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Cleaning the outdoors of your home is a very tiresome job — Even more so if you have a large concrete, wood, tile, or asphalt surface that you need to clean. During spring/summer, you could just clean those areas with a garden hose and a brush, but that’s hours of work scrubbing those surfaces, and it’s hard work that requires a lot of effort. Little do people know that the best pressure washer surface cleaner can get the job done in mere minutes.
But how do you pick the right accessory for your electric pressure washer? How do you get the right one? By reading the opinions of others that have used it. I’ve whittled down the options to just the best. In these pressure washer surface cleaner reviews, along with information and advice, so that you choose the best option for you.
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Karcher T300 Hard Surface Cleaner for Karcher Pressure Washers |
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7 Best Pressure Washer Surface Cleaners
- EDOU 15-Inch Pressure Washer Surface Cleaner
- Briggs & Stratton 14-Inch Surface Cleaner
- Karcher T300 Hard Surface Cleaner for Karcher Pressure Washers
- SIMPSON Cleaning 15” Surface Cleaner 3600 PSI
- Generac 6132 High-Pressure Surface Cleaner 15-Inch
- Greenworks Surface Cleaner Universal Attachment 30012
- AR Blue Clean 10″ Deck & Patio & Flat Surface Cleaner
Best Pressure Washer Surface Cleaner Reviews
EDOU DIRECT Pressure Washer Surface Cleaner 15" | Composite | HEAVY DUTY | 4,000 PSI Max Working Pressure | Includes: 2 Pressure Washer Extension Wand Attachments
- Durable and High-Quality Construction - Crafted from heavy-duty brass, stainless steel, and durable hard composite materials, this EDOU Direct pressure washer surface cleaner is built to last.
- Speedy & Efficient Cleaning - With its dual spinning nozzles, this pressure washing cleaner can tackle large surfaces up to 5 times faster than standard spray nozzles with a speed of up to 1800 rpm.
- Versatile Compatibility for Easy Use - Compatible with most electric pressure washers and 1/4 inch quick-connect capable wands, allows you to use a wide range of pressure washer accessories.
This is a cracking pressure washing surface cleaner, coming in at only 5.7 lbs. Thanks to it’s lightweight, it practically glides over horizontal surfaces without any effort, I’ve even used it as a sidewalk pressure washer.
Now don’t take its lightweight nature to mean this isn’t built to last, as you’d be wrong. This is made from very high-quality materials and will last a long time.
It’s designed to fit almost any pressure washer on the market, though it is limited to a maximum PSI of 4000, so it’s suitable for the majority of electric units and can be used on gas washers which don’t breach this PSI limit.
Due to it’s gliding nature, moving this around is a slow and steady manner is a breeze, which will mean you’ll have no trouble achieving a streak-free finish.
A single pass, perhaps two for those areas which have heavy staining and the jobs are done, quick, efficient, and practically effortless.
There’s no need to use detergent, and this surface cleaner is capable of dislodging
Pros
- Streak-free results with minimal effort
- Compatible with both gas powered pressure washers and electric powered pressure washers up to 4000 PSI
- Fits most power washers
- lightweight thanks to its durable plastic material
- Compact orbital pressure washer
- Handles rough surfaces easily
Cons
- You’ll need to use your spray wand for edges
Briggs & Stratton 6328 6196 Spray Nozzle, Black
- Faster Cleaning: Surface cleaner that cleans up to 4 times faster than a standard 40-degree pressure washer nozzle, saving you valuable time and effort
- Effortless Maneuverability: Glide across surfaces with ease, tackling garage floors, driveways, decks, and more without the hassle of cumbersome cleaning equipment
- Streak-Free Finish: Rotating jets eliminate streaking, ensuring a clean and polished look with every pass
This surface cleaner measures 14 inches so quickly and easily deals with medium and large surface cleaning.
So much so, that you can reduce the cleaning time of these areas by up to four times in comparison to using a standard 40-degree nozzle.
That reduced time also means a reduced gas or electric use, and reduced water use… saving you money.
This model is best used for cleaning floors such as your garage, driveway, deck and so on. But with the right pressure washer’s PSI being provided, you could even use for it for horizontal and vertical surfaces such as walls, as long as the material on your walls isn’t prone to chipping away.
The dome shape of this surface cleaner helps prevent over-spraying, so will produce walls and flower beds need the surfaces you are cleaning. It’s also easily attached to your best pressure washer due to its quick connector.
Pros
- Easily connected to the quick-connector
- The dome prevents over-spraying
- Cracking cleaning power
- Professional level surface cleaner
- Ideal for garage floors
- For me this is perhaps the most perfect surface cleaner
Cons
- It is not compatible with every pressure washer
- I’ve heard of some construction issues.
Karcher T300 11" Pressure Washer Surface Cleaner Attachment for Karcher Electric Pressure Washers K2-K5 – 32" Extension Wand Included
- Karcher Compatibility: Compatible only with Karcher Series K2 through K5 electric power pressure washers; Includes 2-16" extension wands and 2 sets of interchangeable nozzles
- The Karcher Promise - Cleaner. Quicker: Delivers professional level cleaning over an area 10” wide with two spinning nozzles instead of one, significantly reducing your cleaning time; The T300 also...
- Multi-Surface Cleaner: Perfect for cleaning large surfaces such as concrete, driveways, patios, decks, sidewalks and more
Coming in at 11 inches in diameter this is the perfect surface cleaning is you have a small or medium sized surface to clean.
Weighing only 4 pounds makes using this incredibly comfortable to move around and ensure a streak-free finish.
This surface clean can only handle a PSI pressure range of up to 2300, so it is compatible with light and medium-duty pressure washers. Unless your pressure washer comes with the ability to adjust its pressure output, in which case this may be suitable.
This surface cleaner easily cleans whatever surface goes under it, so as long as you move slowly and steadily, you’ll have no problems producing a streak-free finish.
As the PSI is only 2300, you may need to go over the more embedded dirt and grime a few times to ensure the area is clean.
Pros
- Efficient cleaning on flat surfaces reducing cleaning time
- Compact and perfect for reaching those tight places
Cons
- Does not fit every Karcher pressure washer
- Somewhat heavy, considering its size (though still lightweight)
- unable to tackle vertical surfaces
SIMPSON Cleaning 15'' Surface Cleaner 3600 PSI
- Rated up to 3600 PSI
- 15'' Diameter
- Powder coated steel shroud and stainless steel nozzles
Looking for a surface cleaner than can handle the PSI generated by a gas pressure washer such as a generac pressure washer? Well, Simpson have you covered with this professional surface cleaner.
This 15-inch surface cleaner can handle a PSI output of 3600 something most surfaces cleaners can’t claim. This is perfect for medium to heavy-duty tasks, if you have a high pressure washer this will work for you.
With this being 15 inches in diameter, you’ll fly through the cleaning, you’ll clean the surface at least 4 times faster with this surface cleaner than you would with a standard 40-degree nozzle.
When used on flat surfaces such as floors or a concrete surface, the spray is entirely contained within the dome of this surface cleaner, protecting anything close to where you are cleaning.
This is a surface cleaner built to last with its stainless steel construction, you may think that’ll mean it’ll be rather heavy? Not at all, this thing only weighs 3 ½ lbs! This is a true powerhorse surface cleaner which will take your power washer to the next level.
Pros
- Durable construction that will not break even during extended use
- Compatible with high pressure gas washers something other surface cleaners can’t claim
- The dome keeps everything contained and mess-free
Cons
- It doesn’t support hot water.
Generac 6132 High Pressure Surface Cleaner, 15-Inch
- Large Area Cleaning: Cleans large areas faster than a standard spray nozzle, ideal for driveways and sidewalks
- Uniform Cleaning Path: Rotating nozzles provide a fast and uniform cleaning path, enhancing surface cleaner performance
- Surface Protection: Tough flexible bristles protect work surface and control over-spray during cleaning
This is another surface cleaner that can handle the punch of a gas pressure washer. Though only up to 3100 PSI water pressure, but it can work with a power washer which features a variable pressure dial.
This 15-inch surface cleaner comes with tough bristles that prevent over-spraying but also allow you to really scrub at those challenging to shift stains and dirt.
This is made from stainless-steel, heavy-duty brass, and durable ABS (thermoplastic). This isn’t going to break anytime soon.
At 15 inches in diameter, this surface cleaner is perfect for cleaning large surfaces. As mentioned in the reviews above, due to its size it will be 4-5 times quicker than using a spray wand alone, saving you time and money.
Pros
- Robust yet flexible bristles help protect the area around you while tackling tough stains
- It can easily connect to a pressure washer wand/spray gun
- Works with both commercial and residential pressure washers
- Powder coated steel unlike most surface cleaners on this list
Cons
- Can develop rust
- This surface washer is not suitable for hot water use
Greenworks Surface Cleaner Universal Pressure Washer Attachment
- 11” CLEANING WIDTH : works great for driveways, sidewalks, patios and decks.
- VERSATILE : 1/4-inch quick connect compatible with most pressure washers.
- 1 YEAR WARRANTY
This surface cleaner from Greenworks is made of Thermoplastic, which makes it rather durable.
It can handle up to 2000 PSI so is ideal for electric power washers and is compatible with most light-medium duty pressure washers.
I wouldn’t use this to clean a brick wall or with powerful pressure washers unless they have a variable pressure dial.
Coming in at 11 inches in diameter, this is perfect for small to medium-sized patios and yards. As it can only handle up to 2000 PSI, you may need to take a few passes over the more ingrained dirt. I did try to use this for cleaning vertical surfaces, but my water flow was too low due to the maximum pressure rating of this surface cleaner.
Pros
- Compact and very lightweight
- Efficient when it comes to cleaning and taking out stains
- A smart design that prevents the water from spraying outside of the surface cleaner
Cons
- Not suited to deep cleaning of concrete surfaces
- Not the most durable on this list
AR Blue Clean PW40829 10-Inch Patio Cleaner, Black
- It quickly attaches to the spray gun and includes a 15" extension lance for easy use
- Maximum Pressure:2500 PSI
If you want a small surface cleaner that looks furturistic then look no further.
This 10-inch wide surface cleaner is perfect for your average patio/yard or driveway. Designed to ensure little to no-overspraying thanks to its nylon brush skirt, it efficiently cleans any surface without leaving streaks (should proper technique be used, slow and steady)
While being constructed out of thermoplastic, this doesn’t hold this surface cleaner back. It’s capable of handling up to 2500 PSI, meaning it’ll handle the output of most electric pressure washers.
Pros
- It is highly lightweight and easy to use
- It comes with its own extension lance
Cons
- There is little tension at the swivel
What Is a Surface Cleaner for Pressure Washers?
Simply put, a pressure washer surface cleaner for pressure washers is just an attachment that you add onto your pressure washer trigger, replacing the wand in most cases, it’s one a range of pressure washer accessories you can add to improve how you use your pressure washer.
Typically a pressure washer surface cleaner will come with a solid extension hose and a broad brush, somewhat similar to a vacuum cleaner, but on a grand scale.
If you’ve ever used your best electric pressure washer, or a broom to clean your yard, then you’ll know it’s hard work, your pressure washer nozzle focuses on a small area, and a brush just takes a lot of effort and this is where surface cleaners come in.
They are designed to clean wide areas, specifically the floor.
For large surfaces a 24 inch surface cleaner or even a 36 inch surface cleaner is ideal, but most will be around 15 inches.
They combine your pressure washer nozzle with a brush, some even rotate! This combination means they can quickly clean large areas, reducing the time it takes you to clean your yard and drastically reducing the effort required.
How Do Pressure Washer Surface Cleaners Work?
So how do surface cleaners work? Good question, it makes sense to get a rough idea on how these awesome attachments clean before purchasing a surface cleaner, as they may not be suitable for your needs.
The vast majority work like this:
Inside the casing is two nozzles spin when the pressurized water comes out of them, think of an airplane propeller, on each end of the propeller is a nozzle, and as the water comes out, the propeller spins. When you attach surface cleaner you’ll notice that they have tough flexible bristles this skirt is common to most surface cleaner attachments as it prevents overspray.
Do note that debris can cause these to stop spinning, you’ll hear it. Even the most robust rotary nozzles are effected by this to do listen out.
If it happens, just turn off your pressure washer and clean away the obstruction.
Unlike using your pressure washer wand where it leaves a stripe where it’s been, these spinning nozzles rotate around as such a speed that no stripes are left, and the area underneath is entirely cleaned.
As mentioned above, if you notice stripes, weird vibrations or the noise suddenly changes there may be an obstruction which prevents the surface cleaner from cleaning correctly.
If this happens, simply switch off the pressure washer, turn over the surface cleaner and remove any debris, make sure that the nozzles don’t have any blockage as well.
Some surface cleaners will come with a small metal rod, which you can insert into the nozzle to clean it.
Benefits of Using Surface Cleaners with Pressure Washers
Your pressure washer drastically get’s better when paired with pressure washer accessories. The benefits of a pressure washer surface cleaner are many, but the ones that stand out to me every time I use my pressure washer accessories fall into the following.
1. Quicker Cleaning
Cleaning surfaces such as brick and concrete with just a regular pressure washer nozzle takes a long time, you are limited to slowly cleaning a small area, as to clean these correctly you need the most directed nozzle and for it to be held very close to the ground to enable it to penetrate all that dirt and grime.
I immediately dig through my pressure washer accessories and switch over to a pressure washer surface cleaner and you get two high-pressure nozzles that are kept at the perfect distance from the ground, not only that, they rotate quickly, allowing you to cover a wide area very quickly.
2. More Efficient Cleaning
As I found out the hard way, using a spray wand with a high-pressure nozzle tip, you are limited to a small area, I mentioned this in the previous point, but another side effect is stripes.
I went out with the best intentions, it took hours and the end result with a somewhat clean but very stripy yard.
I couldn’t maintain the distance between the ground and my nozzle tip so different parts of the yard were lighter than other bits and this happened on every swipe of the wand.
It looked awful.
The next time, I used a pressure washer surface cleaner.
This covered a wide area really quickly, and there were no stripes, my yard looked great. Nothing beats uniform, clean results.
3. Reduced Risks of Damage
As I mentioned above, using a spray wand alone, I was unable to maintain an equal distance between the nozzle tip and the surface.
This can result in damaging or chipping of the surface, as the single jet can be just too strong, and as you accidentally get to close, the surface you are cleaning can’t handle the pressure, and damage occurs. Also, debris can be rocketed towards your face!
Surface cleaners on the other handle diffuse the jet into two or more nozzles, this doesn’t reduce the cleaning power, but the distance from the surface cleaner nozzles to the ground are kept equal as such there is a much lower chance of damaging your floor.
I highly suggest a pressure washer surface cleaner if you are looking to clean a wooden deck or any other sensitive area, firstly it’s a protective measure, there’s a lower chance of damage, secondly cleaning decking with its grooves is a breeze with a pressure washer surface cleaner.
Pressure Washer Surface Cleaner Buying Guide
Fortunately, when it comes to purchasing a surface cleaner for your pressure washer, there isn’t a huge amount to consider. That said there are some things they are vital.
1. Dimensions
This is something that is typically overlooked by buyers, but it is something you should consider, when purchasing pressure washer accessories.
Yes, a bigger pressure washer surface cleaner will mean more coverage and potentially less time cleaning. But if there are narrow areas where you might need to reach, then a large surface cleaner isn’t going to get in there.
Add to that, that a larger surface cleaner will be heavier, so it’ll take more effort to move around, plus the larger they are the more expensive they tend to be.
If you are cleaning wide areas, then a wider model will suit, but if your surface area is small, then opt for a smaller unit.
2. Weight
Dimensions and weight kind of go hand in hand when looking at pressure washer accessories. If you are cleaning a large area, the last thing you need is to be pushing a heavy surface cleaner around. This is meant to make the job easier. If it becomes a nuisance, it’s not going to be used.
Also if you intend on using your surface clean on flat surfaces that aren’t the floor, such as a fence or a wall, if it’s a weighty model, there’s no picking it up, and if you can pick it up, it won’t be long before your arms are burning from the strain.
Using a pressure washer surface cleaner shouldn’t feel like you’ve done a gym session.
3. PSI (Pounds per Square Inch)
PSI or Pounds per square inch, this number will determine how strong the water jet will be once it exits the surface cleaner nozzles.
The stronger the jet, the more difficult the stains the surface cleaner can handle.
You need to make sure that your surface cleaner matches the PSI rating of your pressure washer.
4. GPM (Gallons per Minute)
While PSI determines how strong the force of the water will be, GPM or gallons per minute determines how much water will be used per minute.
Generally speaking, the higher the GPM the better. Though only in so far as it matches the GPM of your pressure washer.
5. CP (Cleaning Power)
Cleaning power or CP is just a singular number to work out how well something will clean. Trying to work out 1.76 GPM and 2.0 PSI vs. 2GPM and 1.8 PSI can be a pain.
So we take PSI and multiply it by GPM to get a single number, this number is the total power of your surface cleaner.
The higher the cleaning power, the better, though do bear in mind that as the CP rises so does the likelihood of damaging sensitive surfaces.
When you look for a surface cleaner, you should pick one that matches the CP, PSI and GPM of your pressure washer.
For example, if you have a pressure washer that has a low GPM, then purchasing a surface cleaner for a commercial washer isn’t going to work out well for you.
The opposite is the same if you have a high powered gas pressure washer or one of the best electric pressure washers which produce a high GPM, but you match it to a surface cleaner which expects a low GPM, well the end result is most likely going to be the surface cleaner suffering permanent damage.
How to Use Surface Cleaners with Pressure Washers
To ensure the best results, there are specific ways to use your pressure washer surface cleaner. I’ll cover this and the general how to hook it up to your pressure washer.
So without further ado. Here’s how to correctly use your surface cleaner with the pressure washer.
1. Clean the Area
This may not seem intuitive, but before you bust out your surface cleaner, you want to ensure that any debris such as stones, has been removed from the surface.
These can restrict the movement of your surface cleaner, cause damage to it if the stones block the nozzles or the rotation.
I’ve ignored this step before, and the end result was a stone that got lodged between the surface cleaner casing and the nozzle, easy to fix and no damage done that time, but just be wary. Prep takes ages, but proper preparation means quicker results and better results.
2. Connect the Surface Cleaner
Make sure you’ve set up your pressure washer, so get the water supply connected and power supply if it’s electric, gas ensure gas and oil are present.
Then connect the surface cleaner, which should be as simple as attaching the wand to your trigger. Some larger ones will require you to remove the trigger and connect the outfeed hose directly to the surface cleaner. Once again, simple enough to do and something.
3. Turn the Unit On
Once you’ve got the water supply and power (electric or gas) setup, make sure there aren’t any leaks and that every connection is secure.
You can now disable any safety on the trigger and give the trigger gun a squeeze. Make sure everything is nice and steady.
A good flow of water from the surface cleaner no problems with pressure etc.
4. Start Cleaning
Finally, the best bit!
If you intend to use detergent to aid the cleaning process, wet the surface and spray on the cleaning solution.
This should only be done to the floors, not cars or any other surfaces.
Actually, just to point out, you shouldn’t use a surface cleaner on a vehicle!
While assembling the surface cleaner, you’ll have seen a spray bar and on that bar are the nozzles, when the pressurized water comes out, this spray bar rotates.
As this spray bar rotates it’s the edges that get the most cleaning, imagine the bar drawing a circle, the lines of that circle are precisely where the cleaning will happen. If you move the surface cleaner over the surface at a fast pace, you’ll get spray lines.
This happens because you are moving too fast for the spray bar to clean the area, so you get “jumps”. However, if you go slowly, these “jumps” don’t happen.
So the trick is the move at a slow and steady pace. This video demonstrates what I mean.
FAQ about Pressure Washer Surface Cleaners
1. Can I Use Hot Water with a Pressure Washer Surface Cleaner?
For the most part, surface cleaners will specify that they should be used with cold water only.
If you have a pressure washer that can produce hot water, either make sure it’s set to cold water only or check that your surface cleaner does support warm water.
2. Do Surface Cleaners Use Less Water than a Standard Spray Wand?
Both should use the same amount of water in that if you left both spraying for the same amount of time, they would consume the same amount of water.
But this is where the surface cleaner has the advantage, you’ll be moving quicker than you would with a spray wand, as it’s designed specifically for cleaning surfaces.
As you’ll do the job quicker with a surface cleaner, you will end up using less water.
3. Can I Use Detergents with My Pressure Washer Surface Cleaner?
If your pressure washer has the ability to supply detergent (and most do), then as long as your surface cleaner support’s it, you can certainly use pressure washer soap or pressure washer detergent.
If, however, your surface cleaner or your pressure washer doesn’t support using soap or detergent, then no.
I do suggest using a mild detergent, this ensures no damage to the surface cleaner and also the environment in which this water is being sprayed. Typically speaking though you don’t need detergent, the pressure of the water is usually enough to clean the surface.
4. Can I Use a Surface Cleaner Meant for Electric Washers If I Have a Gas Model?
100%. As long as the surface cleaner can handle the PSI and GPM produces by the gas pressure washers. There is no difference between an electric washer and a gas unit when it comes to a surface cleaner, only a difference in the pressure.
So as long as the pressure produced doesn’t under or overload your surface cleaner, you are good to go.
5. Can I Use a Surface Cleaner on Fences or Walls?
Surface cleaners are designed for cleaning floors. That said, if you are planning on using it on a flat surface, then I don’t see a reason why you couldn’t.
There are safety concerns, and also you need to bear in mind the weight. You’ll want to use a lightweight model for any vertical surfaces; otherwise, your arms will be on fire and your back will ache.
6. Surface cleaner leaving lines
If you want streak free cleaning then you need to ensure that you keep an equal distance from the floor to your nozzles, keep a consistent water flow, and then overlap the cleaning path.
If you ensure there are no gaps in your cleaning path, then it doesn’t matter what surface cleaner attachment you use whether it’s with a gas powered power washer or electric, a cheaper or even one of the best pressure washer surface cleaners, you will have a streak free clean.
Best Pressure Washer Surface Cleaner Comparison Chart
| PRODUCT | MAX PSI | DIMENSIONS (IN.) | WEIGHT (LBS) |
| Yamaha ACC-31056-00-18 Surface Cleaner | 3300 | 15 x 3 | 4 |
| Briggs & Stratton 14-Inch Surface Cleaner | 3400 | 14 x 5 | 4 |
| Karcher T300 Hard Surface Cleaner for Karcher Pressure Washers | 2300 | 11 x 7 | 4 |
| SIMPSON Cleaning 15” Surface Cleaner 3600 PSI | 3600 | 15 x 7 | 3.5 |
| Generac 6132 High-Pressure Surface Cleaner 15-Inch | 3100 | 15.5 x 5.3 | 4 |
| Greenworks Surface Cleaner Universal Attachment 30012 | 2000 | 11 x 4 | 1.8 |
| AR Blue Clean 10″ Deck & Patio & Flat Surface Cleaner | 2500 | 10 x 6 | 2.25 |
Wrap Up
Finding the best pressure washer surface cleaner could be a difficult task. Hopefully, I’ve made that job much easier with my buyer’s guide and also with my surface cleaner attachment reviews.
These are the best surface cleaners you can buy. All you need to worry about is matching firstly the PSI to your pressure washer, then it comes down to your needs in terms of size and weight.
Whichever you choose, you are going to be happy as you’ll cut down the time it takes to clean your yard, and based on my experience, you’ll get a better clean. I also found that my other half was interested… I sat back with a beer while she did the work! Only happened once though.
Any questions or surface cleaners you think I should review, let me know in the comments below.
