Is a pressure washer really needed for a safe wash ?

**GTguy559** · 12-29-2021, 11:53 PM

Originally Posted by Coatingsarecrack

I would say no if the car is past dusty. Weather your in the foam cannon group or not most would agree a PW would blow most grime off of a car before you use your wash media to contact the care.

The grime you have on your car is what makes the difference.

If your washing 5 times a month i wouldn’t worry about it. If 2-3 months i would say yes you would have less swirls….. in my environment.

You haven’t given me an indication of your enviroment so I could not really answer for you.

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i live in sunny California

**GTguy559** · 12-29-2021, 11:56 PM

Originally Posted by DetailZeus

This really isn't a question with a black and white answer. It all depends on how dirty the vehicle is, how fresh is the protection, how good is your wash technique, etc. For someone in California with light dust who carefully rinseless washes weekly, no there's probably not a huge benefit. Someone in the midwest or up north who can only wash their car in the winter when it peeks above freezing then yeah probably safer to blast off the layers of gunk.

In my opinion the more dirt you can remove from the car before you touch it the better. So in *theory* if you take two equally dirty cars and pressure wash one and rinse the other with a hose, it should be "safer" to wash the one that was pressure washed because more dirt was removed before you touched it with a mitt. But in the real world there's a ton of other variables that matter.

I personally bust out my pressure washer every time because I have a great setup, I don't wash that often, and I really really like using it on wheels and wheel wells.

thanks for your input

. yeah i live in Cali so i don't get really any grime build up on my car.

**Coatingsarecrack** · 12-30-2021, 12:03 AM

Originally Posted by GTguy559

i live in sunny California

I would still have one myself in California but it would get alot less use.

Long as you wash regularly 3-4 times a month i wouldn’t say you would need it.

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**UncleDavy** · 12-30-2021, 10:33 AM

There are many techniques used for a safe wash but a pressure washer is not necessary to make that happen. The pressure washer helps if you have stuck on bird crap, bug guts, mud or road salt. A big advantage the pressure washer does have is that it does provide some water savings. This is important if you live in drought stricken areas out west.
For a safe wash with minimally induced swirl marks, it is best to use a foam gun, multiple wash mitts, and a good dryer that blasts the water off of the vehicle.

**Bill D** · 12-30-2021, 11:09 AM

Yep, foam.gun and multiple mitts is the way to go. I just tested an inexpensive foam gun that works in a pinch as a backup. It would also be great for a beginner wanting to try a foam gun for the first time.

**WhiteShadow89** · 12-30-2021, 12:55 PM

OP- A power washer is a want and not a need. You do not need a power washer to have a safe/safer car wash experience. As others have stated, power washers do provide pro's to a car wash. They do a better job on initial removal for grime over a regular hose and I prefer use of pressure washer with my foam. Finally, they use less water which is very important if you use some sort of filtration so your resin goes further.

If you can afford a pressure washer without it impacting your budget particularly negatively than I would say go for it. I personally prefer electric over gas for three reasons. One, I prefer their metrics for detailing. Two, they tend to be more set and forget as time goes by. Finally, they are quieter.

thanks for your input . yeah i live in Cali so i don't get really any grime build up on my car.

I live in Cali as well for the time being. Water quality out here sucks so a pressure washer really makes my resin go furthers over a hose.

**Kamakaz1961** · 12-30-2021, 01:25 PM

IMO no pressure washer is needed for a wash.

**Bosko** · 12-30-2021, 01:53 PM

Originally Posted by Kamakaz1961

IMO no pressure washer is needed for a wash.

Depends on the conditions, ALSO how much time you have on your hands.

Wash this by hand......not me....

**opie** · 12-30-2021, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by Bosko

Depends on the conditions, ALSO how much time you have on your hands.

Wash this by hand......not me....

Agreed...perfect scenario for a pw

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**Me Time** · 12-30-2021, 04:53 PM

Bosko's truck is a good example of what a lot of people would use a PW on. Something that is coated with heavy road film or caked on dried/wet mud. Maybe if or when your car gets this way try a coin wash if one is near you. Then you can get a good feel for how it works.

I have an electric and a cordless one. I mainly use a foam gun and it can go through the soap if you have it dialed up. If I want use a PW and don't want to go through the dragging it out and hooking it up process, I'll grab the cordless. Ar, SunJoe, and Robin make really good electric one's,. As far as cordless, there are Worx, Ryobi, and other from top cordless manufacturer's. With the cordless you just need it and a bucket of water, or a 2 liter bottle if it has an adapter. They are not as powerful as it's electric counterparts, but it does a fair job.

There are to many variables and opinions. You'll have to figure out if it's worth your wallet opening up for it and how much you will use it. You have probably used a coin operated wash rack a few times, so you might already know what using one will do for you.

As long as you use the right tip, your safe. I was washing off the patio furniture for the wife once and after she was done showing me what I missed, I forgot that I was gonna take out the 0' and put in the 40' nozzle. Suffice to say, that 0' tip tore right into those cushions. $200 later the wife was happy again.

Excuse any wrong words or miss spelling , using a old tablet that wants to correct the words I try to use.