The 15 Best Pressure Washers For Cleaning Cars
Undoubtedly, owning the best pressure washers for cars would do you a lot of good. While some feel the need to go for a drive-through wash, nothing beats a thorough self-cleaning of your car in your driveway. You would especially need this occasional thorough wash when you have dust or even mud hiding in some nooks and crannies of your cars exterior.
The interesting about these pressure washers for cars is that they can also be used in home cleaning and sanitation. So, you see, when you buy one of these, it serves not only your car but your home in its entirety. The pressure from the washer is enough to remove any stubborn dirt, mud, debris that may have gotten stuck on your car or any exterior part of your house.
Now that you know how important having pressure washers is, it’s time for you to learn how to factors to consider when buying yours. In addition, you get to see the best pressure washers for your cars, and then we close by, shedding more light on some frequently asked questions.
Lets quickly consider the factors to bear in mind while shopping for the best pressure washers for cars:
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Contents
What Is The Best Psi For Car Washing
Any pressure washer capable to generate 1500PSI to 3000PSI of pressure is deemed best for pressure washing the car. This pressure is enough to remove dirt and tough stains from your cars body without damaging its paint job.
Furthermore, a pressure washer with a GPM between 1.4 to 2.6 is best for washing your car at home.
Best Pressure Washer For Cars
We will recommend a medium-duty pressure washer for the task. Depending on your preference, it may be either a gas or an electric pressure washer. For example, suppose you only clean your car once in a while. In that case, we recommend using an electric over gas pressure washer. Because they usually generate a lower water pressure that is less likely to harm the paint on your car.
Our top recommendations are:
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How To Wash A Car With A Pressure Washer The Dos And Donts
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Using a pressure washer to wash your car is the more convenient way of cleaning it as opposed to using the archaic bucket and sponge method.
Now, most people would have doubts when using pressure washers to wash their cars. They would ask questions such as, is it safe to wash a car with a pressure washer? or isnt washing your car with a pressure washer too water intensive?
In order to answer those questions and other lingering doubts you may have about using pressure washers, you first need to learn how to wash a car with a pressure washer. By knowing how to properly wash a car with pressure washers, youll realize that there is absolutely no problem with this kind of method as long as you do it properly.
So, without further introduction, lets learn how to wash a car with a pressure washer.
Check out the dos and dont of using a pressure washer below:
Maximum Pressure Washer Psi For Car
As we have discussed above that any pressure from 1400 PSI would start washing your car more effectively and efficiently than 900 PSI. Car pressure washer machines do come in pressures range from 1400 PSI to 2100 PSI on an average basis. Powerful machines with 2100 PSI offer 1.8 GPM to 1.9 GPM to provide the best maximum water force. This maximum pressure might cause damage to your paint or might rip off that paint area with dents or scratches. Always use pressure washer spray on your car from a distance of three to four foot especially when using high water pressure. In short, we can say that the maximum safe PSI for a car wash is 1900 PSI. So what is a good PSI for a pressure washer? Pressure from 1400 PSI to 1900 PSI is ideal for people to go with for washing cars safely without causing any damage.
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The Right Gun Will Make Your Life Easier
Many of the cheap guns start to leak out after six months of regular use. Depending on the quality of the seals, you might be looking at wet pants every time you wash your car – not fun.
The better quality ones come with a swivel fitting that allows them to rotate without twisting the hose. You will be immensely impressed by how much easier it is to wash anything without having to fight with the hose, constantly fidgeting around to untangle it.
Choosing The Right Nozzle
As we already mentioned, the orifice of the nozzle can vary the pressure and flow rate of the power washer, as well as changing the shape of the stream.
Each washer varies in terms of accessories but should come with one adjustable nozzle and a knob that controls the shape of the orifice. More commonly, power washers come with a kit of color-coded degree nozzles that have angles between 0 and 60 degrees.
The smaller the orifice angle, the more focused and stronger the water jet will be.
A 0-degree orifice will focus all the energy of the water into a single spot. Thats far too much force for washing the surface of your car and more suitable for stripping away paint or baked-on grime from the driveway.
For pressure washing the paint safely, use a 40-degree nozzle. It will give you a wider jet that spreads out the flow of water over every square inch of the car and thus reduces the impact on the paint. Certainly, dont go any lower than 25 degrees, or you risk damaging your paint.
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How To Wash Thundershirt
ThunderShirt is made with durable, washable fabric. When necessary, ThunderShirt may be washed in a regular cycle using regular laundry detergent and cold water. Hang to dry. Prior to washing, make sure to connect all of the hook and loop fasteners to avoid the risk that they might grab other fabrics in the wash.
Choose The Appropriate Pressure Washer And Nozzle
When washing your car, its important to use a pressure washer with the appropriate power and water flow . The higher the PSI, the more force the water will have as it leaves the tip of the washer. The higher the GPM, the more water the washer will release.
Cleaning Units represent the combination of force and amount of water a pressure washer can produce. This is demonstrated in the equation below:
PSI x GPM = Cleaning Units
1500PSI x 2GPM = 3000 cleaning units
Washing a car with a pressure washer requires around 1,900 2,800 cleaning units. Pressure washers are far more efficient than garden hoses and use less water. See the table below to compare cleaning units between a hose and a pressure washer.
- Note: You can purchase both electric and gas-powered pressure washers. In general, gas pressure washers have a much stronger cleaning capacity and are too strong for light jobs, such as washing a car or truck. In order to avoid damaging your vehicle, it is better to use an electric pressure washer set at the appropriate PSI.
There are a number of different types of nozzles to choose from. Using the correct size is important so that your car is cleaned effectively and without damage to the paint job. There are two features to keep in mind when choosing a pressure washer for your car: pressure level and nozzle size.
Choose a pressure washer with the appropriate pressure level.
Choose the appropriate nozzles.
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Gas Vs Electric Washer
Should you go with a gas or electric for car pressure washing? There are pros and cons to each obviously, but which is best? Electric pressure washers are ideal for pressure washing vehicles.
- Electric Pressure Washer -Will generally be quieter, cheaper, lighter, have adequate pressure, little maintenance, and not require having to deal with refueling.
- Gas Pressure Washer will generally be quite loud, more expensive, heavier, have an excess of pressure, regular maintenance, and of course require regular refueling.
Is Pressure Washing Cars Good Or Bad What You Should Know
Weve all seen it done, but a question that youre probably wondering is: Can I pressure wash my car, and is it safe?
The short answer is that pressure washing isnt really a bad thing if done right, but there are a few things you must keep in mind to prevent any damage from occurring. Pressure washing is a good method for many people if done right, but may not be for everyone.
In this blog, Ill cover a few things to keep in mind.
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Annovi Reverberi Ar Blue Clean Ar383ss
You might never have heard of Italian company Annovi Reverberi, but theyre pressure washing specialists that have been in business for over 50 years. They make both home and commercial electric pressure washers, and their AR Blue Clean consistently appears on lists of the best pressure washers, especially for car cleaning. The AR Blue Clean AR383SS is rated at 1,900 PSI, and with a 1.5hp motor it has plenty of power for your car, and likely for any household cleaning jobs, although some users report that the pressure did not live up to expectations of a 1,900 PSI machine. One advantage the AR Blue Clean AR383SS has over many competitors is a longer reach, with a 35-foot power cord and plus 30-foot high-pressure hose, so you should be able to set up over 60 feet from the nearest outlet, depending on your garden hose.
Its accessories include four quick-change nozzles, a rotary turbo nozzle, low-pressure spray soap nozzle, and a 28-ounce detergent reservoir for your car wash soap. With a hose reel, compartments for the nozzles, and wheels, it should be easy to pack up and store. AR also offers professional and commercial lines of pressure washers made in Italy, but they start at hundreds of dollars more.
Best Pressure Washer For Car Detailing
Before pressure washing a car, you should have the proper equipment. Obviously, the most important piece of equipment is the pressure washer.
Most pressure washers are acceptable to pressure wash a car, but they can cause damage if used incorrectly.
If you already own a pressure washer, check that the pressure is below 2,000 PSI, or adjust the machine to a safe level.
If you dont own a pressure washer, you should choose one with a safe level of pressure .
A water pressure that is too high can cause damage, such as stripping of the paint.
A popular choice for a car pressure washer is the Sun Joe SPX3000. The SPX3000 is an electric pressure washer capable of 2030 PSI. It comes with the appropriate spray nozzles for pressure washing a car and two detergent tanks.
It is also important to use the correct nozzle to wash a car. The nozzle determines the angle at which the water leaves the pressure washer. If the angle is too sharp, it can cause damage to your car.
You should use a 25 or 40 degree nozzle when pressure washing your car. Check your pressure washer to find the appropriate nozzle attachments.
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How To Wash Your Car With A Pressure Washer
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If you’re washing your car with a pressure washer, here’s a good way to go about it.
Apply Detergent To Your Car
Most pressure washers have special compartments for cleaning detergents. Make sure to use a cleaning detergent designed to be used with pressure washers.
- Note: Detergents are sold as concentrates and need to be diluted with water before theyre applied to a car.
Materials Needed
The following 3 steps explain how to best apply the pressure-wash specific detergents:
1. Pour detergent and water into the bucket to dilute the detergent concentrate with water.
Be sure to follow the suggestions of the detergent manufacturer for the water-to-concentrate ratio.
2. Fill the detergent tank of the pressure washer with the diluted detergent.
Be sure to switch the setting on the pressure washer so you will be spraying detergent rather than water onto the car. If there is no detergent tank, apply the detergent by hand with a cloth.
3. Spray the detergent onto your car.
Start from the top of the car and work your way down. You may choose to wash only one side of the car at a time or wash the entire car at once.
- Tip: Allow the detergent to stay on the car for about five minutes.
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Which Type Of Pressure Washer Is Ideal For Cars
An electric pressure washer is the best pressure washer for car washing and light to medium-duty tasks.
An ideal range for an electric washer is between 1200 and 1900 PSI and 1.4 1.6 GPM. Although you can use a gas power washer, youll need to be more cautious with the spray since a gas one is considerably stronger than an electric one.
Find The Right Spot To Wash Your Car
The first thing you want to do is find the right spot to wash your vehicle. Ideally, it should be an open space away from other objects so that you dont risk damaging anything with the pressurized water. You can look for a deserted driveway or street for this, but make sure that its close to a power outlet.
Also, you should note that there are multiple hoses involved when using a pressure washer, which can clutter the ground and easily end up being a safety hazard. To reduce the likelihood of tripping and falling, ensure there is enough space to pace around the car comfortably.
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Placing The Vehicle And Time For Its Wash Session
Place the car in the right place before you begin. Do not choose an area with lots of loose pebbles, or it only worsens things up. At times, a burst of water lifts tiny stones from the surface, causing damage to the vehicles exterior. Better yet, do the process of cleaning during the morning & afternoon. It is at these times that there is less sunlight. Clean it too during the summer season but place the car under a shade. Or, if you want, choose a place w/shadow. It is not good if you experience immediate drying in the cleaning agents and the water.
Generac Speedwash 6882 Pressure Washer
If you need a more powerful washer for other household challenges or have a truck that you get REALLY dirty, you might want to skip directly to a gas engine model with higher pressure, so you dont need to own separate pressure washers for different jobs. Some of the best pressure washers with gas engines made anywhere are made by Generac, as the five-star reviews of their SPEEDWASH 6882 attest. It blasts out 2.9 gallons a minute of cleaning power at 2,900 PSI, more than enough to strip your car down to bare metal if youre not careful. Fortunately, it has an adjustable pressure wand with a Car setting.
It comes with the usual four tips including soap sprayer, 25-foot hose and half-gallon soap tank, and one of the benefits of a gas pressure washer is you dont have to worry about your electrical cord. As a pressure washer intended for multiple uses, you also get a rotating wet Turbo Broom for deep cleaning walkways and other surfaces
At 57 pounds, you wont be slinging it around like the under-2,000 PSI models, but its well designed to roll easily and should give you many years of use. If we were buying just one to use around our home and count on for years, this would be it.
Generac is made in the USA and comes with a three-year warranty.
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Is 2000 Psi Too Much To Wash A Car
In general, anything below 2000 PSI is a safe pressure to wash your car. The chance that you will damage the paint is minimal. Ensure that you keep the tip of the pressure washer at an appropriate distance. And use a green 25 or white 40 degrees nozzle.
Pressure washers with less than 2000 PSI are safe for cleaning cars. But ensure that the appropriate nozzle is used. Use a green 25 degrees one, or even better, the white 45 degrees nozzle.
Another important factor that you must keep in your mind when using a pressure washer of 2000 PSI is to keep the tip of the pressure washer at an appropriate distance from the body of your car. Holding the tip too close to the cars body will not only increase the chance of damaging the paint. It will also increase the likelihood that water is pushed in areas where it usually does not come. This can increase the chances of rust or reach covered mechanical parts, thus decreasing the lifetime.
Hold the tip at an appropriate distance. For example, you can start by holding the tip at 4 feet distance and move the pipe closer when needed to remove more challenging dirt.
