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Pressure washer for patio

Updated: 21.10.2026

The slabs are green, the block paving moves underfoot, and a neighbour's drive looks pale after a jet wash. A pressure washer for patio work can lift that film. It can also empty the joints, scar sandstone and stripe a deck if you chase the biggest bar number with a pencil jet. This page stays on horizontal surfaces. Car paint is a different job. The listings are on our [pressure washer comparison](/hub/compressors/pressure-washer), with amazon.co.uk prices and reviews through 4 October 2026. We did not wash a drive for this article. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The slabs are green, the block paving moves underfoot, and a neighbour's drive looks pale after a jet wash. A pressure washer for patio work can lift that film.

Our top picks

Kärcher Kärcher K 2 Horizontal

Best overall

Kärcher Kärcher K 2 Horizontal
7.6/10about £69.12
View offer
Bosch Bosch EasyAquatak 120

Alternative

Bosch Bosch EasyAquatak 120
7.4/10about £130.86
View offer
Bosch Bosch UniversalAquatak 135

Rank 3

Bosch Bosch UniversalAquatak 135
8.1/10about £108
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Start with the surface, not the bar
  2. 2.Patio head or lance
  3. 3.Block paving and the sand
  4. 4.Decking is not a patio

Start with the surface, not the bar

Concrete, sandstone, block paving and timber do not share a safe setting. Sandstone can fret if you dwell with a narrow jet. Block paving is often sound as a block and fragile at the joint, because the sand stops the blocks rocking. Marshalls say power-washing is not normally required. If you do it, sweep first, test a corner, use medium pressure, hold the lance oblique, stay at least 200 mm off, and re-sand. Medium is not a bar figure. A 110 bar K 2 with a wide fan can clean a small patio, and you will move the 3 m hose every few slabs. A UniversalAquatak at 135 bar still blows a joint if you aim into it. ETOOLAB's 345 bar claim is the wrong way to shop for paving. The figure is unmeasured, it sits at the top of the window BS EN 60335-2-79 covers, and a harder jet is more likely to scar stone. Sweep before you add water. A hood matters more than moving from 120 bar to 130 bar.

Patio head or lance

A hooded head holds the jets at a fixed height, so you stop aiming into the joint by accident. A lance is still right for a step or a wall edge: keep it oblique, at least 200 mm off, and moving. Only two listings include that head. The Bosch EasyAquatak 120, at £130.86, includes a 250 patio cleaner and a 5 m hose, on 4.5 from 4,380 reviews. The field says 120 bar and a bullet says 100 bar, and the 350 litre tank field copies the flow. Owners praise the head and mention hoses that leak or arrive damaged. The Kärcher K 3 eco!Booster, at £139, includes a T 1 and a 6 m hose, on 4.6 from 53 reviews. The title says 120 bar and the field says 1,500 psi, about 103 bar. Open the EasyAquatak for the review file. The K 4, at £188, has 8 m and no head. The UniversalAquatak at £108 has 7 m, and its point jet stays off the joints. Hose lengths are in the pressure washer buying guide.
Kärcher Kärcher K 2 Horizontal

Testsieger

Kärcher Kärcher K 2 Horizontal
7.6/10about £69.12
View offer

Block paving and the sand

Block paving fails when the jet enters the joint and the sand leaves. The blocks rock, the edges chip, and the drive holds puddles. Keep the lance shallow, stay at least 200 mm off as Marshalls describe, and do not chase a weed down the gap with a dirt blaster. A hood is the safer default because the jets hit the face of the block. You will still wash some sand out of a neglected drive, so re-sand once it is dry, with the jointing the paving was built with. If the blocks already rock, washing will not tighten them. If oil is on the drive, do not wash it toward a drain. Start-up, shut-down and frost are on the how to use a pressure washer page.

Decking is not a patio

Timber marks. The Timber Decking and Cladding Association's April 2026 sheet says minimum pressure and a moving head. A pause leaves a stripe. A dirt blaster leaves a furrow in softwood. Composite boards can haze. Use a fan, test a board you can live with, and stop if the grain feathers. How often to wash is unsettled. Expert Reviews quotes every two years, because extra washes wear the face. Other guides say yearly, or twice on a shady patio. Wash when the surface is slick, not on a calendar. If the green is on the car as well as the slabs, change the nozzle rules before you change surface.

Common questions

Do I need a patio cleaner attachment?
For a wide run of slabs or block paving, yes, if you do not already own a hood. In this set the EasyAquatak 120 and the K 3 eco!Booster include one. A wide fan can still clean a few slabs, with nothing holding the lance off the joint.
Will I blow the sand out of block paving?
You will if you aim a narrow jet into the joint or hold a strong lance too close. A shallow angle, at least 200 mm of clearance, and a hood reduce that loss. Plan to re-sand after the surface has dried.
How often should I wash a patio?
There is no single interval. Expert Reviews quotes every two years, because extra washes wear the face. Other guides say yearly, or twice a year on a shady patio. Wash when the surface is slick.
Is 110 bar enough for slabs?
For a small patio, yes, with a wide fan. That is the K 2 class, at 110 bar and 360 litres an hour, and a 3 m hose you will move. A greener drive wants more flow and a hood, not a 345 bar title.
Can I pressure-wash decking?
Only at minimum pressure, with a fan, keeping the head moving. That is the TDCA advice from April 2026. A dirt blaster will scar softwood. If the grain feathers, stop.
Which listing includes a patio head?
The Bosch EasyAquatak 120 includes a 250 patio cleaner. The Kärcher K 3 eco!Booster includes a T 1. The K 4, the UniversalAquatak and both K 2s do not.

Related pages

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Best pressure washer UK for cars, patios and bikes

Pressure washer buying guide for bar, flow and hose

How to use a pressure washer before the first frost

Sources

Public UK sources, Bosch DIY UK and the Kärcher FAQ below. amazon.co.uk listings checked on 19 October 2026.

  1. legislation.gov.uk: Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, Schedule 2 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. legislation.gov.uk: temporary use bans (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Ofwat: hosepipe bans and non-essential use bans (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Electrical Safety First: pressure washers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. BSI: BS EN 60335-2-79 high-pressure cleaners (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Bosch DIY UK: pressure washers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Kärcher: FAQ on suction from a water butt (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. WaterSafe: backflow from hosepipes (retrieved 19 October 2026)