Clean Solution: Diverse Applications of the High-Pressure Cleaner

Bring on the water!  A high-pressure cleaner helps you clean various surfaces and objects in your garden: terraces, garden furniture, or even bicycles are efficiently cleaned with the device. The pressure washer is a true all-rounder, capable of environmentally friendly cleaning of large areas from stubborn dirt. But how does a pressure washer actually work? For which cleaning tasks can the pressure washer be used? What should I pay attention to when working with the powerful device? We address these and other questions in our blog post.

A man in jeans and rubber boots is cleaning the floor of a paved terrace in front of a modern house with a cordless pressure washer.
Pressure washers are versatile thanks to a wide range of accessories. They use pressure to clean surfaces around the house and garden.

How does a high-pressure cleaner work?

Whether it's moss, algae, chalk, or colours — a pressure washer removes even heavy dirt and stubborn deposits with water pressure and optional cleaning agents. Cleaning is made possible by a piston pump inside the device. Its so-called plunger pressurizes the incoming water from the water supply. The water is pumped to the high-pressure hose through an outlet valve, before it is expelled through a spray gun or other accessory. Because the water pressure drops on the way to the spray gun, you can distinguish between working pressure and maximum pressure with high-pressure cleaners.

When purchasing your device, operating noise and included accessories are also important considerations. According to the German Equipment and Machinery Noise Protection Ordinance, you may use the pressure washer in residential areas from 7 am to 8 pm on weekdays, but not at night or on Sundays and public holidays.The Einhell high-pressure cleaners always include a spray gun with a lance and a point and wide nozzle as basic equipment. Other accessories such as brushes, spray container, rotating nozzle and terrace cleaner depend on the different models. You should pick the right tool depending on use. For special jobs, there are other accessories like different brushes, angled nozzles, pipe-cleaning hoses or telescopic rods. These are available separately. No matter which job awaits you, with the right accessory you are armed for every challenge!

Practical accessories with the quick-couple system:

Different areas of application of a high pressure cleaner

With a high-pressure cleaner, you can clean various surfaces around your home. From terrace floors, dirty walls, and muddy bicycles to filthy cars, hardly any challenge is too great for a powerful pressure washer.

Depending on the application, we recommend using the right detergent. For this purpose, pressure washers with an integrated detergent tank or a separate spray container are perfect!

Terraces, driveways, garden paths

The right pressure for the right material: With wooden floors in particular, you should work gently and with low pressure. Accessories such as a patio cleaner with or without a detergent tank help with cleaning. Concrete or stone floors are much more robust and can therefore be cleaned with high pressure – for a clean overall appearance of your garden.

A man is cleaning a paved terrace in front of a house with an Einhell high-pressure washer, with a lounge chair visible in the background.

If you work with detergents when cleaning the ground, you should make sure that it is environmentally sustainable and doesn't run into nearby beds. All the tips and tricks on how to make your terrace shine again and what to pay attention to when cleaning different floors can be found in our blog post on outdoor spring cleaning.

A close-up of a pressure washer removing dirt from the exterior wall of a house.

Facades

Dirt on your walls? High pressure and water help to clean facades made of stone, concrete, or brick, as well as metal facades and clinker bricks. Before starting, you should find out if your facade and the facade plaster are suitable for cleaning with the device to avoid damage. For plastered facades, as well as wooden facades, you should always work with less pressure.

Additionally, you should check in advance if your facade is in perfect condition or if you need to repair cracked or damaged areas first. It's also important to protect windows and other sensitive facade elements during cleaning. A telescopic pole or the rotating brush might be just the right extras to make facade cleaning easier for you.

Garden equipment and furniture

Whether garden table and outdoor lounge or spade and wheelbarrow – with a high-pressure cleaner, you are equipped for cleaning around the house and garden. Especially compared to using brushes and rags, you work faster and remove dirt much more efficiently with pressure and enough water.

A man is cleaning a garden lounger with a red Einhell high-pressure washer on a lawn in a sunny garden.

For stubborn dirt, various washing brushes, such as a rotating brush or a horizontal brush, along with appropriate cleaning agents, can help. However, you should use these sparingly. Garden furniture made of metal or plastic is very robust, so powerful pressure washing will not harm them. How to proceed with these and other garden furniture can be found in our blog post on proper garden furniture care.

A woman is cleaning a bicycle with a pressure washer next to a camper van on a meadow at sunset.

Bicycles

If you want to clean a bike with a high-pressure washer, it is best to place it in a repair stand. To clean the bike carefully, you should keep enough distance between the spray lance and the bike to reduce the water pressure. You should not direct the water jet directly at shock absorbers or bearings. For e-bikes, you should also be mindful of the electrical connections.

To avoid damaging the paint and sensitive components of your bike, we recommend our cordless pressure washer HYPRESSO 18/24 Li. Instead of high pressure, the cordless sprayer works with 24 bar, which is medium pressure. This allows mud, bird droppings, and dirt to be removed powerfully but gently. You can find more information in our blog post on bicycle maintenance and care.

Car Wash

Want to make your car shine again? A pressure washer is especially useful for pre-cleaning wheels and rims. For thorough detailing, it's best to use a sponge and cleaning agent. A soft washing brush can also assist you in washing your car. You can use a flat spray to remove stubborn dirt from the bodywork. How to proceed, what legal aspects to consider, and which devices can help you wash your car are explained in our blog post on car cleaning.

A man is washing a black car with an Einhell high-pressure washer in front of a modern house.
A close-up of a pressure washer cleaning a gutter.

Gutter Cleaning

You can clear clogged pipes and gutters of leaves and other debris using a pressure washer. The easiest way to reach the gutter is with a telescopic pole and an angled nozzle. By using the device, the gutter will not overflow during the next heavy rain. This protects you from unwanted flooding.

Pipe cleaning

With a pipe cleaning hose, you can also use the pressure washer to effectively clean pipes and remove blockages. The original Einhell hose, which can be used with all Einhell electric high-pressure washers, is 15 meters long and easily flushes out debris from the pipe. By the way, the cordless drain cleaner TE-DA 18/760 Li can also assist you with pipe cleaning.

Tips for working with the high-pressure cleaner

The device can be used in many places and is therefore a valuable helper in the home and garden. So that you can work effectively with the high-pressure cleaner in the various areas of application, you should follow a few tips. 

  • Use the right attachment: Cleaning will be easier for you if you use the right accessory, such as a round brush for cleaning the car. As a result, it is often not necessary to use detergent.
  • Keep a safe distance: High-pressure water jets can be dangerous. Never direct them at people or animals, avoid getting too close to windows or other sensitive surfaces, and do not aim directly at flowers to prevent damage. Always maintain a safe distance from electrical outlets!
  • Watch out for your own safety: Safety first! Since sand and small stones can be thrown up while working, you should wear protective goggles and appropriate clothing. You're protected and can clean effectively.
  • Properly connect the pressure washer: First, you need to connect the garden hose to the high-pressure cleaner. The pressure washer is equipped with a quick-connect fitting for this purpose. Only after the water connection is established should you plug the power cord into the outlet or insert a battery into your cordless pressure washer and turn on the device.
  • Regular maintenance and cleaning: For the long-term use of the high-pressure cleaner, you should regularly clean, check, and maintain it. You can clean clogged nozzles with the supplied cleaning needle. To ensure the water flows freely, occasionally check the water intake filter. This filter is located at the water inlet connection and can be easily rinsed under clear water. If you are putting your cleaning device into a longer work break or winter storage, ensure there is no water left in the device. You can do this by using the cleaner without a water connection and pressing the trigger of the mounted spray nozzle repeatedly until no more water comes out. This ensures that your device does not scale up and survives the winter frost-free.
A man in a green jacket and rubber boots is cleaning an overturned wheelbarrow with a cordless pressure washer in a well-kept garden.
Garden furniture, tools, wheelbarrows etc. can be cleaned in no time at all with a pressure washer.

Summary: Quick and easy cleaning with the high-pressure cleaner

The applications of the high-pressure cleaner are very versatile. It is used wherever dirt is stubbornly stuck, making it a valuable and, above all, flexible helper in the house and garden. Whether for cleaning facades, garden furniture, terraces, or even for the spring-cleaning of your car. With an Einhell high-pressure washer, you can free all surfaces from dirt.

Picture of the author Marina Liefke.
Written by Marina Liefke
Published on 27.07.2021

Marina Liefke is an Online Editor at Einhell, where she deals with virtually all texts related to tools, garden equipment, and accessories. She acquires the necessary know-how through practical product training and close collaboration with the Einhell product managers. Her favorite tool is the PRESSITO cordless compressor because when the air is running out, it pumps it right back in.