We often have had people ask our opinions on different car detailing and washing equipment and whether or not they should use certain things on their customers vehicles or their own. Gas pressure washers come up when it comes to larger vehicles, RVs, semi trucks or heavily soiled vehicles.
Can I use a Gas Pressure Washer on My Car?
Short answer: you can, but you probably shouldn’t—at least not without being very careful– and we as a company do not. Let’s go over some basics and we will see why and explain more at the end.
What a gas pressure washer can do
Gas-powered pressure washers are built for heavy-duty cleaning (driveways, siding, equipment). They typically run anywhere from 2,000 to 4,000+ PSI, which is far more force than a car’s paint and trim are designed to handle.
That kind of pressure can do
- Strip or chip paint
- Force water into seals (causing leaks or electrical issues)
- Damage rubber trim, emblems, and sensors
- Leave swirl marks or etching
For vehicles, an electric pressure washer (1,200–1,800 PSI) is much safer and still effective. Many professional detailers avoid high-pressure gas units for paint altogether.
Bottom line
A gas pressure washer is like using a fire hose to rinse a wine glass—it works, but it’s overkill and easy to mess up.
As a company, Nomad Wash & Detail won’t use gas powered pressure washers for any of our mobile detailing vehicles. We won’t choose the quick route to get things done fast just to get on to the next job at the risk of ruining your paint job–even if you can’t see it right now. The damage isn’t always visible right away.
Other mobile detailing companies might say it’s fine, and they do it with care and they’ve done it long enough that they know how to do it right, etc. But in actuality–the pressure is just too much. The damage isn’t always immediate. They can’t say they aren’t slowly degrading your paint and clear coat and causing damage that will cause you more issues in the future leading you to come back to them for more services or leading you to a full paint job in the future–which is way more expensive.
It’s not just about getting your exterior detail done in a quicker timeframe. It’s about doing your mobile detailing service the right way, every time and doing it with integrity. We wont knowingly damage your vehicle and using products and equipment that will do that is just not something with which we are okay.
Our guys are car guys and prefer to spend more time on your vehicle than to risk damaging your vehicle in the long run.
