Happy New Year, Dreeny - although I'm sorry I can't hekp with the pressure washer.

we have a Karachi [?] one which was a good £100 7/8 years ago and that has been excellent for the concrete as well as more gentle for the greenhouse glass. it has a variable nozzle depending on what you are cleaning.

We have one of those Sbg..I think it is called Karcher..
but I knew what you meant :o) Very versatile,and efficient...but plays havoc with water bills,if you are on a meter..as we found out,the first year we used it..! It only gets used occasionally now,.so mainly,it's back to the scraper,or bleach and a long brush in between usage .
They also take out any sand or filling between the block pavers as well,and loose pointing,..so I find they are better on paving stones..very powerful machine...

If you DO buy one, make sure you use it before they slap a hosepipe ban on the entire country!

We have a Karcher too and yes agree with Bloomer takes out the sand from the mono blocks so ever so often have to put down new sand.

We also have the long pavier brush which works very well.

And yes elbow greese.

Thank-you so much for all your replies.
I have been looking around the Web but find it difficult to make a decision.

I am surprised that it is heavy on the amount of water, however, we are not on a Meter. What I have learnt is that I need something with at least 110 Bars????? I need it mainly to remove the moss between my paviers having spent a lot of time scraping away but with such a big drive it takes forever, would a Karcher be suitable? I have also heard mention that it is better to get one with a non-plastic hose.

dreeny8

Ours doesnt have a plastic hose [its a reinforced hose] and its pressure was given but the paperwork and label on machine is long gone.

This is at a tangent to the question but I am amazed that folk want everything to look as if it has just been laid, or happened. Granted our driveway is gravel but I'd never think of cleaning it or any other hard path...

I use a cheap b&q pressure washer and as it's only purpose is to wash a couple of paths and the decking twice a year I find that this does the job well enough. I would recommend NOT using it on block paving the pressure will push out the sand between the blocks.
It cost me £30 5 or 6 years ago so has proved very cost effective.

What happens to the bleach one it's drained off the path? It can't be good for the surroundings. I can understand not wanting slippery algae on your drive or pathways, but I think moss can be very attractive (as long as it doesn't obliterate everything) I am a very untidy gardener, though :o)

The sodium hypochlorite in chlorine bleach can act as a soil sterilant. it usually lasts 5-10 years in the soil, here in the desert, but no idea how long it will last in a moister climate. Peroxide based bleaches are generally safer for the environment.

Thank-you everyone for the follow-ups to my question.

I do not think Bleach is a good idea, but I do use Jeyes Fluid and although there is a certain amount of sweeping involved when it has worked it is effective in removing moss on plain paving.

As to never cleaning paths etc. Well, maybe ok if you do not have much paving, paths etc., but I have quite a lot in different places and last year, maybe because of all the rain, I have moss in abundance which I find quite annoying.

Now to make a choice.

dreeny8

Alternatively,Dreeny,you can buy a long handled scraper for blocked paving,of which we have quite a bit too,as well as other paving..so it makes lighter work of it,and to be honest,I don't mind doing that,as it saves wear and tear on your back....When I resort to Bleach,it is very diluted,and soaks away between the paving stones,and well rinsed afterwards..it never touches my surrounding plants or garden soil..todays materials seem to attract algae and moss for some reason..and green paths in that sense,aren't very attractive..we never had a problem with our last property,where everything was traditional stone..a good sweeping was all it needed,now and then..so much for progress...

We have a paved patio and area at the front of the house Dreeny, neither gets more than a sweep with the brush, moss is not a problem on either of them.

Thank-you for the last two messages from Bloomer and Moongrower.

I'll have a look for the Long handled scraper but fear I have too much moss. As to moss not being a problem, perhaps where i live jost holds the damp more resulting in it becoming an eyesore I have the paved driveway at the front, plus two plain paths. At the back a large Patio in front of the house, and five further paved areas all of which gather the moss so the Long Handled Scraper might not be suitable but I shall certainly look at them.

dreeny8

Good luck Dreeny

I can see your concern,Dreeny..we have a similar situation regarding the amount of paving,but it doesn't all have the moss problem..good luck from me too..let us know how you got on,and what you decided to do..