I'm hiring an electric pressure washer tomorrow to do the paving etc. Just wondered, could I use it to clean the cars or will I end up stripping off the paintwork?
_______
IanS
|
|
They are good for getting all the mud out from underneath but they don't clean the paintwork very well. No substitute for a bucket and sponge...
|
Agreed - to get a clean finish on the paintwork you need to soap the car (which I do with a soap dispenser in the PW), loosen all the grime with a sponge, and then blast off with the PW. If you just blast off with the PW you'll be left with a layer of road grime (a bit like brake pad dust) all over the exposed surfaces.
Be aware that you can strip paint very easily (I have) if you hold it too close to the paintwork, or have the PW nozzle set too fine.
|
|
And it may seem funny at the time to set the nozzle to super-fine and point it at your brother's leg, but it isn't afterwards. It hurts. Trust me.
|
|
I expect it does, when he thumps you...
|
|
No, he pointed it at MY leg....
|
|
|
|
Airlines can kill if applied to the skin. I would guess that pressurised water (probably containing air) could have the same effect.
Dont do it!
--
pmh (was peter)
|
Airlines can kill if applied to the skin. I would guess that pressurised water (probably containing air) could have the same effect. Dont do it!
>>
My brother managed to cut his finger on the jet of my dads pressure washer (was in his late teens and "wondered what it would feel like"!). Luckily he just nicked it as there was no prolonged contact. Doesnt bear thinking about what it would do if you had a proper accident with one.
Definitely not to be recommended!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The only thing we use ours for is to clean the flag stones in the back yard. Invaluable – gets rid of the slimy slippery sludge so easily.
never use high pressure washer on the car, doesn’t take long to run round with a hose and a sponge.
|
|
Someone resurrects a thread that's twelve years old to add a dubious-looking link.
How often do we see this sort of thing?
|
|
|
|
|
I presume you are not in the South East as most water companies still have a hose pipe ban in place since last summer. I live in Kent so I cannot use my high pressure hose due to the restriction.
Do ensure you only use a fan setting for the nozzle and keep it at least a couple of feet away from the paint and you should have no problem. Also remember to do the paving first as you will splatter your car with dirty water otherwise. It is always best to move your car out the working area as small stones can be moved in the water jet and might chip your paintwork.
--
Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
|
|
I've heard (but maybe an urban myth) that tyres can be damaged by close spraying.
|
|
|
|
I'm hiring an electric pressure washer tomorrow to do the paving etc. Just wondered, could I use it to clean the cars or will I end up stripping off the paintwork? _______ IanS
>>
To be perfectly honest. I wouldn't touch any car of mine with a pressure washer. I do own one and often use it for the purposes for which it was designed and car cleaning, in my books, is not one of them!
Admittedly, if you use the right attachment and always ensure you don't get too close to the paintwork etc. then all may be OK. I use nearly always a hose-fed brush designed for the job with the aid of a 'proper' sponge to shift any resistant dirt. There is no substitute for copious water and something gentle to shift the dirt from the paintwork.
|
To be perfectly honest. I wouldn't touch any car of mine with a pressure washer. I do own one and often use it for the purposes for which it was designed and car cleaning, in my books, is not one of them!
What do you think driving at 70mph into heavy rain is like?
|
You can use a pressure washer on a car after cleaning with the traditional cleaning agent and a sponge, but use the wide spray setting as you could/might damage the paintwork if you are too close.
Most self use car wash outlets use a pressure washer hose for this very purpose.
As already stated, a pw is great for getting all the much off from underneath the wheel arches and similar areas but, again, discretion is the better part of valour.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
|
PS
I bought an excellent Challenge upright style pressure washer from Argos for £49.99 and it came with a free interior vacuum cleaner (the small type you can also use to suck up spilled liquids) that cost £29.99 if bought separately.
The Challenge replaced another cylinder style pressure washer that was borrowed by one of our friends and quickly expired when I used it again after it was returned.
But you can't prove anything....:-(
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
|
|
|
|
>> To be perfectly honest. I wouldn't touch any car of mine >> with a pressure washer. I do own one and often use >> it for the purposes for which it was designed and car >> cleaning, in my books, is not one of them! What do you think driving at 70mph into heavy rain is like?
Have you seen what a pressure washer can do to plastics, wood and human flesh if held too close - obviously not! I'm not saying that if it held constantly at the optimum distance for safety then it could be used judiciously, but then the fine mist of water landing on the car's paintwork is of little use, quite frankly.
If you drive at 70mph in heavy rain well, that says something else about your driving IMHO.
|
|
I've heard that high pressure washers can also damage and lift the lacquer on alloy wheels. The alloys become damaged and weakened over time leading to slow punctures and at worst catastrophic failures at motorway speeds.
|
If you have one that also takes detergent be careful what one you use.
When the boss came down one day with a superdooper detergent we set it up with the power washer and watched as pools of blue water formed under our Ford tractors.
Anywhere the paint was overlying plastic it fell off.
|
|
|
|
You think that rain hits the car with the equivalent pressure of a 100bar pressure washer? Bone up on your physics!
The OEM I work for has issued an instruction to dealers which is rather long winded, but in short it says "don't use a pressure washer on the exterior of a car". We reject quite a few warranty claims for "paint defects" on trim that has clearly been pressure washed.
If you must use a pressure washer on your car because you've bought it and feel you've just got to get your moneys worth, then use extreme caution and don't get the wand close to the trim or paint.
|
|
|
|
|
|
I always used to use a pressure washer. To be honest, with most domestic pressure washers you'll only cause damage if you get too close. I always start with the brush attachments (which cleans as well as a bucket and sponge) and then rinse off with the lance. Standing a good half metre away, you wont do any harm, or at least I never have.
|
I also use a pressure washer to wash the car, but I use it before hand washing to get rid of grit, mud etc. I then use it to rinse the car off after the hand wash.
Mine comes with two lances though, one designed for washing the car and the other which is called a dirt blaster, and is used for cleaning paving etc. The dirt blaster lance can also strip paint from woodwork, masonry etc, therefore it would damage car paintwork. Be careful not to use the wrong type of attachment to wash your car!
|
do not point the lance directly at your water/aircon radiator as it will damage it.
--
\"a little man in a big world/\"
|
|
|
Looks like a few Urban Myths developing here re. the use on cars.
Damage to tyres, paintwork etc. are at best a dubious theory to say the least. Although I expect there will be somebody on this forum who may suggest otherwise.
But, for use on cars I would say no problem. I used one weekly on my last Mondeo and our old Fiesta for over 2 years and there was no perceptible deterioration in any way, paintwork or wheels. The inside of the wheel arches were fantastically clean throughout the year. Great for cleaning the brake dust off alloy wheels as well. The Mondeo had hard to clean wheels so the washer made it much easier to keep them clean.
I only stopped using it regularly when my wife got her MX5, for obvious reasons. And not only that it does not really shift the patina of road film, only a bucket and sponge will do that. Having said that once it gets to spring I will wheel it out again to clean the underneath of the car.
Why? Why not?
|
I found this tyre manufacturer who say that pressure washers should be used with caution on tyres:
www.nokiantyres.com/faq_en
"Do not direct the spray of a pressure washer on the tyre surface up close, as the high-pressure spray may damage the coord structure."
|
|
|
Looks like a few Urban Myths developing here re. the use on cars. Damage to tyres, paintwork etc. are at best a dubious theory to say the least. Although I expect there will be somebody on this forum who may suggest otherwise.
Urban myth? - I've no problem lending you my dirt blaster lance to try out on your paintwork!
|
Urban myth? - I've no problem lending you my dirt blaster lance to try out on your paintwork!
Why would I want to do that, that would be silly. I use that one to clean the patio and drive-way.
|
|
|
|
|
|
>>Standing a good half metre away, you wont do any harm, or at least I never have.>>
You wouldn't even be able to hold the lance out in front of you if you were that close...:-)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
|
>>Standing a good half metre away, you wont do any harm, or at least I never have.>> You wouldn't even be able to hold the lance out in front of you if you were that close...:-)
Hahaha! I meant holding it so the end of the lance was no less than half a meter off the bodywork (but i'm sure you knew what I meant, tut, some people :-p)
|
>>but i'm sure you knew what I meant, tut, some people :-p)>>
I was being as pedantic as TVM...:-)
In fact even 19-20 inches (half-a-metre approximately) is almost certainly too close to have the lance from the paintwork.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
|
In fact even 19-20 inches (half-a-metre approximately) is almost certainly too close to have the lance from the paintwork.
I suppose it would ultimately depend upon the output of the pressure washer in question. Don?t know the specific output of ours, but up to half a meter seems fine. Then again, our does have a variable rate lance, which is turned down a couple of notches when using it on the car. As long as its kept away from door locks and not too close to door seals, everything should be (and in my case, is ) fine. Also, painted plastic (if you have any) should be treat with care. At the end of the day, and like most things in life, its up to you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you have paint with a lacquer finish any chips in it can/will allow the pressurised water to get under the lacquer.
|
|
used to have an old micra in white and the first time i power washed that I ended up with a red streak down the door (assume it was painted over). Since then used it on all my cars and had no issues..still use it on my old 214 and its probably one reason why its virtually rust free.
|
|
the true answer to this question is that it depends on the pressure washer as some work at 1450psiwith maybe 6 litres flow and some at up to 3000psi and 12 litres flow with dirtblaster,there is a good chance the first will do no harm but the second will do damage if too close so check what you hire
|
They operate at considerably more pressure than 1450 and 3000psi.
Mine is just a bog standard one and is 100bar.
That equates to around 15000psi.
First time I used it was on a shiny green plastic garden chair.
One minute later it was a dull faded light green garden chair.
Good for cleaning concrete and paint stripping but wouldnt take it near the car.
|
Excuse my maths Defender I can only blame it on the drink and it was late at night.
But my faded green chair is still there..
|
|
|
|
Hope no-one minds if I ask a stupid question . . .
Does the water pressure of the water going into the pressure washer affect the pressure of the water coming out?
Or, to put it another say, if I want to be at less risk of damaging my car when using a pressure washer, should I only turn the tap (at the house) on partially so as to get a less forceful jet coming out of my pressure washer?
|
|
Tyro you risk damaging the pressure washer with not getting enough water ,some washers can be turned down or you can put in a jet with a larger hole/bigger fan angle to cut the pressure on the paintwork
|
Tyro you risk damaging the pressure washer with not getting enough water
Strange that Kärcher didn't mention that in the instructions for the machine.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The one about high pressure air penetrating the skin only applies at very high pressures, more of a problem if it is high pressure oil. HP water at the pressure a PW gives out wont be a problem other than cleaning your hand exceptionally well!
|
PT
According to the link below, injury can occur with a pressure of only 100psi for water. The second link is very heavy going, but is a good reminder of the dangers inherent in working with high pressure injection systems!
www.rentajet.co.uk/injury.htm
www.postgradmed.com/issues/2000/07_00/mizani.htm
--
pmh (was peter)
|
|
|
|
I'm hiring an electric pressure washer tomorrow to do the paving etc. Just wondered, could I use it to clean the cars or will I end up stripping off the paintwork?
I wouldn't even use one on paving. One of my neighbours cleaned his slabbed drive with one and it disturbed the soil/sand underneath. The slabs are now uneven and wobbly. He didn't do it a second time!
--
L\'escargot.
|
And he cleaned the coping stones on top of another neighbour's wall and dislodged a lot of the mortar!
--
L\'escargot.
|
|
I can assure you that you can remove paint - I've done it!
|
|
|
And I used one to clean the roof of my conservatory, and forced out all the rubber seals in the roof joints!
My neigbour borrowed it to clean hi patio, and the high pressure dirt/sand/water mix thrown up etched his Patio doors opaque!
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
|
TVM I'm hiring the washer precisely to do the conservatory roof so I'll be careful!
_______
IanS
|
Going back a few years (well, 30), when our MD got his Rolls Royce (remember the days when all MD's drove Rolls Royce's!) the RR recommended way of cleaning it was with a pressure washer. There weren't the cheap electric ones that you get now - the one we bought was a massive great thing on wheels.
It (or at least the guy we employed to wash the MD's car - another blast from the past) seemed to do a good job.
|
What´s the point of using a pressure washer anyway, if you have to widen the nozzle and keep it at least 3 feet away? What not just use a hosepipe?!?
If you´ve bought one, does that mean you´re obliged to use it?
|
What´s the point of using a pressure washer anyway, if you have to widen the nozzle and keep it at least 3 feet away? What not just use a hosepipe?!? If you´ve bought one, does that mean you´re obliged to use it?
Precisely. That is my point. To be safe for all surfaces on a car, it needs to be held at such a distance that will only, at best, wet the car surface and not clean it thoroughly. Why then go to all that trouble of setting it up in the first place.
Today, in the biting cold wind I got my hose off the fence hooks connected it to the tap at one end and to my Hozelock hose-fed brush at the other. It washed the muck and salt off the car in no time at all, requiring none of that high pressure nonsense. A leather down with an Autoglym synthetic 'leather' and the job was done - good exercise as well!!
|
I have in the past used my pressure washer to clean the wheel arches and the wheels. now i find it quicker to wet dried on mud then after 5 mins simply wash it off with the hose pipe. The time taken setting up the pressure washer and connecting up extension leads etc is disproportionate to the time saved.
I would never use one on auto paintwork. A pressure washer will only blast away dogy pointing on patios not sound pointing.
|
Just to report that the pressure washer did the trick on the paving, conservatory roof and on the kids little tykes car! I also used it on the grown up cars (but not on full rip)to good effect.
Thanks for all your advice and warnings.
_______
IanS
|
|
And another raked up from 12 years ago .... does seem odd to have this number crop up recently... or perhaps it doesn't? And maybe it doesn't matter anyway....
|
|
Good to rake up the old precaution about not pointing a pressure washer jet towards the radiator, aircon heat exchanger radiator or oil cooler radiator.
If in doubt -do not wash into the grille at the front of the car at high pressure, the delicate fins on the radiators will be damaged and their efficiency will be reduced.
|
|
A pressure washer won't be harmed if it's used to clean a car. Does that answer the question?
|
|
|
|
|
