Behold! It's the Karcher K5 pressure washer – and this jetwash system could well save your patio for this summer's promised sunshine. Especially if it's been looking as winter-weathered as mine.
As someone who doesn't have a south-facing home, the sun doesn't light up the patio in the back garden as often as I'd like. That plus all this rain has meant algea growth which, as you can see in my Karcher cleaning video embed below, has meant a green patio.
Using the #Karcher K5 pressure washer to clean the patio.Green be gone!So. Very. Satisfying 💪#pressurewasher #patiocleaner pic.twitter.com/ApM2ERcjVMApril 24, 2023
Fortunately the Karcher K5 can make light work of this, as one of the best pressure washers of 2023. The model I have is the 'Premium Smart Control Home' version, which includes a 'T5 patio cleaner' attachment. Which, I must say, has been an absolute godsend in helping to speed up the work, but also mitigate the splashback of water the typical jet would otherwise create.
As you can see in my video above, there's a great sense of satisfaction in saying 'green be gone!' and getting that patio super clean with just a few push and pulls. That's made all the easier by the simple fact the K5 can operate at up to 2000PSI – which is a whole lot of pressure when you consider, for example, that racing bike tyres are typically maximum 120PSI.
What can a Karcher K5 do?
Not only can the K5 be used to clean your patio, the versatile multi-tool – which clips-and-twists into place – can be spun through three different settings which cycle through different pressure and less direct output jets (one circles) in order to be used for other applications, such as cleaning your car (without taking the paint off).
It's really easy to use and, if anything, one of my only criticisms of the product is that it needs some light assembly at the beginning, with around a dozen screws to lock various parts into play. Other than the wheels I suspect it could come fully built without causing the manufacturer any packaging difficulties.
Should I buy a Karcher K5?
The other obvious question: 'is a Karcher worth it?' I've had a lot of people ask me this about the K5, because as one of the best-known pressure washer brands, Karcher can cost a chunk more than some rivals. But having used a cheapy washer for some time, I can say with confidence that, yes, the Karcher K5 is well worth its cover price.
Sure, it may seem a little steep at first, but for an essential task such as patio cleaning that'll be required year-on-year I'd eventually get the cost price back in clean value. And with the bonus of other settings, meaning safe car-washing is also possible, I think there's plenty of additional value to be extracted from a purchase.
