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CLEANING a grubby patio with a brush and some elbow grease is hard graft.
That’s where pressure washers come in.
These efficient machines certainly make lighter work or a deep clean.
They can also be used to clean cars, garden furniture and spruce up kids toys such as trampolines.
There’s a huge range on the market so knowing which one to choose is not always easy.
High pressure is essential if they are to lift any sort of deeply-ingrained dirt, but lower-pressure washers are more economical if you’re just cleaning mucky boots.
Pressure washers generally draw between 1,400 and 2,800 Watts, which at today’s prices will cost between 34p and 68p an hour to run.
Lynsey Hope tried some best-sellers, including Aldi’s new machine. Here, she reveals her verdict:
Lynsey says: "I got great cleaning results with this Bosch pressure washer, it was my favourite.
"It's very powerful though not particularly speedy and took around a minute longer to clean a square metre of patio compared to some other models.
"The hose was a generous 7m long. It did the best job of getting rid of the toughest grime and cleaned up the patio well, even after I'd used the Karcher on it.
"This was the one that managed to get rid of the toughest spots of grime.
"It is a bit noisy, but it’s light to carry so easy to manoeuvre and it doesn’t take up much storage space.
"No fancy accessories but you don't need them.
"It was also one of the easiest to put together, no messing around with screws and faffing with different parts."
Performance: 5/5
Value: 5/5
Total score: 10/10
Lynsey says: "Not the brand's cheapest model, nor the most expensive.
"What I liked was how light and easy to manoeuvre it was.
"It's small and reasonably affordable and the power control high-pressure gun is brilliant for cleaning everything from muddy bikes to surface dirt on patios and decking.
"It's easy to adjust the pressure level and the spray, just by twisting the nozzle.
"You can also switch to the ferocious dirt buster lance if you've got some tougher dirt and debris to get rid of.
"It did a good job of removing caked-on mud from the family car and there is a built-in detergent tank to make easy work of adding patio cleaner.
"All the accessories can be kept on the unit, so it's easy to swap them around.
"I liked it - the only downside is the price. You are paying for a brand name here."
Performance: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Total score: 8/10
Lynsey says: "A small and light pressure washer best suited to light or medium tasks.
"It isn't going to clean a filthy patio but it will do small areas and was brilliant for garden furniture, bikes and even the car.
"The hose is a lot smaller than on the bigger units but I loved how compact and lightweight it is.
"The pressure adjustable lance allows you to alter the water pressure depending on the task, it was easy to connect the hose with no leaks and it has a removable detergent tank.
"Great price and very effective."
Performance: 3/5
Value: 4/5
Total score: 7/10
Lynsey says: "Middle of the road in terms of performance.
"You could adjust the pressure on this washer from about 90 to 130 bar to suit the task in hand.
"It's certainly not the most powerful, but it's easy to use, light to manoeuvre round and it did a reasonable job of cleaning tough dirt and grime.
"The hose could have done with being a bit longer."
Performance: 3/5
Value: 3/5
Total score: 6/10
Lynsey says: "Quite a pricey model, but the cleaning results were exceptional and in minimal time.
"I certainly felt this needed less elbow grease on my part than some of the models.
"It comes with a detergent nozzle, fixed brush head and a turbo nozzle and the total stop device is designed to save water and prolong the life of the motor and the pump.
"It's lighter than many and it has a carry handle and large wheels, making it easy to manoeuvre around your space.
"The hose could have been longer but it's also light and compact, so easy to store.
"On the pricier side, but did a good job."
Performance: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Total score: 9/10
Lynsey says: "Thought this was a great price at B&M.
"It's light and portable and all the accessories including the lance, nozzles and wand can all be stored within the use for easy storage.
"The aluminum pump was powerful and seemed durable.
"It's not as powerful as others so didn't perform the best on tough grime but was great at cleaning furniture, the kids' trampoline and it gave the patio a decent once over without causing too much spray and mess."
Performance: 3/5
Value: 4/5
Total score: 7/10
Lynsey says: "Quite a big, heavy unit so it is harder than many of others to lug around and it's quite big to store.
"However, it is powerful and was one of the best at getting rid of tough grime.
"The handle is height-adjustable and it has a spray gun as well as a rotating brush, turbo nozzle and cleaning needle.
"You can add detergent to a tank at the back and it comes with a special brush head for car cleaning and some patio cleaner so it's great value.
"The hose is extra long at 10 metres.
"It's noisy, but if that doesn't bother you this is very powerful and a great price at less than £90."
Performance: 4/5
Value: 5/5
Total score: 9/10
Lynsey says: "Bit of a pain to put together and the instructions could have been clearer, but once assembled, this did a decent job.
"It's user friendly and the narrow, well-balanced unit is easy to move around.
"It's tall and heavy, but not too cumbersome to move about during use.
"It required less water to get things clean and surfaces weren't so drenched after use.
"This might be useful if you were cleaning patio furniture in the morning and wanted to be sat on it by the afternoon.
"There is also a slightly more powerful 150 bar model, but this did a good job and is reasonably priced."
Performance: 4/5
Value: 3/5
Total score: 7/10
Gardening experts over at have revealed the garden laws you need to be aware of not breaking.
While some of these laws could land you with a fine of up to £20,000 in extreme cases, a friendly chat with your neighbours can usually resolve any issues.
Tree removal and pruning: If you have a tree in your garden you want to get rid of you better think twice and do your research.
The gardening experts reveal: “If one neighbour wishes to remove or heavily prune a tree that the other neighbour values, disputes can arise over the impact on the view, shade, or privacy. "
While it might cause a row, if it is in your property boundary it is ultimately your choice, unless it has a Tree Protection Order on it.
“But, some trees may be protected by a Tree Protection Order which makes it an offence to uproot, top or destroy them, the experts warn.
The maximum fine for breaking this law is £20,000, so make sure you double check if it does have a TPO.
You can find out by contacting your local council for a map that shows this information. Alternatively, you can ask to speak with your local tree officer.
Property boundaries and fences: One of the main causes of neighbours falling out is through arguing over property boundaries and fencing.
To avoid this situation, the gardening pros recommend checking the deeds of your property to determine the correct boundaries
“Most of the time, it’s easy to determine who owns the fence as the fence posts will usually be on the owners side," they add.
“Additionally, the height of fences or hedges can cause disputes between neighbours if one party feels the height has exceeded the two metre guidance.
"Hedges and fences should be no more than two metres high, and you could be asked by the council to take them down if a neighbour complains about the height.
"Luckily, standard fence sizes are less than two metres tall so you shouldn’t have a problem.”
Garden structures and additions: A pergola is the perfect addition to a garden if you want somewhere to relax in the shade.
But if it obstructs your neighbour's view or violates local building regulations it could cause a dispute, as can sheds and other garden structures.
“If you’re not sure, have a chat with your neighbours to let them know what you’re planning and, if there’s an issue, get in touch with your local council who can give you more guidance," advise the gardening experts.
Overhanging branches and plants: “When branches, vines, or roots from one neighbour's tree or plant extend into the neighbouring property, it can lead to disagreements over potential damage to structures, blocked views, or the burden of maintenance," reveal the pros.
However, it's important to note you can only trim overhanging branches up to the boundary of your property otherwise, it could be seen as trespassing.
You can climb into the tree to carry out the work if needed, but only on your property and make sure to stay on your side of the fence if you don't have permission to enter your neighbours garden.
