Best Pressure Washer PSI for Washing Cars: 2024 Update

Pressure washing your car is the sure fire way to get rid of all of the dirt. But the real value of pressure washing your car comes in around the rims. For a car, the ideal PSI for cleaning with a pressure washer is between 1000-2000 PSI.

I used to drive an old BMW 325i (2004). The brake dust on those bad boys is world-famous for collecting black dirt all around the rims. Doesn’t come off with the spray of a hose – this stuff requires a serious scrubbing. You could drive down to the local car wash to get it cleaned, but somehow, that’s just not good enough. 

You’d rather carefully clean it yourself so you know that it’s properly done. Rather than a bucket of soapy water and a garden hose, many people choose to use a pressure washer for this essential task. It’s a great idea, but it’s important that you choose a pressure washer with the appropriate PSI to avoid damaging your vehicle.

What Does PSI Have to Do With Washing My Car?

PSI or pounds per square inch, refers to the amount of force the water coming out of your pressure washer has. The higher the PSI, the more force behind the water.

If you’ve ever washed your vehicle using a garden hose and sprayer, you know that there’s very little force behind the water. It can’t really remove any of the dirt without a great deal of effort and time on your part. The reason is simple, there isn’t enough pressure (PSI) to create the force necessary for a good cleaning.

After reading that last bit, you may think that a high PSI is necessary to get all that dirt and grunge off your car, that’s not necessarily the case. In fact, if you use a machine with too high of a PSI, it can severely damage the paint or break your windows. That’s something you simply do not want, so you need to choose a machine with the appropriate PSI setting.

Can High PSI Really Damage My Vehicle?

Absolutely. If you’re using a heavy-duty pressure washer with a high PSI, it can be difficult to handle. You could easily lose control of the wand and damage your vehicle’s paint job. Hold the nozzle in one place for too long and you could dent the surface, remove the paint, or even blast a hole in one of your windows. You could also put yourself at risk of injury if the PSI is too much for you to handle.

So, What PSI Is Best for Washing My Car?

Clearly, a garden hose has way too little PSI, but a heavy duty pressure washer will produce way too much pressure. There is a happy medium, however. The best PSI rating for car washing with a pressure washer is somewhere between 1200 and 2200 PSI. This kind of force will easily remove caked on mud, road tar, and other dirt and grime from your vehicle, tires, and windows.

Look for a home-use pressure washer that delivers a moderate PSI to keep your vehicle clean and shiny this summer, but don’t stop there. You can also use it to clean your RV, boat, off-road vehicles, and more. Plus, it’ll come in handy for a variety of home cleaning projects that require a more delicate touch.

Best pressure washer for washing cars

My favorite pressure washer for washing cars is the light duty Greenworks 1600 PSI electric pressure washer. Greenworks makes a ton of good pressure washers – a ton of them we have reviewed and I still own a few.

The Greenworks 1600 PSI electric pressure washer is a little on the low end for pressure on a car, but it is definitely safe. One thing I love about this one is the size of the machine. A lot of the other electric pressure washers are tall and some even have hose reels on the top of them. 

The bad thing about taller pressure washers is that they can easily be tipped over. Not exactly what you want when you’re up close to your car trying to do some detailed cleaning work. These can easily tip over and scratch your car – something you can’t just wipe off.

The Greenworks 1600 PSI pressure washer also comes with a nice little soap cannon so you can add your own mixture to the outside of the car prior to a nice rinse. The best reason of all to grab this pressure washer is that it is currently on sale for under $100. You can grab it on Amazon where it frequently goes on sale.

What features to look for in a pressure washer

Honda pressure washers make it relatively easy to knock off one of the biggest must-haves on your list: a reliable and powerful engine. But there are a few other things we recommend truly making sure are available when searching for a new pressure washer.

Nozzles Matter

• When choosing a pressure washer, you should pay attention to the nozzles included in the package. Two types of spray nozzles are available, adjustable spray nozzles that can be controlled and quick-connect nozzles with predefined spray patterns.  
• The predefined spray patterns typically come in different angles, allowing for you to quickly switch between a broad, lower pressure spray or a narrow, higher pressure stream.
• Quick connect nozzles are super convenient, but they’re almost like airpods – you can lose them!

Soap tank availability

• Additionally, you may want to consider a soap tank-equipped pressure washer. Some of these pressure washers have “foam cannons” where you can simply add some soap and it will mix it in with the water. Pretty cool.
• I recommend a soap tank for cars and windows.

Wheels on pressure washers

• Despite these seemingly minor features, they can have a big impact, especially with larger units. No sense in lugging around one of these in your yard and tripping all over the place.
• Some pressure washers have a tendency to flip over and be top heavy, so make sure the base is sturdy.
• If you’re on the job site, keep an eye out for never-flat tires that will protect the wheels in case there are spare nails laying around.

Hose types

• There’s a big difference between how easy or difficult it is to use a pressure washer based on the kind of hose that comes with it. Stiff, rigid hoses make it extremely difficult to have any maneuverability without messing up the job or knocking over the base.
• Length is also important for pressure washer hoses as you can end up in a tight spot, literally, if you don’t have enough reach.

GPM and PSI on electric pressure washers

GPM stands for gallons per minute. GPM measures how quickly water is leaving the end of the electric pressure washer. PSI stands for pounds per square inch and is a measure of pressure that is being applied out of the electric pressure washer.

If this is confusing to you, you’re not alone. In reality, if you are looking for power, you want both. They work hand-in-hand to deliver water from the machine at a high rate and effective and efficient volume.

For reference, a pressure washer can have a high PSI but a low GPM, meaning it is able to have a high pressure but generally not over a large area. Having both a high PSI and high GPM means that it’s coming out fast and it’s producing a more effective stream.

Likewise, you can also have a low PSI and higher GPM. This is a good ratio for cleaning cars because you get a lot of water at a safer pressure.

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