Power washing vs pressure washing

What It Means

Power washing and pressure washingPressure washingCleaning outdoor surfaces such as siding, decks and driveways with a machine that sprays water at high pressure to lift dirt, mildew and grime. See more both mean cleaning with water forced through a nozzle at high pressure. In the stricter usage found in pressure washer makers' buying guides, a power washer heats the water before spraying it, and a pressure washer uses cold or lukewarm water. The same guides note that most people now use the two words for the same machine, so check a product's specs for a heater rather than trusting its name.

How It Sounds at Home

• "Is that a power washer or just a pressure washer?"
• "The shop floor needs the hot-water unit, cold won't cut the oil."
• "We're renting a power washer for the driveway this weekend."

The Breakdown

Side by side

Pick a pressure washer if you're cleaning siding, a deck, a fence, patio furniture or a driveway at home. The makers' guides we checked say most homeowners, and even most pros, reach for a cold-water machine and add a detergent for tough stains.

Pick a power washer (hot water) if the job is heavy grease and oil, such as an oil-stained garage or shop floor. Simpson Cleaning and Kärcher both sell hot-water machines as a separate, higher-end line.

Good to Know

Heat doesn't change the basic hazards. Consumer Reports lists cuts, bruises, punctures and eye injuries from pressure washers, and says even a small skin break from the spray needs a doctor soon. A Simpson Cleaning manual warns that a gas engine's exhaust carries carbon monoxide: run it outdoors at least 20 feet from windows, doors and vents, never in a garage. If anyone feels dizzy or sick, get everyone outside and call 911 from there. Wear goggles, long pants and sturdy shoes, and never point the wand at a person or animal.

Related Terms and Categories

• Pressure washing

  Cleaning outdoor surfaces such as siding, decks and driveways with a machine that sprays water at high pressure to lift dirt, mildew and grime.

• Deck staining

  Brushing a penetrating stain or water repellent onto a wood deck to protect it from water and sun, and recoating it as the finish wears.

• Seasonal home maintenance

  Home upkeep sorted by time of year, so each job lands when the weather suits it and before the system it protects is needed most.

• Carbon monoxide detector

  An alarm that sounds when carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas, builds up to a dangerous level in the air of a home.

Home maintenance and repairs