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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

.... to object to people pressure washing garden paving?

168 replies

JennieLee · 28/05/2018 16:34

It just seems very noisy and goes on for hours. I have neighbours on either side who like to do this.

Is it a clean freak thing to do like bleaching door frames? I've heard it's not actually very good for the stones.

I just sweep the paved areas of the garden with an old-fashioned broom from time to time.

(Naturally I tolerate this in the way you have to tolerate neighbours' eccentricities. But this seems to be some new fashion. I can't remember it happening when I was younger.)

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 28/05/2018 17:34

We didn't realise our patio was that bad until we jetwashed it. It was a grey colour but underneath the grime turns out it's more of a light peach colour.

MaisyPops · 28/05/2018 17:34

YABU
People want to do gardening when it's a nice day. They may also jet wash their car or their patio.

Only on MN do you get a thread every nice weekend where someone is moaning about how something small ruins their ability to enjoy peace and quiet like it's some human right to never have to hear anyone doing anything outside.
One minute it's people socialising at 6pm, thr next it's kids playing outside, now someone has a pressure washer.

Boulshired · 28/05/2018 17:35

Before jet washer there was soap and a stiff brush.

SoyDora · 28/05/2018 17:36

This thread has inspired me to see if i can borrow a jet washer Grin

Sparklingbrook · 28/05/2018 17:36

I wouldn't be able to find anything to jetwash every week. I take my car to be cleaned (lazy).

I can hear the faint murmur of someone mowing the lawns. The most I have done out there today is hang my fairy solar lights up.

BackforGood · 28/05/2018 17:38

I don't know why they do it on a lovely day

I'd have thought that pretty obvious. If I have a job I need to do outside, I'm going to do it on a nice sunny day, you know, when it is nice to be outside. It's not that difficult to understand Hmm

Plus it means the water evaporates quickly and doesn't just 'sit there on the patio.

I say this as someone who doesn't own a pressure washes and has never washed a patio in my life, at any of my homes.

Bluntness100 · 28/05/2018 17:42

I usually do mine once a year, it's ok this year so haven't bothered. Yet.

I don't see the issue. A clean patio is lovely, and quite frankly you hear lots of garden noises, lawnmowers, strimmers, whatever, it's nice people take care of their environment.

I don't think you can say someone is a clean freak because they clean their patio, just like you can't really say they are a dirty bastard if they dont.

If you like yours dirty, you crack on.

Cakeandmarshmallows · 28/05/2018 17:45

My husband is doing ours now!! Lent to him by the neighbour so I don't think they mind the noise! Its making a big difference to how it looks though I'm a bit worried he's washing away all the in between bits on the bricks as well!!!

wotsittoyou · 28/05/2018 17:46

I used to work in a ground floor office in the middle of town. Outside was a large decorative pavement area, the shady part of which became mossy very quickly. The company had it jetwashed quite regularly, but there was one short period when the cleaning was delayed and I watched 4 people flip onto their backs as they passed my window. Absolutely horrible.

Some of the tarmac outside the house I rent gets covered in slimy moss. Of course I power clean it. It's dangerous and I'm not going to be responsible for people injuring themselves coming to my door. What do you suggest I do instead?

ScattyCharly · 28/05/2018 17:47

Op you need to live and let live.

In any case, it depends on positioning and surroundings. My sand coloured patio goes black with slippy stuff. So I’m going to pressure wash it.

HollyBollyBooBoo · 28/05/2018 17:49

I've got beautiful grey Indian sandstone patio, over winter it goes slimy and green. There is nothin more satisfying than jet washing it so it's grey again! Only do it once a year though.

borlottibeans · 28/05/2018 17:50

OP I'm with you: outside is outside, it's meant to be a bit grubby and dishevelled. Pressure washing (or any kind of outdoor washing, assuming there hasn't been some kind of barbecue/fox/murder incident) strikes me as being for the same kind of people who are out there on a Sunday morning trimming the edges of their stripy lawns with scissors. It's no skin off my nose but I can't help but think they'd be much happier in a nice clean flat where they can control it all properly.

MuddlingMackem · 28/05/2018 17:53

YABU. We borrow a pressure washer every two to three years and clean the patio and the bins. We'd do it more often but we keep forgetting to borrow and sadly we can't have one of our own as we don't have the space to store it. Sad

IWantMyHatBack · 28/05/2018 17:54

Or perhaps just want to have an outside patio surface that doesn't resemble an ice rink Hmm

Sparklingbrook · 28/05/2018 17:56

Call me old fashioned but I have a garden and I don't want it 'grubby and dishevelled' because I like to spend time in it. Confused

No stripy lawns or edging with scissors here. Quick whizz over with the Flymo. Job done.

futuristic1 · 28/05/2018 18:03

I don't think anyone is saying you shouldn't have a clean or safe paved area.

They're just saying pressure washers are noisy and interfere with other peole's quiet enjoyment of their own places.

Put your back into it and use a brush and jeyes fluid and get fitter at the same time - just like the good old days.

And sweep up your leaves instead of using a leaf blower - that'll keep you fit too.

And all genuinely better for the environment as there won't be mountains of disposable plastic gardent shit/pressure washers being made and cluttering up the world.

Bluntness100 · 28/05/2018 18:03

I have to be honest, I'm no funny of grubby and dishevelled patios either. It's fine if someone else is though, like the poster and the op. As said, crack on, no ones going to say "eugh, grubby patio".

Can't say I've ever trimmed by lawn edges with scissors though. Not sure I'd find the two comparable 🤔🤔🤔

Stopyourhavering64 · 28/05/2018 18:11

I understand your pain....My retired neighbour decided to jet wash his drive this bank holiday morning at 9am when I was having a lovely peaceful time reading and listening to the birds ....why, when he could have done it any other day this week when I'm at work Hmm

SoyDora · 28/05/2018 18:12

I am genuinely perplexed by all these people who think they have a right to silence (bar nature noises) when in their gardens. People make noise.

SoyDora · 28/05/2018 18:12

why, when he could have done it any other day this week when I'm at work hmm

Maybe he’s busy in the week?

roboticmom · 28/05/2018 18:22

It's a terrible waste of water imo. I get it if you can't physically scrub it off (physical ailment or tricky nooks and crannies to get dirt out of) but otherwise it's a bit ott.

I just think of all the water and the fact that I'm careful turning the taps off when I'm brushing my teeth. Then I think what's the point!!?

Original poster
JennieLee · 28/05/2018 18:22

I feel there is a difference between human noise - people chatting and children playing and certain kinds of mechanical noise. If somebody mowed their lawn everyday I'd find it OTT. It doesn't hugely bug me if people jet wash their paving slabs. But I suppose I would rather they did it once a year only....

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 28/05/2018 18:27

I wouldn't see much point in doing it any other than annually. Just once before the summer does the trick for us.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 28/05/2018 18:40

After watching the video I really want to have a go with one. It's amazing!

Jaxhog · 28/05/2018 18:42

Once a year - fine.
Every bloody week - no!

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