10 Things You Should Never Pressure Wash

Spring is here, and that means it’s time to start cleaning! It can be tempting to make quick work of the toughest stains around your home with a pressure washer, but before you gear up, give it some thought. This machine’s unrivaled cleaning power is great for your driveway, sidewalks, and deck. Used anywhere else, it can cause some serious problems, however.

Misused, pressure washers can damage property, destroy electrical and mechanical tools, and cause serious injury. A bit of knowledge goes a long way, so let’s start the cleaning season off right with this guide on 10 things you should never clean with a pressure washer. Ready? Let’s go!

Pressure Washer Safety

If not used correctly, pressure washers can cause serious injuries – potentially fatal, if electricity or carbon monoxide are involved. Review your pressure washer’s manual and make absolutely sure you are operating your equipment safely and responsibly. Here’s a quick checklist:

• Review the manual for specific safety and usage instructions for your pressure washer before you use it.

• Make sure your pressure washer is properly grounded when it’s plugged in, and that any power cords used are kept out of the way and placed where they won’t get wet.

• Avoid using extension cords if possible, but if one is necessary, make sure you use a heavy-duty extension cord rated for use in wet locations.

• Wear protective gear: gloves, heavy-duty boots, safety glasses, long pants, and potentially protective ear coverings.

• Make sure you’re using the right nozzle for the job, and start with the largest degree spray tip possible for safety. You can adjust down from there as needed. Generally, you won’t need that 0 degree nozzle – it’s more dangerous than helpful for home use.

• Don’t operate a gas-powered pressure washer in an enclosed space. Gas-powered equipment produces carbon monoxide, which can be dizzying or even deadly if inhaled in large enough quantities.

• Clear your surroundings of loose items, such as stones or children’s toys. Your pressure washer puts out enough force that it can turn something small into a dangerous projectile.

• Make note of anything you can’t move that could potentially be damaged by a pressure washer, and try to work around those spots.

• Engage the safety lever on the handle when you aren’t actively using your pressure washer.

10 Things You Should Never Clean With A Pressure Washer

Pressure washers are designed to remove tough, stuck on dirt, grime, and paint from surfaces like pavement and wood. Past those very specific situations, though, using a pressure washer is a risk. One that could result in damage to your possessions or injury to you or loved ones.

Play it safe. Keep your stuff in good shape, and check out these 10 things you should never clean with a pressure washer:

1. Living Things

People, animals, plants, and trees can all be seriously injured or damaged by a blast from a pressure washer. Keep your pressure washer out of your garden, and never point it at people or animals.

Any plants you hit will almost certainly be destroyed, and even heartier trees will be left more vulnerable to disease, mold, and parasites for having their bark stripped away.

If you or a loved one are injured by a pressure washer, don’t assume it’s not bad just because it doesn’t look bad. Be vigilant, and get to an urgent care or your nearest emergency room (or veterinary clinic, if the injured family member is a pet) as soon as possible.

2. Windows

Best to stick with an ordinary hose and squeegee for those glass panes. A pressure washer can crack or shatter window glass, damage window frames, and blow away caulking or weather stripping, leading to leaky windows.

If you have double-paned windows, this can be especially troublesome, as a pressure washer can damage the seal between panes. Once this happens, condensation and window fogging can become a problem, and the only way to fix it is a costly replacement window.

3. Your Roof

No matter how dirty it is, there are a few reasons why you should never pressure wash your roof. First, there’s the danger the activity poses to you. Pressure washers should never be used in high places, as the risk of slipping and falling is increased by both the washer wand’s recoil and the wet surfaces.

Second, certain common roofing materials, like asphalt shingles, can’t stand up to pressure washing. They can be damaged or knocked loose, leaving your roof more susceptible to leaking and mold growth.

4. Your Car

You might have seen videos online of folks making quick work of salt and road grime with a pressure washer, but it’s just not the way to go. Not only can a pressure washer damage your car’s clear coat, paint, tires, and the seals on its doors and windows in obvious and not-so-obvious ways, the spray can also reach sensitive internal components, potentially causing electrical problems.

5. Lawn Equipment

There is conflicting advice for this online, but we generally prefer to err on the side of better safe than sorry, here. While you may be able to efficiently clean the underside of your mower’s deck, you should still exercise care. Just like with your car, the water can seep into places it shouldn’t, damaging mechanical parts or blasting away grease.

6. Electrical Meters, Outdoor Lights, & Other Exterior Fixtures

Although most exterior outlets, meters, lights, and other panels are generally weatherproofed, they are not designed to withstand power washing. Just like with cars, windows, and power equipment, you’re contending with water’s ability to get where it shouldn’t when highly pressurized. You risk shorting out any electrical components the water comes in contact with, which at best makes for an annoying new thing to replace, and at worst is an expensive fire hazard.

7. Gutters

While your pressure washer may seem like a great way to quickly complete a very tedious chore, keep in mind that a pressure washer can cause some serious damage up there. Not only would you have to use it at an elevated height – a big safety no-no – the high pressure water can potentially wash away the mortar holding your gutters in place or dent and damage the gutters themselves.

8. Filters

It might be tempting to quickly clean a filthy appliance or lawn equipment filter with a pressure washer, but this is a surefire way to guarantee you need a new filter for whatever it is you’re cleaning. No matter what material the filter is made from – paper, plastic, or metal and charcoal – a pressure washer can potentially blow a hole through it, rendering the filter useless.

9. Air Conditioners

It doesn’t matter which type of AC unit you’re trying to clean, you’ll want to keep your pressure washer away from it. This far into the article, you know why: high pressure water will breach seals and reach sensitive electrical components, shorting out your air conditioner.

For large whole house units, it can also potentially bend, ding, or even crack the fan fins and reach the fan bearing, which can make your AC run noisy or stop it from functioning at all. For window AC units, you risk puncturing the condenser coils.

10. Painted & Stained Surfaces

This one isn’t necessarily a hard no-no, but it’s definitely an “exercise caution” situation with several considerations:

• Never pressure wash anything that was painted with lead paint, like an older house. You risk releasing lead particles into the air and inhaling them, and will definitely wind up with lead in the soil. Verify that your home was not painted with lead paint (it wasn’t banned until 1978) before pressure washing it.

• If you’re trying to remove (non-lead) paint, sealant, or stain from a pressure washer-safe surface, go ahead and use a pressure washer. It’s a quick way to strip these things away.

• Use a low pressure setting and wash from a greater distance if you must power wash something painted or stained and don’t want to remove that pigment. Otherwise, you’ll strip away the paint, sealant, or stain.

Wrapping Up

Pressure washers are inarguably great at what they’re meant to do, and a little too much for just about everything else. After reading this guide, you should have a better idea about where that line lies and what you risk losing (or paying for) if it’s crossed.

Still have questions after reading our guide? Check out or blog for more tips and tutorials! You can also head on over to our main site to speak with one of our friendly experts. Whether you’re trying to fix or maintain your home, garden, or appliances, AppliancePartsPros.com is here to help.