DIY GUIDE · CLEANING

How to pressure wash outdoor surfaces yourself
A day for a driveway and a deck. £20–£50 in detergent, an RCD and eye protection if you own a washer.

Set up on an RCD, match pressure and distance to the surface, and know what never to jet.

DIFFICULTY
Moderate
no licence needed
TIME
A day
for a single driveway and a small deck, with drying time before any re-sanding or treatment
MATERIALS
£20–£50
detergent, a plug-in RCD and goggles, using a washer you own; buying an entry-level washer adds to it
A PRO CHARGES
£100–£900
typically £300
  • Every step, start to finish
  • Checked October 2026 — sources at the end
  • Honest about when to call a pro

FIRST, THE HONEST ANSWER

Do it yourself, or get a cleaner?

Do it yourself if…

  • You own or can borrow an electric washer with adjustable pressure or a choice of lances
  • Every surface is at ground level and you can work standing on firm, level paving
  • Your outdoor socket is protected at the consumer unit by an RCD, or you have a plug-in RCD to use with it
  • Run-off can drain to a lawn, gully or soakaway rather than a pond or stream

Get a pro if…

  • Anything at height — walls above head height, gutters, roofs, conservatory roofs or upstairs windows
  • Render, painted masonry, old soft brick or lime pointing, which a jet erodes
  • Oil-soaked or rust-stained drives, or resin-bound surfaces whose maker restricts pressure washing
  • Decking or paving you want cleaned and then sealed, stained or re-sanded in one go

Safety first

  • Plug a mains washer into an RCD rated at 30 mA or less, as HSE advises for wet and outdoor work. HSE's case files include a worker who took a 240 V shock from a pressure washer.
  • Keep the plug and any extension connection off the ground and out of the spray, and use an outdoor-rated extension unrolled fully, or none at all.
  • Wear goggles and closed, grippy shoes. Grit comes back off the surface at speed, and wet algae is slippery.
  • Never point the jet at people, pets, plants, your own feet, electrical fittings, light fittings or vents.
  • Do not use a pressure washer from a ladder. The recoil pushes you backwards and you need both hands.
  • Engage the trigger lock whenever you put the lance down, and switch off before changing nozzles.

MATERIALCOVERAGEFOR THIS JOB
Pressure washer detergentApplied at low pressure and left as the label saysOne bottle covers a typical drive
Degreaser for oil spotsApplied before washingOnly where needed
Kiln-dried jointing sandBrushed into dry joints after washing block pavingOne or two bags for a drive

How long the job takes

36 m² of wall → 3.6 L for 2 coats. Buy about 4 L.

Time ≈ area in m² ÷ your cleaning rate. With a rotary surface cleaner most people manage about 20 m² an hour on a driveway; with a lance, about half that. A 6 × 5 m drive is 30 m² ÷ 20 = 1.5 hours with a surface cleaner, or about three hours with the lance alone, plus preparation and re-sanding.

Decking is slower than paving because you work board by board along the grain.

Pressure by surface

A paving maker gives three bands: under 100 bar for soft decking, garden furniture and fencing; 100 to 130 bar for vehicles, exterior paintwork, plastic furniture, small patios and decking; 130 to 150 bar for paths, driveways, brick, stonework and metal. A washer maker says its machines deliver up to 180 bar at the surface. Use the lowest setting that cleans.

Nozzles and lances

A wide fan spreads the force and is the safe choice for wood, painted surfaces and cars. A narrow or pencil jet concentrates it and is for hard concrete, metal and stubborn spots only. A rotating dirt-blasting nozzle cuts moss off hard paving. On wood, the paving maker recommends one of the wider fan settings to avoid splitting or splintering the timber.

Rotary surface cleaner

A round hood with spinning jets that you push across flat ground. It keeps the jet at a fixed distance, stops stripes and holds spray down. For drives and large paved areas it is the single most useful attachment.

Detergents

Use detergents made for pressure washers, applied through the machine's detergent bottle or a low-pressure nozzle, left for a few minutes as the label says, then rinsed. Do not put bleach or household cleaners through the machine; they damage the pump and seals.

Electric or petrol

Domestic electric washers cover drives, decks and cars. Petrol machines are louder and more powerful, and are easier to damage surfaces with. For most homes an electric machine around 130 to 150 bar is enough.

Water supply

Most domestic washers run from a garden tap through a hose. Unroll the hose fully, check the inlet filter is clean, and let water run through the machine before switching on so the pump is not run dry.

Pressure washing can strip a sealer or stain from paving and decking; plan to reseal or re-treat afterwards if it had one.
Some resin-bound, imprinted and coated surfaces have their own maker's limits on pressure washing — check before you start.

THE PART THAT DECIDES THE FINISH

Preparing the surface — by what you are washing

Find each surface below and set up for it. Change the nozzle and pressure between surfaces, not halfway across one.

Concrete driveway

Hard, uniform, takes high pressure.

  1. Sweep and remove vehicles, mats and loose stones
  2. Treat oil spots with a degreaser before washing; the jet only spreads oil
  3. Fit a rotary surface cleaner, or a dirt-blasting nozzle for moss in the cracks
  4. Plan to work downhill, so dirty water runs onto uncleaned concrete
Block paving

Small blocks in a sand bed with sand joints.

  1. Pull weeds out by the root first
  2. Use a rotary surface cleaner or keep the lance at a shallow angle across the blocks
  3. Have kiln-dried sand ready — the paving maker says joints must be refilled before heavy traffic
  4. Check for sunken blocks and leave them for a repair
Tarmac and asphalt

Softer than it looks, especially in warm weather.

  1. Use low to medium pressure and a wide fan only
  2. Wash on a cool day; warm tarmac loosens under a jet
  3. Keep the nozzle well back and moving
  4. Expect a slight change in colour as the surface fines are rinsed out
Timber decking and fences

Soft wood splinters under a narrow jet.

  1. Set the lowest pressure and a wide fan, as the paving maker advises for wood
  2. Hold the nozzle back — the same guide gives about 8 to 12 inches, roughly 20 to 30 cm, for decking
  3. Work along the grain, a board at a time
  4. Plan on letting it dry for a few days before staining or oiling
Garden furniture, bins and cars

Plastic, metal, painted and glass surfaces.

  1. Use the medium band and a wide fan for cars and painted metal
  2. Keep the jet off badges, trim, seals, door gaps and tyre walls
  3. For plastic furniture, low pressure — UV-aged plastic can crack
  4. Rinse wheelie bins with the lid propped, aiming down, and stand back
Brick walls, garden walls and steps

Only sound brick and hard mortar.

  1. Check the mortar first: if it is soft, sandy or crumbles under a fingernail, do not pressure wash
  2. Never wash render, painted masonry or old soft brick
  3. Keep the jet off windows, door frames, vents and electrical fittings
  4. Wash only what you can reach from the ground, aiming downwards

THE JOB

How to pressure wash, in order

  1. Check the surfaces and plan the order

    20 min

    Walk round everything you plan to wash and match it to the section above. Check mortar on walls, look for loose blocks and lifted boards, find every outside socket, light, vent and air brick. Plan to work from the highest surface down and from the house outwards, so dirty water never runs onto what you have finished.

    • Close windows and doors near the work
    • Move cars, bikes and anything you do not want splashed
    • Cover plants near the drive edge if you are using detergent

    Mistake to avoid: Starting in the middle of the drive. You splash grime back onto the parts you have already cleaned.

  2. Sweep, weed and pre-treat

    45 min

    Sweep the area clear of leaves, grit and loose stones. Pull weeds from joints by the root. Apply degreaser to oil marks and leave it as long as its label says. On algae-covered areas, apply pressure washer detergent at low pressure and leave it for the time on the bottle.

    • Loose stones become projectiles under a jet
    • Do not let detergent dry on in the sun
    • Rinse plants you splash with plain water

    Mistake to avoid: Washing over loose grit. It shotblasts the surface and fires out at your legs.

  3. Set up the supply and the RCD

    15 min

    Connect the hose to the tap and the washer, check the inlet filter, turn the tap fully on and let water run out of the lance with the machine off until it flows steadily. Plug the machine into an RCD — a built-in one at the board or a plug-in adaptor — and press its test button to make sure it trips. Keep the plug and connection off the ground.

    • Unroll extension leads fully, or avoid them
    • Water through the pump before switching on
    • Test the RCD every time

    Mistake to avoid: Running the pump dry. A few seconds without water can damage the seals.

  4. Test the pressure on a hidden area

    10 min

    Start on the lowest setting with a wide fan, held well back, on a corner nobody looks at. Bring the nozzle closer and the pressure up gradually until the dirt lifts without the surface changing. That is your setting for this surface.

    • Lowest that cleans is the right setting
    • Watch the surface, not the dirt
    • Repeat the test each time you change surface

    Mistake to avoid: Starting at full pressure in the middle of a deck. The first stripe is permanent.

  5. Wash driveways and paving

    1 hr 30

    With a rotary surface cleaner, push it slowly in straight, overlapping lines, working downhill. With a lance, keep the jet at a shallow angle and sweep it side to side in even strokes, never stopping on one spot. The washer maker holds its rotating nozzle about 15 cm from paving and moves it slowly. On block paving, keep the jet across the blocks, not down into the joints.

    • Overlap every pass by about a third
    • Keep the jet moving all the time
    • Rinse the dirty water off the edge as you go

    Mistake to avoid: Aiming into block paving joints. The sand washes out, weeds return and blocks start to rock.

  6. Wash decking along the grain

    1 hr

    Switch to low pressure and a wide fan. Hold the nozzle back — the paving maker gives about 8 to 12 inches — and move along each board in the direction of the grain, overlapping slightly. Finish each board end to end before starting the next so there are no lap marks.

    • Same distance all the way along the board
    • Never across the grain
    • Lift the fan away gradually at board ends

    Mistake to avoid: Using a narrow jet on soft timber. It furs the surface, raises splinters and leaves wavy tracks.

  7. Wash furniture, bins and cars

    45 min

    Use a medium setting and a wide fan. Wash from the top down, keeping the jet off seals, trims, badges and electrical parts. Apply car shampoo with a sponge or the detergent bottle, then rinse. On plastic furniture, use low pressure and stand back.

    • Keep a wide angle on paintwork
    • Rinse cars in the shade so water does not dry on
    • Stand bins on a drained surface and aim down

    Mistake to avoid: Jetting a car's door gaps and window seals at close range. Water forces past the seals into the car.

  8. Wash sound brick from the ground only

    30 min

    Only on sound, hard brick and mortar that you can reach standing on the ground. Use medium pressure, a wide fan, and aim downwards at an angle so water runs off rather than into the wall. Stay well clear of windows, frames, vents, air bricks and electrical fittings.

    • Downward angle, always
    • Short sections, then rinse from the top
    • Stop if mortar starts coming out

    Mistake to avoid: Pressure washing render or soft old brick. It erodes the face, blows out pointing and lets damp into the wall.

  9. Re-sand and let it dry

    1 hr

    Let block paving dry completely, then brush kiln-dried sand diagonally across it until the joints are full and sweep off the excess. The paving maker says block paving sand must be replaced before substantial traffic, because it binds the blocks together. Leave decking to dry for several days before oiling or staining.

    • Dry joints take sand; damp ones clog
    • Top up after the first heavy rain
    • Check for any block that moved

    Mistake to avoid: Driving onto freshly washed block paving before re-sanding. The blocks shift and the pattern opens up.

  10. Shut down and store the washer

    15 min

    Release the pressure by squeezing the trigger with the machine off and the tap closed. Disconnect the hose, drain the machine and the lance, and coil the high-pressure hose without kinks. Store it frost-free: water left in the pump freezes and cracks it.

    • Clean the inlet filter
    • Hang hoses loosely
    • Indoors over winter

    Mistake to avoid: Leaving the washer outside full of water in winter. The pump cracks on the first hard frost.

The mistakes that damage surfaces and hurt people

  • One high setting and a narrow jet on every surface
  • Blowing the sand out of block paving and not putting it back
  • Pressure washing render, soft brick, old pointing, window frames or anything electrical
  • No RCD, a cable lying in water, or working from a ladder

Stop here and get a pressure washing service

  • The job is at height — walls, gutters, roofs, conservatory roofs or upstairs windows
  • The wall is rendered, painted, soft brick or lime pointed
  • The drive is resin-bound, imprinted or coated and the maker's care advice limits washing
  • There are deep oil, rust or tyre stains, or you want sealing done at the same time
How to hire a pressure washing contractor →

Stripes or tide lines across the driveUneven distance or no overlap. Re-wash the whole area with a rotary surface cleaner in overlapping passes.
Decking is furry, fuzzy or splinteredToo much pressure or a narrow jet. Let it dry, sand lightly along the grain and treat; use a wide fan at low pressure next time.
Block paving joints are empty and blocks rockThe jet removed the sand. Dry, weed and brush in kiln-dried sand; any loose or sunken blocks need relaying.
Tarmac looks patchy or loose stones appearedPressure too high or a hot day. Sweep up loose material, stop washing, and leave it to settle; a surface dressing may be needed.
Water got inside a window or door frameThe jet was aimed at the frame or seals. Dry inside, check the frame drainage slots, and keep the jet well away next time.
The RCD keeps trippingWater in a connection, a damaged cable or a fault in the machine. Stop, dry everything and inspect the cable; if it still trips, have the machine checked.
The washer pulses or loses pressureAir in the pump, a blocked inlet filter or not enough water from the tap. Clean the filter, open the tap fully and purge water through before starting.
Green comes back quicklyWashing removes algae but not its spores. Treat with a suitable algae cleaner after washing, and keep the area swept.

WHAT YOU SAVE

What it costs to do it yourself

Pressure washer detergent or patio cleaner£11–£24.95
Plug-in RCD adaptor£9.94–£21.82
Goggles£2.30–£7.99
Total, using a washer you own£20–£50
Entry-level electric pressure washer (if buying)£59–£199
DIY total£20–£50
A pressure washing contractor charges per job
LOW
£100
TYPICAL
£300
HIGH
£900
Pressure Washing price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

If you buy a washer, it pays for itself against one or two professional visits, but the time and the risk of damage are yours.

RATHER NOT?

Pressure washing contractors near you, with prices shown

The ones who cover your area, nearest first, with one score from every review. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

Let surfaces dry before the next step

Paving dries in a day; decking needs several before oiling or staining.

Dispose of the debris

Moss, weeds and leaves go in your council's garden waste collection or to the household waste recycling centre. Oily residue from a drive should be swept up with absorbent and bagged, not hosed into a drain.

Store detergents safely

Keep them in their own containers, closed, away from children. Take unwanted products to the household waste recycling centre rather than pouring them away.

Look after the machine

Drain it, clean the filter and store it frost-free. Check the hose and cable for cuts before each use.

Pressure washing a driveway, decking and outdoor surfaces: questions people ask

A paving maker suggests 130 to 150 bar for paths and driveways, with low pressure for natural stone and sandstone. Use a rotary surface cleaner if you can and the lowest setting that cleans.

Yes, at low pressure with a wide fan, held back from the boards and moved along the grain. A narrow jet or high pressure splinters timber.

Yes. The paving maker says the sand must be replaced before substantial traffic, because it binds the blocks together.

Not render, painted masonry or soft old brick — a jet erodes them. Sound hard brick with good mortar can be washed carefully from the ground, aiming downwards.

The Locufy UK price guide puts professional pressure washing at £100–£900 per job, typically £300. Large drives, re-sanding and sealing push it to the top.

HSE advises using an RCD whenever possible, particularly outdoors in wet conditions, and one rated at no more than 30 mA. A plug-in adaptor does the job if your outdoor socket is not protected.

MORE GUIDES

More DIY guides

Cleaning a patioClearing single-storey guttersCleaning your windowsCleaning solar panels from the groundCleaning a whole house in a dayKeeping a home clean week to weekRescuing a neglected home in one big cleanDeep-cleaning a kitchen and bathroom
All 90 DIY guides →How to hire a pressure washing contractor →Pressure Washing price guide →Pressure washing contractors on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Marshalls — how to pressure wash your patio, decking and driveway: pressure bands, distances
  2. Kärcher — how to clean pavers: 15 cm, joints
  3. Kärcher — cleaning patio slabs: up to 180 bar, pressure by stone
  4. HSE — electrical safety FAQs: RCDs outdoors, 30 mA
  5. HSE — work using electrically powered equipment: RCDs between the supply and the equipment
  6. HSE — case study: worker shocked using a pressure water washing machine
  7. GOV.UK — dispose of garden waste
  8. B&Q — price check: pressure washers, October 2026
  9. B&Q — price check: patio and paving cleaners, October 2026
  10. B&Q — price check: RCD adaptors, October 2026
  11. B&Q — price check: safety goggles, October 2026