Few things in life are more fun than pointing a gas powered pressure washer at dirt, and watching the latter fall away under its mighty stream. Most basic systems come equipped with the simple essentials: high-pressure pump, reservoir for holding water, spray hose and nozzle, and an electrical cord for power. To use, you simply fill the reservoir with water (or use a water hose to do so), plug the entire assembly into a nearby outlet, and you’re ready to go. Small electrical systems can spray over 1400 PSI worth of pressurized water, which is, suffice to say, an amazingly high number. Thus, it is important to be careful as a high-pressure stream such as this one could actually hurt you, so it is a good practice to limit your choice of targets to inanimate objects.

Always make sure you use units that are appropriate for the task/s at hand, as not doing so could have damaging consequences. Using too much pressure, for example, can actually even rip paint off a surface! A friend of mine fell victim to this when he was trying to clean his in-laws’ cars: he managed to accidentally strip the paint off of one of their older cars when he used too high a pressure! With that said, don’t say I didn’t warn you of the trouble about the dangers of incorrect pressure. Wooden surfaces are particularly vulnerable targets for a power pressure washer: accidentally creating gouge marks on wooden decks has a greater chance of happening than you might think. You may want to test your washer on small areas, therefore, before going full blast on a wooden deck itself.

If you are serious with your washing, gas pressure washers might just suit your needs. Gas washers out-blast even the most powerful electric power washers away: imagine water-blasting all the dirt and grime crusting over a surface, all the way down to the metal itself. That’s right, with a gas washer, you have enough pressure in your hands to strip paint off most surfaces, and even gouge your name onto a wooden deck if you wanted to. That, my friends, is over 3,000 PSI worth of blasting power.

Gas powered pressure washers come in two different versions: one for hot water and one for cold water. Hot water versions are popular where greasy stains are a common occurrence, such as vehicle repair stations and food processing plants. Hot water units have no equal when it comes to cleaning tough stains from hard surfaces in the shortest amount of time possible, as hot water is much more effective than cold water in taking greasy stains out.

Cold water has its own uses, however, like for washing stadium seats, where heating enough water for the task will set you back thousands in fuel costs. Cleaning fences, sidewalks, and other similar surfaces, as well as hard-to-reach areas, are other good uses for pressurized cold water.

Whether you choose hot or cold, however, also remember to match the right PSI rating with the right attachments, as different attachments are for different jobs. Visiting a manufacturer’s website before buying anything can save you a lot of effort to have wrongly-purchased parts replaced.

There are a wide variety of special attachments for more unique cleaning situations. There are water brooms for cleaning floors, multiple nozzles for varying your spray area depending on your task, and so on. Get the right ones, and save yourself the time and effort.