Get down and dirty with Karcher (Karcher High Pressure Washer)

Member Name: SusanLesley

Product:	Karcher High Pressure Washer
Date:	10/02/08 (3253 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Clean patio, good fun, good exercise

Disadvantages: Noisy and you get filthy!

Well Spring is approaching and with it comes one of the big jobs of the year. We need to clean the slabs in the courtyard and at the front of the house and it is even more important this year as the house is up for sale!

Over the winter the slabs at the back of the house in particular get very marked with bird droppings and general dirt and they also get quite slippery with that green slimy film that develops during the rain.

It all sounds like hard work doesn't it?

Actually no it isn't - all I need is a dry, not too cold day and my trusty Karcher Pressure Washer.

We decided to buy the washer when we were in the Midlands and dad wanted to clean the slabs in his garden and now we are here in Llandudno it is worth its weight in gold!

In 2001 it actually cost us £69.99 but they are now about £45 from Argos. We chose the Karcher one because it was a well respected name and was available at a good price.

Getting it all set up

It is a bit of a palaver but I've coped with worse!

You need a hosepipe - minimum length for 'user convenience' of 7.5m with a diameter of 12.5mm to avoid backpressure. You will also need an extension lead plugged into a safety socket which will 'trip' if there are any problems. After all water and electricity aren't the safest mix are they? Don't worry though this little machine is safe enough!

To set the washer up you simply connect one end of the hosepipe to the water supply and the other end to the bottom inlet on the front of the machine using a screw on hosepipe connector.

You then connect the high pressure hose to the top outlet on the front of the machine.

You then connect the spray gun to the other end of the high pressure hose and the spray lance on to the end of the spray gun.

You then plug in at the mains, switch on and depress the trigger on the spray gun a few times until the water comes through.

There is also an inlet to let you add detergent to the water as well but I have never needed to use this having always found that the pressure of the water itself is enough.

Using the pressure washer

The instructions do say that it is suitable for cleaning the car, patio, fence, driveway, tools, animal pens and also removing algae from brickwork and roofs. To be honest I find that the pressure is so strong that I think it would damage the mortar between the bricks but there you go.

The spray lance has two settings high pressure and low pressure (there's a surprise!) and should only be changed from one to another by rotating the nozzle end when the water is not coming through. The high pressure is for cleaning slabs etc and the lower one for when you are using detergent or maybe washing the slabs off when you have finished.

So now all you have to do is aim your spray lance at the dirt and squeeze the trigger - simple! The water will stop when you release the trigger.

Are there any drawbacks?

You will get wet and you will get filthy! So make sure that you are wearing old clothes and that it is a relatively fine day or you will get very cold! If it is warm enough a pair of old sandals and bare feet would be OK but I have to say that my husband had bought me my first ever pair of wellies especially for use when cleaning the courtyard! Yes, folks, I had a deprived childhood - I never had a pair of wellies! LOL! I never actually needed any but that's beside the point!

By the way at this point I do feel that I should make it clear that my husband does join in and help and we do the job between us - he doesn't send me out washer in hand and stand in the doorway cracking a whip!

Anyway back to the problem if you want to call it that. As you force the water onto the dirty marks and the mud trapped between the paving slabs the dirty water sometimes sprays back up at you hence the fact that you will get wet and dirty. In fact if you catch a hard bit it will sometimes spray up as far as your head and face too! So don't wash your hair before you start will you?

Unless you have a natural slope to your courtyard, patio or whatever you will also need to brush some of the water away as it tends to collect in pools as you work but that isn't really much of a hardship.

The other problem is the noise. The pressure washer makes quite a noise so don't start early in the morning or the neighbours will not be happy!

When you have finished

It is advisable to take the whole thing apart and get as much water out of it as you can. Then store it somewhere where it will not be affected by frost as this will damage the machine and is not covered on the warranty.

So is it any good?

Yes, yes, yes! The colours of the paving slabs on the courtyard are shades of terracotta and come up really bright after just one wash with the washer. We do it every year in the spring and by the time the next spring comes round it certainly needs doing again.

It even brightens up the old fashioned paving slabs at the front of the house.

In conclusion

I would recommend a Karcher Pressure Washer to anyone who wants to get their garden looking bright and clean for the summer.

Do be aware though that the water under pressure is fierce and if you get in the way of the jet it will hurt! So don't let children play with this or even use it unattended.

So get your old clothes on, prepare to look as though you have been playing in a mud bath and off you go! Actually I really enjoy doing this job and getting filthy is half the fun! We are all children at heart aren't we?

By the way daft as it sounds it even provides you with a good workout too!

Also posted on Ciao

Summary: A great way to clean those slabs!