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Car Cleaning Tips: Top 5 Pressure Washers for Personal Use

Now that the rainy season is upon most parts of the world, keeping your car clean might prove something of a challenge. Luckily, there are a bunch of easily available solutions that can be used by anyone, even in their own back yards.
Pressure washrers are one way to tend to your car's looks 6 photos
Photo: Blue Clean / Amazon
Pressure washers available on AmazonPressure washers available on AmazonPressure washers available on AmazonPressure washers available on AmazonPressure washers available on Amazon
For years, one of the best ways to get dirt off the body of the car has been pressure washing. The technology is used mostly by car washing businesses, but the small dimensions and ease of use for such tools make them ideal for personal use whenever the need arises.

The concept behind the technology is simple and is based on the fact that given enough pressure, water could even cut through metal. Pressure washers are such powerful tools that they can be used to clean anything from mold to paint and even chewing gum.

Generally, machines that spit out water under pressure pump out anywhere between 750 to 30,000 pounds per square inch (psi). The ones used to clean automobiles are usually topped at around 2,000 psi, otherwise they would be uncontrollable and dangerous.

Also very important for how well they can get the job done is the type of nozzle used. These alter both the direction and velocity of the water, and are classified depending on their spray angle between 0 and 65 degrees. For reference, 0 degrees nozzles mean the liquid is pushed straight ahead and they too can be dangerous because of the force of the water.

A wide range of such tools is available online for anyone to purchase. Below is a shortlist of 5 pressure washers available on Amazon. As a side note, they can be used for cleaning far more than just your car, so if you’re in the market for one make sure you choose wisely.

Sun Joe SPX3000 (ad) – The SPX3000 is one of the many pressure washers manufactured by Sun Joe. And it also appears to be one of the best selling. That’s probably because it has been designed to be used on anything from buildings to patios.

SPX3000 uses a 1,800-watt motor to generate up to 2,030 psi, although its typical operating pressure under normal circumstances is 1,450 psi.

It comes equipped with two detachable 0.9-liters detergent tanks and a special dial that allows the user to switch between detergents while the washer is in operation.

Moving along on two wheels fitted at the rear, SPX3000 comes complete with a 20-foot high-pressure hose, 35-foot power cord, garden hose adaptor and an automatic shut off system to turn off the tool when the trigger is not engaged.

The washer ships with several nozzles, ranging between 0 and 40 degrees. For use in hard-to-reach places, such as the underside of a car, there’s even a 34-inch extension spray.

On Amazon, the Sun Joe SPX3000 is priced at $137,49.

Pressure washers available on Amazon
Photo: Amazon
Karcher K5 Premium (ad)– Karcher is one of the biggest names of the cleaner tools industry. As such, its products are often sought after, despite the sometimes steeper price.

Karcher calls the K5 Premium their best-in-class pressure washer. It can pump out water at a pressure of 2,000 psi through a 25 feet-long hose. The hose wraps and unwraps around a built-in hose reel.

Unlike the Sun Joe, it does not come with nozzles, at is fitted from the factory with a wand that allows the proper adjustment of the spray. It also only has one onboard detergent tank complete with a dial that allows the user to control the amount of detergent used.

On Amazon, the Karcher K5 Premium starts at $283.73.

AR383 Blue Clean (ad)– for people looking to do a professional-looking job when cleaning their cars, the professional-style washer called AR383 might be just the thing.

Complete with 2 different pressure washer wands, 20-foot high-pressure hose, and a detergent bottle that can hold 14 ounces of the stuff, the AR383 spits out water with a pressure of 1,900 psi, enough to clean off even the most stubborn of stains on the car’s body.

On Amazon, this pressure washer is priced at $130.68.

The Briggs & Stratton S1700 (ad) is a lightweight pressure washer designed to be used on anything that needs cleaning, including, of course, cars. As its name says, it pumps water out at a pressure of 1,700 psi.

The S1700 weighs just 25 pounds and like all the others mentioned before, it comes with a carrying handle and two wheels. There are three spray tips included in the package, 15 degrees, soap and turbo, and there’s a 25-foot hose to help users reach the places they need.

On Amazon, the Briggs & Stratton S1700 sells for $114.38.

Karcher K3 Follow-Me (ad) – this particular washer is not like the other ones on our list. While all the others come with two wheels and a carrying handle, this one has four wheels and it can be easily moved just by dragging it along. In fact, says it’s producer, this is the only four-wheeled electric pressure washer on the market.

The washer does its thing at 1,800 psi, spits water out through Karcher’s Vario Power Spray nozzle and has an onboard detergent tank.

This one-of-a-kind washer sells for $135.20 on Amazon.
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Editor's note: Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links, and we may receive a commission when you buy one of these products. Nevertheless, this does not impact our choice of products or the information provided here.

About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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