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Detail-It-Yourself

  1. Spec Check

    The Pressure Washer Detailing Actually Needs

    PSI is the number on the box. GPM is the number that matters.

    By Jordan Reyes

    Soap suds pooling on a car's dark red hood and front badge during a wash

  2. The context

    PSI Isn't the Spec

    Most buyer confusion here traces to one wrong assumption: that more pressure means a better wash. Detailers actually want flow.

    A pressure washer gun spraying a soapy jet of water directly onto a car's wheel

  3. The context

    Mind Where You Point It

    A pressure washer can strip more than dirt. Keep the nozzle moving and stay off seals, badges, sensors, and any paint that's already damaged.

    A red car being sprayed directly with a high-pressure jet of water

  4. The useful number

    Flow Changes The Work

    More water moves loosened dirt away from the panel. More pressure only concentrates force at the nozzle, which is why a larger PSI number is not a complete detailing spec.

    Foam cannon or wash mitt first?
    A car's body panel completely sheeted in a heavy layer of running water

  5. Match the surface

    The Car Is Not A Driveway

    A patio washer can be useful for hard surfaces and still be too aggressive around trim, seals, sensors, and compromised paint. The target surface changes the acceptable range.

    An aerial view of a wet concrete sidewalk being rinsed with a hose next to grass

  6. Look beyond PSI

    The Nozzle Changes Everything

    Tip size, distance, and angle change the force reaching the paint. Compare the complete setup, not just the pressure printed on the box.

    A person holding a pressure washer wand, aiming its nozzle at a white car in a garage
  7. The Greenworks PW-1800 electric pressure washer on wheels, shown with its spray wand, hose, and included nozzle attachments

    The right spec

    Greenworks PW-1800 1800 PSI Electric Pressure Washer

    Amazon

    Sits in the practical PSI range detailers actually recommend, with the GPM this task depends on.

    Check current price

    View product

  8. Keep going

    One More Wash-Day Pick

    One Chemical Guys pick worth trying

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