Over the last ten years or so, car detailing has exploded exponentially in terms of popularity. The reason behind this is that the quality of the products that detailers can use has dramatically increased. This is not only in terms of car soaps, but also waxes and sealants.
Even the way that we wash cars has changed. Years ago it was simply a bucket of soapy water and an old sponge and that would be enough to do the job. This isn’t the case these days. Instead, the two bucket method is used by many and the use of a sponge would never be considered.
One of the trends that has continued over time as well is the use of pressure washers. By and large, these were previously considered as extremely expensive items from the like of Karcher that whilst they were excellent, they were only for those that could afford to pay such a large outlay.
This thankfully is no longer the case, with affordable pressure washers being fairly common. The only problem though is that this cheap price can go hand in hand with low quality.
With that, today we’ll be looking at the Worx Hydroshot Pressure Washer. What makes this so unique though is that it is portable. This sounds like an unusual concept, especially considering that you’d need to be connected to the mains water in order to get a constant stream with other pressure washer.
This isn’t the case here, though. Instead, it has a special pump in it which allows you to connect one end of the hose to the Hydroshot and then submerge the other end of the hose into a bucket of water (which is handily supplied in the box with the pressure washer). Best of all, you don’t even need to be connected to the mains power supply to use it. Instead it runs off of batteries which are interchangeable with other Worx power tools. However, should it be the case that you do want to hook it up to a tap, then you’re more than welcome to do so. It is extremely comfortable to hold in the hand, and not overly heavy either. Even under high pressure it’s not unruly when you’re using it.
In terms of the power that this produces, it is up to 4 times higher than a conventional garden hose. The pressure can be adjusted between 100 to 320 psi. This is extremely remarkable for a handheld electric pressure washer. The size of it is also great. Unlike a bulky pressure washer from other brands, the Worx Hyrdroshot easily packs away into its own carry bag when you’re not using it.
Perfect for city living
Whilst this is a great pressure washer for anyone, there is one group of people it works extremely well for; those that live in flats/apartments. Basically, if you live in an apartment block then it’s extremely unlikely that you’ll have access to free flowing water such as that you’d get from a garden hose. You’ve got a few alternatives in this case when it comes to washing your car. The first is that you buy the Hydroshot. The second option is that you don’t even wash your car (something which many people do actually opt for!). You could always decide that you’ll wash your car, but have a wide array of buckets available. Two for washing it, and then a lot more for rinsing off the car afterwards. Whilst this isn’t a bad option, you’re going to need a lot of buckets for this as well as being prepared to get extremely wet! The last option is to take it to an automatic car wash, something which should never be considered since it’ll damage your cars paint.
In the case of the Hydroshot, you’ll still need to take a bucket of water to your car, but being able to rinse of a car will really help to minimise scratches and swirls. It is always best that you remove as much road dirt and grime before you even touch the paintwork, and by not doing so it can damage the paint. Likewise, leaving soap residue on the car will not only look unattractive, but can be detrimental to the paint as well.
In terms of battery life of the Hyrdroshot, it is up to 30 minutes depending on the pressure output you’re using. It is also possible to buy a larger capacity battery. Whilst it may take you an hour to wash your entire car, remember that this won’t be a fully hour of using the Hydroshot.
Thankfully, there are actually a few attachments included in the box. One of these is the extended lance, allowing you to get into hard to reach areas (such as wheel arches, and also cleaning under the car). There is also a brush attachment included. Whilst this is great and described as a soft bristle brush, we’d still advise against using this on the paintwork. Brushes are akin to sponges and can help to push the dirt in and around the paint causing unsightly swirl marks on your paint.
If you’re going to be using the brush, a much better application of this would be on the alloy wheels instead. These are much more resilient than the body as a whole and after you’ve treated the wheels with your desired cleaner, you can easily agitate and wash away the dirt using this attachment. Another alternative is when you’ve protected your wheels with a sealant such as Ammo Gelee or a combination of Autoglyms Super Resin Polish and Extra Gloss Protection, it allows dirt to be cleaned off of alloys much more easily. Therefore you can limit your use of expensive cleaners and instead use this brush attachment to clean the wheels.
There is also a foam bottle included in the box. This is another great way to help loosen up any dirt and debris that is on your car. This is especially true in cases where the car hasn’t been washed for a while. The high pressure you get from the Hydroshot with the foam bottle can produce really thick and satisfying foam that can help to safely remove dirt from the car before you make any contact with it. Of course your mileage will vary depending on the type of concentrated snow foam that you use.
The Worx Hydroshot is a truly tremendous portable pressure washer and at such a great price it’s no surprise that this is flying off the shelves! It is available now from Amazon.
- [PORTABLE POWER WASHER] The first truly portable power cleaner that lets you easily and quickly clean all your outdoor spaces and gear
- [5X MORE PRESSURE THAN A HOSE] Delivers 320 psi of mean, green, cleaning streams; While minimizing water usage at only .53 gallons per minute
- Build Quality(5)
- Ease of Use(5)
- Quality of Accessories(5)
Last update on 2023-12-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.