Nothing sets you up for a better spring than taking some time for some seasonal cleaning in the fall, and one of the best tools for autumn home cleanup is a classic pressure washer. If you’ve got a surface or a screen you need sprayed, a pressure washer can deliver enough pressure for all kinds of scrubbing.
But even the most avid pressure washer advocates would tell you they’re also pretty cumbersome tools that require a lot of setup and garage storage space. That’s exactly why I wanted to try out this portable pressurized washer from Ryobi. The concept is intriguing, promising users a fraction of the size, cost and power of a standard pressure washer. I was very curious whether this tool would actually provide more cleaning power than a standard garden hose nozzle.
The Tool
The first thing I noticed when unboxing the Ryobi One Plus Electric Power Cleaner was how substantial the tool felt. I was expecting it to feel a little flimsy, but the tool felt well-built in my hands. It all assembled easily in just a few clicks, taking only a small fraction of the time it would’ve taken to set up a full-size pressure washer. And if you’re worried about water ruining your battery, don’t be. The entire battery chamber is enclosed by a tightly sealed plastic housing.
How We Tested It
For this test, I decided to replicate a classic fall cleanup task: hosing down screens. I wanted a big surface to clean, so I pulled the screen door off the back door and set it up in the backyard. Then, I applied a light coating of flour to the middle of the screen and a light mist of water to lock the flour in place.
From there, I just had to finish setting up the Ryobi pressure washer. It comes with three different nozzles: two flat angled nozzles and one “turbo nozzle” that sprays the water in a speedy spiral. All I had to do was attach the pressure washer to a garden hose, and the tool was ready to go. Then I just set myself up in front of the screen with the pressure washer the recommended distance (1-2 feet) from the screen. ‘
All that was left to do was let it rip. The first thing that stands out when you use this portable pressure washer is that it feels a little underwhelming when you pull the trigger- especially if you’ve ever used a full-sized pressure washer. There’s not much kick, and the water leaves the nozzle at a steady but uninspiring speed. For a few seconds, I was worried the 700psi of pressure wouldn’t be enough to clean up the floury mess I’d created.
But my worries lessened the longer I used the tool. It was gentler than the pressure washers I’d used before, but it provided a consistent stream that quickly started knocking the flour loose from the screen. Things started going even better once I switched to the turbo nozzle. The spin action really helped compensate for the lack of PSI pressure. Within another minute, I had knocked off a ton of the sticky flour from the screen.
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The Verdict
So enough waffling… what’s the verdict? It’s pretty clear, as soon as you start using this tool, that the Ryobi tool isn’t going to fully replace a full-sized pressure washer… especially if you need to really blast something. But there are many use cases for a pressure washer where consistency is more important than power. And if you’ve ever accidentally damaged something with a pressure washer, the reduced power of this tool might even be something you consider a pro.
It took a while, but eventually the screen was sparkling clean- so clean, in fact, it was nearly invisible in the doorway. I should also point out that real-world conditions are rarely as messy as the sticky flour mess I created. If you just need to get dust off a screen or mud off a sidewalk, this tool is a significant upgrade over a simple stream from a garden hose. Ultimately, you’re trading power for portability, and whether that works for you will depend on the job you have to tackle. If it’s only needed for routine seasonal cleaning, this pressure washer could be perfect for you.
Just don’t expect it to peel paint off a pole.
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