Best Pressure Washer for Cars
Published By - 21st January 2021
When searching for the right pressure washer to clean your car, there is quite a choice. Many are suitable however you want to make sure you have one that has enough power, but there is no need to overpay for something so powerful you just don’t need it. When it comes to car washing a lance in bar pressure and water flow is important to make sure the job is easy to do without damaging your paintwork.
Best Car Wash Pressure Washer
Our choice, after hours of testing and car cleaning, is the Karcher K4 Premium Power Control Car and Home.
This table shows our top 3 pressure washers perfect for jet washing your car, detailing and valeting.
| Model | FEATURES | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Our Choice
 |
Kärcher K4 Premium Power Control Car & Home Pressure Washer |
|
VIEW ON AMAZONREAD OUR REVIEW |
|
Budget Pick
 |
Kärcher K2 Compact Car & Home Pressure Washer |
|
VIEW ON AMAZON READ OUR REVIEW |
|
Runner-Up
 |
Nilfisk C120 6-6 PCAD X-Tra Big Accessory Pressure Washer |
|
VIEW ON AMAZONREAD OUR REVIEW |
With such a good choice to pick from, there are a few things worth considering when narrowing down which is right for you.
Karcher K2 Compact
The Karcher K2 Compact Pressure Washer has an air-cooled, universal motor, with a water inlet filter that prevents damage to the pump, and has a 4-meter pressure hose and 5-meter power cable. This electric pressure washer is perfect for washing cars. As it is compact it also contains a handle for easy lifting as you wash.
This inexpensive pressure washer does not offer great comfort, but with the car kit, it can easily clean a car.
At 4 metres, the pressure hose is a little short for cleaning a car. You have to move the device each time to clean it all around. However, since it is very light at 4.2 kg, this is not a problem.
Karcher Pressure Washer K4 Premium Power Control Car and Home
The Premium Power Control is the Kärcher K4 top model. The Car and Home Kit version offers the best comfort of all the devices we tested.
- The 8-metre pressure hose is long enough to work comfortably.
- Thanks to the practical Plug n Clean system, shampoo can be applied very easily.
- The water pressure is high enough to remove even stubborn dirt from the rims.
- Thanks to the hose reel, you can roll the pressure hose up and down without any hassle.
Nilfisk C120 6-6 PCA X-Tra
The Nilfisk C120 6-6 PCA X-Tra is a lightweight alternative to Karcher brands that deliver consumer-grade pressure washing for washing one’s home or automobile. With a handle for easy carrying, this easily-transportable pressure washer is perfect for several cleaning functions around the house.
With a maximum pump pressure of 110/11 (bar/MPa) and a Voltage of 230, this little powerhouse has a 5-meter cable length for easy plug-in, a 6-meter hose length, and weighs only 6.6kg, making this model by Nilfisk, a highly portable and efficient pressure washer.
Nilfisk pressure washers are also an excellent and compact option for washing cars. They come in residential models that are excellent for washing surfaces with paint and other small projects.
Our Choice explained
Our recommendation is the Karcher K4 Premium Power Control. It has more power than the entry K2 Compact or the C120 from Nilfisk making it ideal for extra tasks outside, such as washing down your patio and driveway.
If you are just looking for an inexpensive pressure washer to clean your car occasionally and don’t mind less comfort, then Karcher K2 Compact is perfect.
An alternative to the K4 is the Nilfisk C120 which is around £100.
If you want to spend a bit more and have a bit more flexibility and comfort then you should look at the Karcher K4 models; here you get higher water flow and pressure, a longer hose and usually a few more attachments included depending on the model. There are great for more than just cleaning your car; if you want to clean your drive or patio, then these are worth taking a look at.
Finding the right pressure washer for your car that can also be used for projects in the future is an important decision, as you want to make a sound investment but also need a pressure washer that isn’t too strong so as to destroy your car’s paint job and cost you money. The Karcher K2 and K4 are perfect examples of pressure washers made for uses such as cleaning cars and homes, and Nilfisk’s C120 model is an excellent alternative that can do the same job and offer different uses for the future.
All of these models are electricity-based. Due to the small projects that these models are intended for, this is recommended as opposed to gas-powered models that are typically used for tough jobs and can be dangerous to use for residential purposes. Consider which pressure washer is right for you and you’ll be glad you did.
Considerations
Things to consider when looking for a pressure washer for use in your car
Pressure – 110 – 130 bar is ideal. Higher than this is not safe to use as it may damage your paintwork. However, you can buy a pressure washer with a higher bar and twist the nozzle to reduce thus making it safe to use on your car. However, if you just intend to use it for car cleaning, then there is no need to get anything that is 160 bar for example.
You can pick up a pressure washer with 110 up to 180 bar; even at 110 bar, this is more than enough to clean your car. If you wanted to clean your patio then the higher, the better. When it comes to your car, the higher pressure can damage your paintwork, so ensure you can adjust the pressure and spray on the gun itself.
Waterflow – This is the measurement of water through the pump an hour in litres, generally the higher the water flow the better, which speeds up the process. The higher the flow, the shorter the length of time it takes to clean. Most pressure washers are ideal and fine in water flow and ideal for car detailing.
Hose length – The longer the hose, the easier it is. No need to keep moving the pressure washer around, so bear this in mind. Most entry models will have a hose length of 4m. This is usually good enough for most people’s cars. However, if you are cleaning a large 4×4 or a van, for example, you may want something longer which will save you having to keep moving around the pump itself and working about pulling it over.
Extras – If you are buying it for car cleaning, then look out for packages that come with attachments designed for use on your car, wheel brushes, car detergent and brushes are common extras. Different models come with different accessories, so make sure you pick one that has useful attachments for cleaning, a wheel brush, soft brush fitment, and a detergent bottle that can be added between the hose and spray gun which is ideal for foaming your car.
Car Foaming – Foaming your car is a great way to start the car cleaning process. To do this, you will need a foaming adaptor. Check out our guide on foaming your car here.
With these points in mind, we have rounded up our top 3 pressure washers ideal for using on your car.
Buying an Electric Power Washer for your car
If you are outside often cleaning your car then a pressure washer is a great investment, it will help keep your car sparkling and speed up the process.
When it comes to which pressure washer to buy, then most on the market will certainly be good enough to do the job, a lot of entry models that are at the low end of the price scale are certainly suitable, but there are some things to bear in mind.
Other Uses
It is important to think about how else you may use your pressure washer. If this is your first one, then you may find yourself using it for things that you didn’t think you would, cleaning your BBQ, patio furniture, cleaning the drive or patio, garage door and guttering.
The reason to consider other uses is the ensure you get something that will do those jobs. You could buy an entry-level pressure washer that is perfect for cleaning your car. However, if you want to clean your drive or patio, you may find that the pressure and water flow just aren’t high enough to do the job.
Snowfoam Lances
If you need a snow foam lance then these 3 are worth taking a look at.
FAQ
Below are some common questions we read about using a pressure washer on your car, and our answers.
Will a Pressure washer damage my car paintwork?
A common concern with pressure washers being used on a car is damage to paintwork, however, this would only happen with a very powerful pressure washer held very close to the paintwork. The pressure of the water removes the dirt particles, which are then washed away by the water. However, excessive pressure is not needed to do this, and entry-level pressure washers work well. A hosepipe will run water over the dirt but not remove anything that is stuck on it as the pressure is what removes it.
So in answer to this question, you will only damage your car if you use an extremely powerful pressure washer. If you buy a Karcher Full Control power washer, this comes with a settings option on the trigger gun that has a setting for car cleaning ensuring the pressure is not set any higher so that no damage is done to your car. More powerful settings are ideal for patio cleaning and brickwork.
What car soap should I use?
We have a full post on soaps we recommend here.
What is snow foaming?
Using a special snow foam lance you can coat your car in a cleaning foam that covers your car in a snow mist. Leaving it for 10 minutes allows it to help lift dirt from the paintwork ready to be washed off. Check out our snow foaming guide here for me details, what you need and how to do it.
Can I use it on the Engine?
You can use your pressure washer for many things, but should you use it for your engine bay too? The answer is yes, but we don’t advise it. Read our full guide and answer in our post Can you Pressure Wash your Engine Bay?.
What attachments should I use on my car?
There is a range of attachments and accessories for your pressure washer for different tasks including cleaning your car, from wheel brushes, paintwork rotary brushes and foam guns. Check out the range of Karcher attachments here.
Useful articles
*Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links, and at no additional cost, this site may earn a commission if you buy. Last updated on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
sendeel kumar d
hello, i do own a nilfisk car wash, it was purchased long ago, i need some parts of it, where do i get it