Have you been cruising adverts for used cars for sale, but finding nothing is taking your fancy? Perhaps you’re not quite ready to give up your current motor and need a little inspiration when it comes to looking after it instead. So maybe another form of retail therapy is in order – in which case, might we humbly suggest adding a pressure washer to your car cleaning arsenal?
It may seem strange, but giving a car a thorough clean can be a way to fall in love with it all over again. And don’t worry – while pressure washers can be very expensive if you’re in the market for one powerful enough to strip paint at 40 paces, there are plenty of budget offerings with enough oomph to do a great job of cleaning a car without costing too much.
What’s more, once you’ve got one of these wonderful devices, you’ll suddenly find all kinds of uses for it – such as de-gunking the guttering or hosing down the patio.
But while there’s a whole world of cheap pressure washers out there, not all of them are worth even a small amount of cash – so keep reading as we give you the low down on five of the best budget choices.
Five top budget pressure washers that will do the job
Bosch EasyAquatak 120 – from £109.99
We might as well get the most expensive option out of the way. But before you scroll onto the next entry, know that this particular Bosch EasyAquatak package comes with a load of accessories you won’t get with any of the other pressure washers listed here. As well as the usual multi-pressure lance, you also get a nozzle with a detergent bottle, a brush and a rotary attachment designed for cleaning patios (believe us, that’s a messy job without one). While it also doesn’t come with wheels, the unit is a relatively light 4.7kg, so it’s easy to move around as you use it, and it packs away nicely for easy storage. Highly recommended.
Karcher K2 Compact – from £72.00
Want lightweight AND wheels? Then this could be the pressure washer for you. The Karcher K2 Compact weighs just 3.7kg and is also small enough to be stored easily, while the wheels mean you can drag it around as you clean. Considering Karcher is also one of the most recognisable names in pressure washing, the K2 comes at a very reasonable price. But the only accessories are a dirt blaster attachment and the usual basics, and it can’t quite match the power of that Bosch model, either. Still, Karcher does have a range of further attachments, should you eventually want them – as well as more powerful, more expensive alternatives once you’re sold on the brand.
Pro-Kleen Pressure Washer – from £79.95
If it’s power you want, Pro-Kleen can deliver. This chunky 7kg wheeled machine has a 1,600w motor and can produce up to 135 bar of pressure – using an aluminium pump for durability, this is enough to deliver 33 litres per hour continuously, and can temporarily peak at 408 litres per hour. The name may not be quite as well known, but this British company promises next-day spare part availability so should represent a good option for a long-term commitment. You’ll need a little more space to store it, but the 5m hose should make cleaning the car reasonably tangle-free.
Nilfisk C110 – from £94.79
Nilfisk isn’t as well-known as some of the other names on this list, but in the world of car cleaning – and pressure washers in particular – this brand is considered really top-notch, with an awesome reputation for reliability and power. Build quality might be partly down to you, as there will be a bit of assembly to do here, but this wheeled C110 model has a peak flow rate of 440 litres per hour, so should blast the grime with ease. Also, while it looks a little large and unwieldy, all of the included components – lance, detergent bottle, nozzles (x2) – pack away into the body, making it less tiresome to store than it appears.
Turtle Wax TW110 – from £75.36
Finishing off our selection is a second hand-held (rather than wheeled) model, this time from car cleaning product legends, Turtle Wax. Look closely and you’ll see it shares a few things in common with the Bosch model, even though it’s in a more ergonomic case design, which should immediately tell you performance will be excellent for what is a particularly small package. Inside there’s a 1,400w motor, for instance, and while the 110-bar rating and 330 litres per hour peak falls a little short of some of the bigger models on this list, it’s still a punchy little unit. Included accessories are limited to a jet nozzle, detergent nozzle and the lance, but you can add to this over time or keep it simple and easy to store, depending on your requirements.