. Assholes with loud machinery on lovely sunny days are the most selfish pricks imaginable. If it were up to me I'd have them all strung up. Of course you should have been able to enjoy the lovely sunny day in peace. No one is saying he has to wash his patio on a rainy day, but he could have at least done it on an overcast day. Why spoil the peace for everyone else when we get a rare nice day? I'm completely with you, it's exactly the sort of thing that would piss me right off as well.

More selfish than murderers or burglars? Don’t talk rubbish.

AChickenNamedDoris · 26/02/2026 17:50

I'm 100% with you on this one. Assholes with loud machinery on lovely sunny days are the most selfish pricks imaginable. If it were up to me I'd have them all strung up. Of course you should have been able to enjoy the lovely sunny day in peace. No one is saying he has to wash his patio on a rainy day, but he could have at least done it on an overcast day. Why spoil the peace for everyone else when we get a rare nice day? I'm completely with you, it's exactly the sort of thing that would piss me right off as well.

ALJT · 26/02/2026 17:23

Well he’s not going to do it in the pissing down rain is he. Ffs I’m sure these posts are put on to rage bait me hahaha

DangerousAlchemy · 26/02/2026 17:10

DappledThings · 25/02/2026 15:43

I'd be much more annoyed about being woken up by the noise at 8am on a Sunday than by it going on during the working day.

Just goes to show how you can't please everyone

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God me too! My NDN has gardeners who start work at 7.50 every other Monday morning. I was seething when they started work one bank holiday Monday with the hedge trimmer (during bird nesting season too when you aren't supposed to trim hedges). A different neighbour that backs onto their garden came out and yelled at the gardeners.

BuildbyNumbere · 26/02/2026 17:06

AirborneElephant · 25/02/2026 15:44

It’s the fact that we have had no sun for months. I don’t care in the summer, he does his garden when he wants and I do mine when I want, no big deal. It just feels like the only possible chance for any sun for what feels like forever has been stolen.

Please get a grip … other people’s lives don’t revolve around you. What’s he meant to do … check you’re not sat in your garden every time he wants to do a job?!?

LieInsAreExtinct · 26/02/2026 17:03

My neighbour's feel compelled to make racket every time there's decent weather. Power tools, remote control car, pressure washer, leaf blower...their garden is tiny but they have a lot of stuff. It really pees me off that there's never a quiet time to enjoy the garden. YANBU.

Noodles1234 · 26/02/2026 16:45

Better midweek than weekend, I appreciate it is a pain, I am guessing th patio can dry and he will see the results quicker.

better that than we get people burning rubbish on a nice sunny dry day.

scoobysnaxx · 26/02/2026 08:34

AirborneElephant · 25/02/2026 15:39

I’d much rather Sunday 8am. I’m not wanting to sit outside then.

I think the vast majority of people would disagree. Who wants to be woken up on a slow Sunday morning to this? Most neighbours would be pissed off if it was loud enough.

Soporalt · 26/02/2026 08:24

It’s anti-social to use a power washer at any time!

MyLimeGuide · 26/02/2026 08:15

Get a bigger house if you dont want to notice neighbours in their gardens. YABVVU

saraclara · 26/02/2026 08:13

It was a weekday. Much less anti-social than doing it at the weekend.

Check your privilege. You're lucky to have been able to be in the garden. Most people missed the sun because they had to go to work.

CaptainMyCaptain · 26/02/2026 08:03

babylamb4 · 25/02/2026 21:18

Shit and piss from 5 dogs.

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Fair enough.

I just wondered as I've never washed a patio in my entire life (70+).

PollyBell · 25/02/2026 23:21

So the neighbours should check with you when it is suitable for them to do it?

Sure between 11pm and 5 am rude otherwise seriously no!

VimesandhisCardboardBoots · 25/02/2026 23:19

AirborneElephant · 25/02/2026 19:08

No, I wasn’t sprayed. But obviously I had to go inside. I really don’t believe that any of you would stay sitting a few meters away from a pressure washer, or have headphones in with the music loud enough to even be heard over the noise let alone drown in out. Either would give me a migraine within five minutes! Maybe you all live in mansions with huge separation between the gardens?

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I find power washer noise one of the most ignorable of all graden noises. Wouldn't have bothered me, and we're in a new build with postage stamp sized gardens.

Lawnmower noise on the other hand makes me murderous

Pinkissmart · 25/02/2026 23:15

Of course it’s not selfish of them to do outside chores on a sunny day.

Bitofashock · 25/02/2026 22:53

ThiagoJones · 25/02/2026 22:39

It’s fine to be disappointed. Things (well, mainly people!) disappoint me all the time. Doesn’t mean the neighbour did anything wrong though.

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Of course not! He hasn’t committed any kind of crime. But when I am enjoying the garden I’m going to be hacked off of someone decides to start power tooling away and wish they would shut up. Especially on the first nice sunny day! I feel OP’s annoyance and how her peaceful time was ruined. But his need for a clean patio is just as valid.

ThiagoJones · 25/02/2026 22:39

Bitofashock · 25/02/2026 22:29

But it’s the disappointment of peace and quiet ruined, noise cancelling headphones are a ridiculous answer to wanting to enjoy your garden. Of course he can do jobs, thus why she didn’t go and cut his hose, but she can still wish he wouldn’t do it!! On a nice day I will cut the grass but if my neighbours have their washing out I won’t light a bonfire because I don’t want to annoy them as I live next to them. Likewise they come and warn me if they are going to do noisy work cos we care about not annoying each other!

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It’s fine to be disappointed. Things (well, mainly people!) disappoint me all the time. Doesn’t mean the neighbour did anything wrong though.

MyCrushWithEyeliner · 25/02/2026 22:36

babylamb4 · 25/02/2026 21:18

Shit and piss from 5 dogs.

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5 dogs? 🤩

What breed(s)? Or are they mixed?

Sorry to be off topic, I love dogs.

Bitofashock · 25/02/2026 22:29

outerspacepotato · 25/02/2026 22:15

Yes it is. It's reasonable to do outside work when the weather permits, especially if you haven't been able to do it for a while. The neightnour's not doing it during quiet hours. OP wants quiet hours to be when she's outside relaxing and that's ridiculous. Yes, she can get noise cancelling earbuds or headphones or move. Neighbour has the right to work on their property. It's not antisocial at all.

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But it’s the disappointment of peace and quiet ruined, noise cancelling headphones are a ridiculous answer to wanting to enjoy your garden. Of course he can do jobs, thus why she didn’t go and cut his hose, but she can still wish he wouldn’t do it!! On a nice day I will cut the grass but if my neighbours have their washing out I won’t light a bonfire because I don’t want to annoy them as I live next to them. Likewise they come and warn me if they are going to do noisy work cos we care about not annoying each other!

ChalkOrCheese · 25/02/2026 22:25

You can go somewhere else. He can't pressure wash his patio somewhere else.

babylamb4 · 25/02/2026 22:23

cobrakaieaglefang · 25/02/2026 22:16

Same here, 1 large dog. Poo picked up immediately but piss smells and needs washing down. Rain has been washing it away.
Green slime has coated it, it was slippery for us and the dog. I don't jetwash daily ,but I was off today, it was ideal to get it clean. As I said, neighbours smoke weed, I have to tolerate that, they can tolerate my occasional noise. I'll be at work the rest of the week and weekend.

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Piss smells so bad when it’s on patios. I jet wash it every morning and because I do it everyday it literally takes 10-15 minutes. Takes longer to set it all up and plug everything in