Cars are expensive investments that need to be properly cared for in order to maintain their resale value. Keeping your car clean, both inside and out, is an important part of proper car care. While vacuum cleaners are good for cleaning car interiors, pressure washers are often used to clean the exterior of a car, but are they really the best tool for the job?
Yes, if used properly, pressure washers are the best gadgets to clean your cars than traditional methods like sponge-and-bucket washing or using a garden hose. But since everything has a set of pros and cons, the same goes for car pressure washers.
Let’s discuss in detail to know “Are pressure washers good for cleaning cars?”
The Benefits of Using Pressure Washers for Car Cleaning
1. Clean Tough Stains with Ease
A good car pressure washer blasts out water at very high speed so that you can clean pretty much anything ( dirt, grime, mud, or stain) in a matter of minutes. They can do even the best job in cleaning loose dirt and soils from the car wheels, tires, and exterior panels.
2. Saves Time and Effort
The high pressure of water can remove smudges, bird poops, and other stubborn stains on your car with ease which is quite a hassle if you scrub it manually with just a brush or sponge. Even more, it can cover more surface area than the traditional methods; therefore, it saves a lot of time.
3. Less Water Usage
The car pressure washers use a very less amount of water to clean your car as compared to the garden hose or sponge and bucket washing method.
4. Different Pressure Settings
Pressure washers also come with different pressure settings to handle light, medium, and heavy-duty tasks accordingly.
The Disadvantages of Car Pressure Washers
1. Cause Damage to the Paintwork
Due to the high-pressure washing, these machines can scratch or chip your vehicle’s paintwork and can even create a dent on the car’s exteriors. Thus, it is important to be very careful when using it; and to avoid any damage, be sure to adjust the water pressure appropriately.
2. Can Hurt You if Not Used Properly
The pressure from these washers is too high, and the kickback is hard to control. Therefore, you must know how to clean your car with a pressure washer properly, or else you may end up hurting yourself or others while using the machine.
3. Costly
The pressure washers are expensive machines. In addition, you also have to consider the water or electricity bill for using them, which adds some extra cost.
The Do’s and Don’ts For Cleaning Car with a Pressure Washer
DO’s
- Before using a pressure washer on your car, it is important to read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. The manual contains essential information about how a pressure washer works, how to operate the machine safely, and what not to do with the machine.
- Do a Test Wash first on a surface you really don’t care about before using it on your car.
- The speed and power of pressure washers are good for cleaning cars; well, they are dangerous too. The water stream from these machines is forceful enough to hurt you or even cut through your skin. So, wearing protective gear while pressure washing saves you from any harm. It is recommended to wear goggles, long pants, and sturdy shoes while using the machine.
- Be sure to point the pressure nozzle away from your car when you spray it for the first time. It is best to point the nozzle at the ground for the initial burst of water when you turn on the machine.
- You should also start with the lowest pressure setting and work your way up if needed. It is also important to keep the pressure washer moving so that you don’t concentrate the stream of water on any one spot.
- Make sure to close the windows and doors of your car properly to prevent the interior from getting wet.
- Choose a unit that can distribute both water and detergent for a perfect car wash. Make sure to use the right detergent that suits your car and pressure washer both.
- Once your car is clean, polish it with a microfiber cloth to achieve that showroom shine.
DON’Ts
- Never start pressure washing before diluting the detergent properly.
- Avoid pressure washing on gravel or loose ground, as this can cause stones to fly up and damage the paint of your car.
- Don’t pressure wash at a single spot for a prolonged period.
- Don’t pressure wash the engine or any parts under the hood.
- Never spray too closely around window and door seals to avoid wetting the car interiors.
- It is not recommended to pressure wash rust spots or areas where paint is chipping, as this may worsen the problem.
- Always start from the roof of your car and wash downwards. If you try to wash your car from bottom to top, the gravity will not work in your favor.
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