The winter has left many cars in need of a thorough makeover, not least to wash away the potentially harmful corrosive road salt which has been splashed up onto the car. This is when a pressure washer with its effortless cleaning power is worth its weight in gold – so a feature-rich new range from hose, car brush and pump specialists, Hozelock at prices which start from under £60 (available from all branches of B & Q) is worth a look.
The new, easy-to-use Compact Pressure Washer 100, High Pressure Washer 130 and Heavy Duty Pressure Washer 150 will take all the hard work out of shifting caked on dirt from large expanses of paintwork and from otherwise hard-to-reach nooks and crannies. Moreover, they will eliminate the risk of paint scratches and swirls on either paintwork or alloy wheels which can result from manual pre-washing when dirt particles can easily be trapped under a sponge or cloth and dragged across the surface.
Surprisingly, given their cleaning power, the new Hozelock pressure washers use up to 60% less water than a hosepipe* thanks to a built-in pump which pressurises the restricted flow into a focused jet which can quickly remove salt, dirt, tar, oil, insects, bird droppings and brake dust.
Neither water or power is wasted as these machines all feature Hozelock's Total Stop System which effectively puts the pressure washer into standby mode whenever the gun trigger is released. The motor responds to dynamic pressure and restarts automatically when the trigger is depressed again.
For extra cleaning efficiency each model includes a detergent dispenser and comes with interchangeable variable spray turbo and rotary lances to provide the most effective spray pattern and intensity for different sizes of work area and for a wide variety of cleaning tasks.
The Hozelock Compact Pressure Washer 100 model (£59.98, B & Q) is a small, lightweight (7kg) machine with a 1200w motor, 100 bar maximum pressure and a flow rate of 6 litres per minute – making it ideal for cleaning small cars, motorbikes and bicycles, as well as garage floors, small patios, decks, paths, garden furniture, barbecues, etc.
With a unique towing and onboard storage system it is exceptionally easy to move and store. All lances and accessories clip neatly into the back of the machine where the supplied cable can also be stored, tangle-free. The 3m high-pressure reinforced hose also stows neatly into a large cubby hole in the side of the casing. Thanks to Hozelock's time-saving quick-connect hose and gun system, preparing the pressure washer for storage, or for use, takes only a few seconds.
This machine with its useful carry handle is light enough to pick up but can also be easily manoeuvred on any surface thanks to its large wheels. And when it's time to put it away, the gun simply clicks into position on top of the compact moulded casing to form an extension handle, making it easy to pull or push the pressure washer to the shed or garage – without any trailing cables or hoses to foul the wheels. Once there, the gun can be detached and stowed neatly in a recessed park point on the side of the casing. And if there's no space in an outbuilding, this unit is small enough to keep under the stairs.
For larger cleaning jobs, the Hozelock High Pressure Washer 130 model (£129.98, B & Q) has a powerful 1700w motor giving 130 bar maximum pressure. This 9kg medium duty machine with an increased flow rate of 6.2 litres per minute works faster to get any job done more quickly and has the extra jet power to clean a large car, trailer, caravan, small boat or average sized patio or deck, lifting stubborn dirt with ease. The 130 has the same convenience features as the smaller model but benefits from a fixed raised handle for instant manoeuvrability. For optimum comfort the towing handle height can be extended by clicking the gun into position vertically.
Major clean-up jobs, such as motor homes, commercial vehicles, big boats and large areas of hard landscaping will benefit from the extra power of Hozelock's top-of-the-range Heavy Duty Pressure Washer 150 model (£179.98, B & Q) which is driven by an industrial strength long life 2100w brushless induction motor. With a maximum pressure of 150 bar and a flow rate of 7 litres per minute, this is a stylish workhorse which will easily remove the heaviest soiling from any surface at impressive speed. Alternatively, use it to do smaller jobs more quickly.
It comes with an extended 8 metres of top quality steel armoured high-pressure hose, which would normally run the risk of becoming tangled but Hozelock have adapted the Thru-Flow concept of their popular garden hose systems to provide an ingenious built-in pressure hose storage reel with rewind handle at the rear of this machine. Only the required length of hose need be unwound at any time, thus saving the time and effort of unwinding the full 8 metres for every use; and if required, more hose will feed out simply by pulling on it. A screw connection ensures that the hose stays securely attached to the gun, even under maximum pressure. For those who don’t want to spend time and effort moving a pressure washer around when cleaning the car, the 8 metre hose of the Heavy Duty Pressure Washer 150 means that all sides of the car can be cleaned without moving the machine.
Unique to this model is a professional grade metal variable spray lance which is interchangeable with the supplied turbo power rotary spray lance for the widest possible range of cleaning applications. Designed for prolonged use on large areas, this model also offers the extra convenience of two integral detergent chambers which can be filled with different detergent solutions if required. The translucent tanks make it easy to monitor the detergent levels and a simple dial switches instantly from one tank to the other, reducing down time and hence shortening the job. With either tank, the rate of detergent usage can be varied to suit the task at hand.
When storing the pressure washer away, the two lances slot neatly into onboard storage channels while the gun appropriately slides into a rigid side holster. If extended, the 8m high pressure hose can be coiled easily onto its reel using the convenient rewind handle while the 5m power cable has its own cubby hole below the reel. A strong moulded extension handle with comfortable soft-touch grip and tough ribbed wheels make it easy to manoeuvre.
Complete with a Hozelock Hose Connector in the box, these new pressure washers come ready to use and they require very little maintenance. The occasional blocked jet nozzle can be instantly cleared using the supplied cleaning pin while a unique transparent input filter lets you see at a glance whether there is any build-up of scale or impurities from the water supply which needs to be removed.
For faster, splash-free cleaning of garage floors and other large flat areas, Hozelock have also introduced a Heavy Duty Patio Cleaner accessory (£49.98, B & Q) with integral detergent chamber and a water-restraining hood.
For further information about the new Hozelock pressure washer range, contact the company's Helpline on 0121 313 1122 or visit www.hozelock.com to see the range of spares and accessories available.
