Tips for Pressure Washing with Ryobi 2000psi Machine

Will This Small Pressure Washer Get the Job Done?

8/28/2024

text by Vicki Sign up here to join our weekly email newsletter!

Our local library offers a "Library of Things" where tools, games, electronics, and more can be checked out free of charge.

We noticed that one of the tools that could be checked out was a Ryobi 2000 PSI pressure washer.

We've actually had a lot of experience with pressure washing. We have a Ryobi 2300 PSI electric model that we've used for the past six years so we were curious how this lower PSI pressure washer would compare.

The "Library of Things" is very popular so it took a few months of waiting before it was time to head to the library to pick up the pressure washer.

Picking up the Ryobi 2000 PSI pressure washer at the Leon County Library.

There are many branch neighborhood libraries, but to pick up the pressure washer, we headed to the main location downtown.

Tools:

RYOBI 2000 PSI 1.2 GPM Cold Water Corded Electric Pressure Washer (Home Depot)
RYOBI 12 in. 2,300 PSI Electric Pressure Washers Surface Cleaner (Home Depot)
SIMPSON Universal 15 in. Surface Cleaner for Cold Water Pressure Washers Rated Up To 3700 PSI (Home Depot)
Ortho Dial 'N Spray Hose End Sprayer (Home Depot)
ECOLAB 1 Gal. All Purpose Premium Pressure Wash Concentrate, Removes Stains on Patios, Cars, Wood and Utility Trailers (Home Depot)
Wet and Forget 48 oz. Outdoor Moss Mold Mildew and Algae Stain Remover with Rapid Application Hose End (Home Depot)

Using the turbo nozzle on the Ryobi electric pressure washer.

The first tip is to wear appropriate clothing, shoes, and PPE. Pressure washing is dirty, messy work. If you are using the turbo nozzle (shown here), there will be lots of over splash onto everything in its path. Rain boots are a must as are protective eye and breathing PPE.

Cleaning up the siding before the overspray dried.

Also, before moving onto another area to clean, be sure to take time to use a hose to clean up the overspray before it dries. Here we had to clean up the siding, a plant stand, and our PVC garden gate.

Ecolab all purpose premium pressure wash and ortho dial n spray.

We sometimes will use a commercial cleaner prior to pressure washing. It is helpful on really dirty surfaces. On both the Ryobi pressure washers, there is a place to add a cleaner. We've used this feature in the past but found it awkward to use and clean. We found this Ortho sprayer and tried it out.

Using the ortho hose in sprayer with the Ecolab pressure wash cleaner.

We added the cleaner to the Ortho sprayer, dialed in the correct volume, added the hose and then sprayed the cleaner onto these extra dirty pavers.

The Ryobi 2000 PSI pressure washer doesn't take up a lot of storage space.

There are many models of pressure washers. Do your research on what might be best for your needs. Borrowing this one from the library made us realized that this 2000 PSI washer, with its small, space saving build, would have been a good option for us.

Cleaning with the Ryobi 2000 PSI pressure washer.

There are also pressure washers you can rent if you want to try before you buy.

Using a Simpson pressure washer surface cleaner.

This is a must-have pressure washer accessory if you are doing a lot of flat surfaces such as driveways and sidewalks. It fits on the end of the wand just like a nozzle.

You can find the surface attachments where they sell pressure washers. Ours is by Simpson, but Ryobi does sell one as well. (At the time we got our Ryobi pressure washer, there was no Ryobi branded one available. This Simpson one worked well on both this borrowed machine and the one we already own.)

The last tip is to know what you can and can not safely pressure wash. Concrete, yes, vinyl siding, no.

To keep the vinyl siding clean, we regularly use the Hose-In version of outdoor Wet & Forget. It works over time, so it's not quick, but it works quite well.

Using Wet and Forget outdoors on the driveway.

We accidentally did a pressure washing verses Wet and Forget test on the driveway.

The Wet & Forget which was on the bottom half worked as well as the pressure washer. It's a great alternative to pressure washing if you're willing to wait for the results.

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

Ryobi 2000 psi pressure washer before returning it to the library.

The last thing we did before returning the machine to the library was to make sure it was as clean or cleaner than when we got it. Also, if you borrow from a friend, always return the machine or tool clean!

Ryobi 2000 psi

Ryobi 2300 psi that we own.

After using this smaller pressure washer, we can say it will get the job done and works just the same as our pressure washer. If you are looking for a compact pressure washer, this is a great option!

Borrowing tools from the library proved to be a very positive experience. We borrowed this pressure washer after we borrowed an electric auger. Both worked well and were in excellent condition.

We will be looking forward to borrowing more things from "The Library of Things!"

Please note: This is not a sponsored post.

FYI: We are not professionals, and we don't claim to be. This is what we found worked for our project. Yours may need a little different approach. Safety first!

FYI: Affiliate links are being used on this page. Purchasing via these links help support MDP.