Tips for choosing the right pressure washer for you

If your regular hose isn't cutting it when it comes to cleaning up grime on your stonework, here’s how to choose a pressure washer.

If you want to keep the outside of your home looking pristine, you’ll need to know how to chose a pressure washer, since we all tend to pride ourselves on our homes. It's often our biggest asset, so it makes sense to put a lot of effort into maintaining its beautiful exterior appearance.

As a homeowner you know that every brick and stone is a precious part of your home, but the effort to clean the stonework and woodwork can be tedious. With a pressure washer, clean-up can take minutes instead of hours. Here are tips to help you choose a pressure washer that’s right for you.

Sure, you can probably get by with using your hose, but it’s not as efficient or practical as a pressure washer. Here are some of the reasons why pressure washers are becoming more and more common in households everywhere:

• Faster clean up. Pressure washers can help you get the job done in a fraction of the time it would take with a plain old hose.
• More productive. If you need to get a lot of cleaning done in a short period of time, it helps if the job is as easy as possible. Pressure washers emit a strong stream of water, so that means you won’t have to go over a dirty spot multiple times before getting it clean.
• Use less water. Your standard garden hose uses about six to 10 gallons of water per minute. With a pressure washer, you will be using anywhere between two to five gallons of water.

So you’ve decided that you want to clean the exterior of your home much faster, easier and better than any garden hose. Here are some things to consider when you’re out shopping:

• Gas or electric. Most pressure washers for home use are electric. A gas powered pressure washer is usually meant for heavy-duty jobs.
• PSI and GPM. Two critical features of your pressure washer are PSI (pressure per square inch) and GPM (gallons per minute). Before you buy, take a look at the PSI, the force of the water stream. Depending on the job, you might require a pressure washer with a high PSI. If water consumption is a concern, check out the GPM of your pressure washer. This is how much water is being propelled.
• Extra features. Some pressure washers allow you to mix in detergent, come with additional nozzles, or are marketed as “portable” to appeal to those living in condos or small townhouses.