Do pressure washers work?

[Cornonthecob]

It's to clean the dirt off our patio, does anyone have one? Does it work? If so make and model please!

It depends how powerful. Ours wouldn't take the skin off a rice pudding.

I have a karcher one that I got free with tesco car insurance a few years ago. it came with the round drive/patio cleaning tool and its brilliant. messy but works well. dont bother buying the detergent bottle as the water alone with shift it. Makes such a difference.

Our Karcher one is great, but almost too powerful, so our terracotta tiles have been well scraped back with annual washings.

You can get a patio fitting - I don't know if this would be less harsh?

the patio tool reduces the power a little but is still strong enough. plus it covers a larger area than the stick does.

Yes. We have a Karcher and it cleans our patio beautifully. It is so powerful that it washed the pointing out as well.

Yes the Karcher with the round patio attachment works. It will take out disintegrating pointing but it's easy to fill with ready mix concrete.

it does erode the surface of concrete, over time it will become gritty not smooth.

The round thing means it splashes less dirt water around

You can also use it on fences and sheds, but it will wear off the stain or paint and leave a raised grain. This is OK if you are doing it as preparation for re-treating.

Try not to use it on block paving or anything where the joints are filled with sand, as it will wash out and the paving will become loose.

If you need to regrout mortar joints in paving slabs, look for a Jointmaster or similar tool which squirts mortar in the style of a cake-icing gun.

What's an alternative method? I don't gave a pressure washer and have just noticed my patio stones are turning bright green!

Stiff broom and GP cleaner, rinse off with watering can.

Great, thank you all! There are a few models of Karcher cheapest from £79 John Lewis and £99 at Argos are these model ok or do I need higher spec? It's actually mainly for the front of our house and drive that is filthy! Thanks!

My old neighbour used to use a Karcher one which was,incredibly powerful. His patio and brick paving would be spotless and several shades lighter. Our car, walls, windows would be covered in black dirt and take many hours to clean afterwards.

I used to get very cross when he got it out.

go to a proper hardware shop and buy a scrubbing brush or the aforementioned stiff broom.

Jeyes fluid, diluted,and elbow grease. (wear gloves, old clothes and eye protection).