Looking for the best pressure washers to clean your car? If so, then this article will not only list my top picks, but I also share my experience on what I believe you should look out for when purchasing a pressure washer for cleaning your car.
Guide To Buying A Pressure Washer For Cars
A pressure washer is an incredibly useful tool for outdoor cleaning, but what you are washing will determine the best type of pressure washer for your needs. I’ve been thinking recently about the right type of pressure washer for cleaning the car and there were a few things that sprung to mind which are essential in choosing the right type.
What Is A Pressure Washer?
You might hear a pressure washer being referred to as many different things including a power washer or a jet washer, but in essence, they are all the same things. These cleaning tools offer a very powerful water jet that is much more effective than spraying items with the garden hose. For tough and stubborn dirt, a pressure washer will make light work of the job.
Inside the pressure washer, there is a pump that is powered by a motor. Running on electricity, petrol or battery, this pump delivers a very high-pressure jet of water. They can be used for various tasks including sprucing up the patio, giving your garden furniture a clean and of course, washing the car.
Here are 5 of my favourite pressure washers for cleaning cars.
10 Best Pressure Washer for Cleaning Cars Reviews
Select your requirements by ticking the applicable checkboxes below; so I can help you pick the perfect pressure washer for cleaning your vehicle.
Choose The Right Pressure Washer For Cleaning Your Car Here
Features:
Features:
✅ Multiple Spray Nozzles
✅ Patio Cleaner
✅ Rotary Brush
✅ Turbo Lance
✅ Wheeled
Summary
The Wilks RX510 Pressure Washer has an adjustable pressure between 90 to 135 bar and is supplied with a wide variety of lances, connectors and brushes. It has a trolley design with wheels and a handle for easy transportation and storage. The Wilks RX510 has a powerful air-cooled 1800 watt motor, and is supplied with a 5 metre pressure hose.
The Wilks RX510 is a medium-level pressure washer, perfect for washing large areas and getting dirt and grease out from tight corners. The unit comes with a range of accessories, it is compact, and it is easy to wheel about.
Main Features
- Pressure (bar): 90 – 135
- Flow rate (l/h): 450
- Noise at Operator: 79 dB
- Power Rating (watts): 1800, 8.2 Amps
- Area Performance (m²/h): 30
- Weight (kg): 8.2 Gross
- Dimensions - L x W x H (mm): 260 × 250 × 650
Conclusion
This machine is well-built, with a robust brushless motor and a well-thought-out design to make it compact and practical. Some extensions, such as the patio brush, makes little difference over using a regular lance. But there is a lot of flexibility in a machine that can run from a static water supply as well as from the mains. The Kärcher to Wilks adaptor is a great feature if you are switching brands as it allows you to use the lances and attachments from your old pressure washer, if required.
Pros and Cons
Features:
Features:
✅ Lance
✅ Patio Cleaner
✅ Rotary Brush
✅ Turbo Lance
✅ Wheeled
Summary
Where stubborn dirt and stains are concerned, you need a pressure washer that wields ultimate power. But not all of them quite live up to this expectation as well as the Ryobi RPW150XRB, which is one of four electric pressure washers from the brand, and by far the most powerful on offer from Ryobi.
The Ryobi RPW150XRB comes with a generous number of accessories, which is something that instantly jumped out at me, because I do love value for money. If you’re looking for something that is as versatile as it is powerful, then I’d strongly suggest continuing reading this Ryobi RPW150XRB review to find out just how much this tool could benefit you.
But aside from power and versatility, the Ryobi RPW150XRB also boasts incredible convenience. It is practically designed for storage and ease of movement making it the ideal solution for domestic cleaning.
Main Features
- 420 litres per hour flow rate
- 2200 watts
- 1 litre detergent tank included
- Turbo and Vario lances included
- Come with 30cm surface cleaner and rotary brush
- Hose reel and on board storage
- 8m hose
Conclusion
Ryobi is an excellent brand and this is demonstrated with the Ryobi RPW150XRB pressure washer that has a lot going for it. Not only is it versatile and incredibly practical, but it boasts an amount of power that its younger brothers could only dream of. There isn’t a lot that you can say negatively about this machine, it really does have it all and if you’re looking to make light work of domestic cleaning jobs, there isn’t much else I’d suggest so readily.
Pros and Cons
Features:
Features:
✅ Gutter Lance
✅ Hose Reel
✅ Lance
✅ Multiple Spray Nozzles
✅ Patio Cleaner
✅ Rotary Brush
✅ Static Brush
✅ Turbo Lance
✅ Wheeled
Summary
The Wilks-USA RX550I Pressure Washer has an adjustable pressure between 155 to 262 bar and is supplied with a wide variety of lances, connectors and brushes. It has a trolley design with wheels and a handle for easy transportation and storage. The Wilks-USA RX550I has a powerful air-cooled 3000 watt motor, and is supplied with a huge 26 metre pressure hose.
Wilk’s RX550i is a medium-level pressure washer, which will blast away caked-on dirt from driveways and the most abused of garden tools. The spray is adjustable to ensure you do not take the paint off your car. And the provided accessories leave behind a professional finish on any surface.
Main Features
- Pressure (bar): 155 – 262
- Flow rate (l/h): 522
- Noise at Operator: 71 dB
- Power Rating (watts): 2500, 11.4 Amps
- Area Performance (m²/h): 60
- Weight (kg): 22 Gross
- Dimensions - L x W x H (mm): 400 × 400 × 1080
Conclusion
The Wilks-USA RX550I is a semi-professional machine, so it is perfect for those that are more technical and have many big projects in mind. If you want something simple and safe, then you need something half the power. If you want to take the paint off the outside wall of your home, this will do it faster and safer than many other methods.
Pros and Cons
Features:
Features:
✅ Rotary Brush
✅ Static Brush
✅ Turbo Lance
Summary
The Norse SK90 is a budget friendly pressure washer which has compact dimensions of 430 x 290 x 320 mm. This pressure washer has an adjustable bar pressure between 90 – 131 bar and has a 435 l/h flow rate, which is very impressive for such a small and compact pressure washer. The Norse SK90 includes numerous accessories as standard which include but are not limited to a lance, rotary brush, triangle brush, spray gun and detergent bottle, providing excellent cleaning results and a wide range of uses. The hose is slightly on the short side at only 3 metres in length, but is compensated for by the lightweight nature of the pressure washer unit.
Main Features
- Pressure (bar): 90 – 131 bar
- Flow rate (l/h): 435
- Noise at Operator: 93 dB
- Power Rating (watts): 1800
- Area Performance (m²/h): 28
- Weight (kg): 7 Gross
- Dimensions – L x W x H (mm): 430 x 290 x 320
Conclusion
The Norse SK90 is a great budget friendly pressure washer which has a small size and weight, but maintains the same quality and a very similar performance to other pressure washers which are much larger in size, heavier in weight and cost a lot more money.
In my opinion, this pressure washer would make a great addition to anyone’s household, especially those looking for a reasonably priced, versatile and well built pressure washer, which just gets the task at hand done quickly and effectively.
Pros and Cons
Features:
Features:
✅ Lance
✅ Multiple Spray Nozzles
✅ Static Brush
Summary
Yard Force has brought us many useful products in the past and I’m very excited to tell you about this cordless Yard Force LW C02 Aquajet that outdoes everything in terms of practicality. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, this compact and portable little pressure washer can be used. How I hear you ask? Well it has a nifty little feature that allows you to draw water from anywhere; yes anywhere, including, according to the Yard Force website, the sea. Although, I’m yet to try dipping the hose in the ocean, I don’t doubt that it would be effective.
Now, while this is a handy cordless little tool to keep in your car, your camping gear or simply in the garden shed, it doesn’t have quite as much power as some of the other Yard Force corded pressure washers, but that’s always going to be the case. If you’re looking for something more powerful but less portable and practical, then you might try the Yard Force 360l/h EW U13 or its bigger brother, the Yard Force EW U15, which are both corded models with a range of accessories and 1800w and 2000w of power respectively. They’ll also deliver a more significant flow rate and pressure for more demanding jobs. But if you’re in the market for something lightweight, portable, cordless and easy to use, that has a decent amount of power, then this Yard Force LW C02 Aquajet is something that is absolutely worth considering.
Main Features
- Cordless battery operated
- Lightweight and portable
- Water from any static water source
- 22 bar pressure
- Max 270L High/ Low spraying speed
- Selection of accessories
- 2 position rotary handle
- Foam spray and brush included - ideal for cleaning car
- 3 year warranty
Conclusion
This Yard Force Aquajet cordless pressure washer LW CO2 might be small but it certainly packs a punch where cleaning is concerned. You’ll have to see for yourself just how impressive this piece of kit is and once you do, you’ll probably be as excited about it as I am. It comes with everything you need to get started so would make a great first pressure washer or a housewarming gift, for example.
Yard Force is a very well-respected brand and the dedication to bringing its clients reliable and quality products is demonstrated perfectly in this incredible little machine.
Pros and Cons
Features:
Features:
✅ Gutter Lance
✅ Hose Reel
✅ Lance
✅ Multiple Spray Nozzles
✅ Patio Cleaner
✅ Rotary Brush
✅ Static Brush
✅ Turbo Lance
✅ Wheeled
Summary
The Wilks-USA RX545 Pressure Washer has an adjustable pressure between 138 - 210 bar and is supplied with a wide variety of lances, connectors and brushes. It has a trolley design with wheels and a handle for easy transportation and storage. The Wilks-USA RX545 has a powerful air-cooled 2400 watt motor and is supplied with a very generous 18 metre pressure hose.
Wilks-USA RX545 is a medium-level pressure washer, which will blast away caked-on dirt from driveways and the most abused of garden tools. The spray is adjustable to ensure you do not take the paint off your car. And the provided accessories leave behind a professional finish on any surface.
In this review I am going to look at both the positives and negatives of this pressure washer from Wilks and see how good it really is. This will help you to decide if this is the right purchase for you and your intended needs.
Main Features
- Pressure (bar): 138-210
- Flow rate (l/h): 480
- Noise at Operator: 94dB
- Power Rating (watts): 2400
- Area Performance (m²/h): 60
- Weight (kg): 11 Gross
- Dimensions – L x W x H (mm): 250 × 260 × 650
Conclusion
The Wilks-USA RX545 is a sleek and compact unit which really does allow for effective storage. This is perfect if you want to save on space in the garage/shed, but do not want to compromise on pressure and performance. Yes, this pressure washer has slightly less power and flow rate than its bigger brother, but is more than adequate for domestic everyday use / tasks.
In my opinion the Wilks-USA RX545 strikes that perfect balance between affordability, performance, durability and in-fact outperforms many other well known premium brands.
Pros and Cons
Features:
Features:
✅ Hose Reel
✅ Lance
✅ Multiple Spray Nozzles
✅ Patio Cleaner
✅ Static Brush
✅ Wheeled
Summary
The Black+Decker BXPW1800XE is a very popular, well known and sturdy corded electric pressure washer which really comes in handy for your everyday pressure washing needs. This pressure washer delivers a very respectable 135 bar max pressure and a perfectly respectable flow rate of 440l/h. These performance features along with the numerous attachments, which are included as standard with this pressure washer, really do make this product by Black+Decker stand out from the crowd. These features include, but are not limited to, a patio cleaner, triangle brush, rotary nozzle and many more, all of which I will discuss in more detail later on in this review.
Main Features
- Pressure (bar): 135
- Flow rate (l/h): 440
- Power Rating (watts): 1800
- Area Performance (m²/h): 60
- Weight (kg): 10.8 Gross
- Dimensions – L x W x H (mm): 390 x 312 x 735
Conclusion
The Black+Decker BXPW1800XE pressure washer comes with 1800 watt motor delivering 135 bar pressure and 440 LPH flow rate, as well as multiple accessories included as standard. This along with the ergonomic design to the pressure washer really does provide the user not only with safe, convenient and compact storage and transportation, but also with a pressure washer which will always deliver in terms of performance and carry out any task at hand.
Pros and Cons
How To Choose The Right Pressure Washer For Your Car?
Your car is among one of the most expensive and important possessions you have and for this reason, it is essential to make sure that you don’t damage it while cleaning. Using the wrong pressure washer may cause problems in one of two ways; it could damage the car or it won’t be powerful enough to remove the dirt. Before choosing your pressure washer, be sure to keep the following things in mind.
Pressure
One of the first and most important things to think about when looking for a pressure washer for cars is the water pressure. You should look for a jet washer that has a pressure anywhere between 110 and 130 bar. If you go much higher than this, there is a risk that the high-pressure water jet will damage the paintwork or dislodge accessories attached to the vehicle. I know you won’t want a hefty bill for repairs!
That said, if you want a pressure washer for cleaning the car and other tasks that require more power, there are those that have variable pressure and attachments to accommodate varying needs. This is typically adjusted using a twist function on the nozzle or attaching a separate nozzle.
Pressure Washer Pressure Guide
| Task | Light Duty 50-110 Bar |
Medium Duty 110-130 Bar |
Heavy Duty 130+ Bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patio | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Cars/Vans/Bikes | ✅ | ||
| Block Paving | ✅ | ||
| Decking | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Fences & Garden Furniture | ✅ | ||
| Commercial Vehicles | ✅ | ✅ |
Nozzles
You will notice when shopping for a pressure washer that there are several different nozzles that can be attached to the hose. Each nozzle will distribute water differently with some spreading it wide and others with a more direct flow.
You don’t want a very streamlined jet of water, especially at high pressures when cleaning your car, as again, this could cause damage. That said, you also don’t want to go for a nozzle that distributes the water over a very large area as this won’t allow you to target tough stains like oil or caked-on mud.
Again, there are pressure washers whose nozzles can be turned to adjust the flow of the water and this will put you at an advantage when cleaning the car. For example, you might use a more direct jet for those stubborn marks, under the wheel arches, and a wider spray for rinsing the entire car at the end.
Length Of The Hose And Power Cable
If you are lucky enough to have a driveway that allows you to plug the jet washer in without an extension lead, then you won’t need to worry about the length of the power cable. However, in most cases, the plug socket will be located some distance from the car, so it pays to look for something with a longer lead.
Moreover, it is crucial that you check the length of the hose. As a general rule, you can expect the hose to be around four metres, but this will vary by model. The benefits of having a longer hose is that you are free to move around the car without having to keep picking the pressure washer up. This is especially important if you are washing a larger vehicle or a van, for example. Just bear in mind that longer the hose, the more likely it is to tangle, and the more storage will be required. Look for a model that has a hose reel, as this makes storing much easier, tidier and prevents it from getting damaged.
It is inevitable that over time the hose will become damaged and may leak. You will therefore want to replace this without having to replace the whole pressure washer unit. Before purchasing, check that replacement parts are readily available and are reasonably priced. This is not an issue with brands like Karcher, however some cheaper and lesser known makes may not be so easy to replace.
Waterflow
As well as looking at how the water flows out of the nozzle, you should also check how much water is dispensed. This information is given in litres per minute and for domestic pressure washers, you can expect anything between 6 and 9 litre per minute. Of course, the more water that is dispensed per minute, the quicker the work will be completed.
Naturally, battery powered pressure washers will have a lot less water flow compared to electric and petrol models. Cordless battery models are ideal for cleaning cars and bikes particularly in remote locations.
It is also worth noting that some pressure washers allow you to draw water from a static source such as water butts, ponds and buckets, while others will need to be connected to the water mains only. Again depending on your location this is something you may need to take into consideration.
Pressure Washer Accessories for Cleaning your Car
Cleaning your car is a pretty versatile task and if you’re going to do it properly, you need a pressure washer that offers just as much versatility. Many of these machines come with attachments and accessories that can make cleaning your car a lot simpler.
What you get will vary by brand and model, but you should be looking for things like wheel brushes and a foaming kit. These foaming kits are great for applying car detergent and a snow foam lance allows you to apply the soap and leave it to work. After around ten minutes, you can rinse the soap using the wide spray on your nozzle.
So whether you are choosing a pressure washer to clean your patio & decking or for cleaning your car, you will need to ensure it comes supplied with the accessories that will suite the job at hand.
Car Pressure Washer Brushes
Brushes come in two types. A static triangle shaped brush and as mentioned above, a round rotating brush. These are both ideal for cleaning the bodywork and wheels of the vehicle where the dirt is more ground-in and will not remove with pressure washing alone. Look for a model that also has a detergent dispenser that is built into the machine, as this will dispense detergent/wax whilst brushing the car. If you are going to use the brush, it is important to remember to pressure wash the car first to remove any grit or sand first to prevent the brush from creating undesired scratches.
On the wheels use the triangular pointed brush as this will make it easier to clean inside the wheels and around all the edges.
Noise Level
The gripe for many people when using a pressure washer is that these can be very noisy tools. That said, there are some that create more racket than others, so it is worth looking for one that boasts being a little quieter, especially if you live in a built-up area with a lot of neighbours and want to clean your car early on a Sunday morning.
Summary
Using a pressure washer to clean your car can make a job that might otherwise take a very long time, a much quicker task. However, since not all pressure washers are made equal, it is important to look over the features before buying to ensure that you get a jet washer that will bring your car to a perfect shine without causing any damage.
Click here to see my full list of Best Pressure Washers for General Cleaning.
Click here to see my full list of Best Pressure Washers for Cleaning Patios and Decking.
