Are Power Washers and Pressure Washers Different?

Cleaning the exterior surfaces of your home can be a challenge. Over time, mildew builds up from leaves, moisture and debris, and the elements can do a number on patios and decks. When you decide to clean these surfaces, simply hosing them down and scrubbing doesn’t do the trick—you need something more powerful that can cover more surface area or get into hard-to-reach places.

That’s where a pressure washer or power washer comes in. Maybe you’ve never used either and assumed they’re one in the same, but they’re actually distinctive from one another and fulfill different cleaning needs.

A pressure washer uses high-pressure jets of room temperature water to clean surfaces. A power washer or power cleaner, on the other hand, uses high-pressure jets of steaming hot water. The hot water helps tackle more tough-to-clean substrates and bacteria that cold or lukewarm water can’t clear on its own.

Priming your outdoor living spaces for entertaining guests or relaxing in often means doing the tougher cleaning jobs. A power washer or pressure washer is a great springtime tool to get your yard ready for patio season, or a valuable part of your fall chores to prep your space for overwintering and make winter maintenance easier.

So how do you decide which tool meets your needs better?

Power washers are ideal for cleaning a large or commercial surface area. For example, if you’re cleaning a large driveway, the heated water combined with the high-pressure water stream helps clean off substrates and surfaces carrying organic and bacterial growth or buildup like mildew or mold. Plus, the hot water makes the job go faster as it lifts dirt more easily.

For some surfaces, however, a power washer is too forceful. Masonry, softer surfaces and some siding materials might be too sensitive and susceptible to damage from the heat of a power washer’s stream. If you’re using a power washer or power cleaner, it’s best to only use it on concrete and harder building surfaces, so as to avoid chipping away at more delicate surfaces or causing other kinds of damage.

Considering the force behind a power washer and their limitations on which surfaces can handle them, it’s a good idea to have a clear idea of what the best uses for a power washer are.

• Large driveway or paved area. While you can use a pressure washer or a power washer for cleaning a driveway, a power washer will work faster and more efficiently if you have a lot of surface to cover. For a job like this, the best power washer for home use might be one that operates on batteries. Remember to pick up an extra battery and charger so you can continue working just in case you run the first battery down.
• Commercial property. Similar to a driveway, commercial properties often need a lot of surface area cleaned in the most cost-effective and efficient way possible. For this, a business might benefit from renting a commercial power washer. This type of power washing machine can provide both the power and the capacity to handle a more heavy-duty job over a larger area. 
• Hard-surfaced buildings. A building or structure made of concrete or other hard surfaces can also reap the benefits of power washing. This can be beneficial for when the building is more caked with built-up dirt and debris, and extend its life, provided the materials can withstand the heated, high-pressure water stream.
• Combatting mold and mildew. When a surface remains damp and has poor air circulation over a long period, mildew and mold will often begin to develop. Lots of people associate mold prevention with indoor spaces, but it can happen outdoors as well. As mentioned before, mold and mildew are both more easily cleaned with the hot water provided by a power washer. Additionally, the heat helps eliminate them and prevent them from regrowing.

Virtually any cleaning task that a power washer can handle can be accomplished by a pressure washer, so don’t fret if this is the machine you happen to have. It just might take more time, effort and elbow grease. Use a leaf blower to clear all the loose debris before starting to pressure wash to reduce the amount of cleaning you’ll need to use the sprayer for.

• Cleaning tiles. A pressure washer will be safe enough to use on artisan landscaping and masonry such as tiling. These should be kept clean for both aesthetic and practical purposes, as their quality will degrade over time without proper cleaning. A machine like an electric pressure washer is a great option for safely cleaning this type of surface.
• Washing a wooden deck. Wood can be damaged with too much cleaning force, but a pressure washer is also safe for wood surfaces. Decks, stairs, railings, fencing and even wooden patio furniture can be washed down with a pressure washer and primed for new stains, coats of paint or just to look and feel cleaner.

You can also find more creative uses for a pressure washer like stripping paint (as long as it’s not lead-based), cleaning your garage and garage door, washing your car, cleaning your gutters and debarking firewood. The possibilities are numerous.

When you’re deciding whether to use a power washer or pressure washer, take into consideration which surfaces and uses you’d like to get out of it. If you’re a homeowner with an average-sized property, you may find that a pressure washer is more versatile for you than a power washer, which may not get as much use. Conversely, if you own a storefront, business or have more paved or dirty surfaces than usual, you might need to invest in a power washer to knock out the job.

Just don’t forget to doodle or spell your name in the grime with the water jet stream before you wash it all away!