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A lot of people use pressure washers to clean up their cars. While this is good, it requires a certain level of moderation.
Pressure washers can damage your car if you do not use them cautiously. But what pressure washer nozzle is safe for car? To put it succinctly, the safest pressure washer nozzle for a car wash is the white-head nozzle.
We will explicitly answer this question in this article. However, it is important to note that you can use a nozzle with different pressure washers.
You may have a powerful pressure washer and decide to get a nozzle that’d step down the PSI so that it doesn’t damage your car.
What Pressure Washer Nozzle Is Safe For Car?
Pressure washer nozzles are color-coded; theirs is white, green, red, and yellow. From the colors, you can easily tell that there are just four types of nozzles you can use with a pressure washer.
Often times, people find it difficult to choose the exact nozzle to use on cars. Well, that’s what we will explain right here.
Read Also: Can I Spray My Car Engine with Water?
Best Pressure Washer Nozzle For Car Wash
First, here’s a graphical representation of the different types of spray nozzles and their uses:
Now, here are the different pressure washer nozzles for car wash:
1. Red-Head Nozzles (0-degrees)
This type of nozzle has the tiniest opening and pushes out water with more force than the other nozzles.
It is not safe to use this nozzle to pressure wash your car. Instead, it is used when trying to remove stains from cemented surfaces.
2. Yellow-head Nozzles (15-degrees)
The opening of this nozzle is a bit bigger than that of red-headed nozzles. A yellow-head nozzle is best for removing dirt from sidewalks and harder surfaces.
You shouldn’t use this nozzle to pressure wash a car.
3. Green-head Nozzles (25-degrees)
The green-head pressure washer nozzles can be used to wash a car. However, you shouldn’t use it to spray your car’s body because the velocity is a bit high.
Instead, this nozzle is best for spraying the wheels, truck beds, and other hard surfaces. This nozzle can also be used to remove mud from cars.
4. White-head Nozzles (40-degree)
Like I said earlier, the white-head nozzle is the safest pressure washer nozzle for cars. White-head nozzle is the best pressure washer tip for car and it cleans more area than the other types.
More so, the spraying velocity is suitable for rinsing off detergent from a car’s body. You can use this nozzle to wash SUVs, Vans, Trucks, and any other car you have.
It is safe to use a white-head nozzle to pressure wash a car engine, but you have to be cautious. Also, the pressure washer must be set to low PSI.
How To Pressure Wash A Car
Since you have decided to pressure wash your car, here’s how to do it without harming your paint.
Make sure the car is not parked directly under sunlight. It is wrong to wash a car under direct sunlight; the foams will dry up quickly and form water spots.
Things you need:
- A car washing solution or detergent
- The pressure washer with green or white nozzle
- A bucket and microfiber towel
- Reliable water outlet
With the items above, you can proceed to pressure your car following the steps below:
- Wet the car with clean water (you can use the green nozzle for this pre-wash)
- Pour in the cleaning agent (detergent) into the bucket and add water
- Dip the towel into the foamy water and use it to wash the car
- Get your pressure washer (attach the white nozzle) and rinse the car
- Use a microfiber towel to dry it up after rinsing off with the pressure washer
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it OK to use a pressure washer on a car?
While you can use a pressure washer to wash your car, it can cause more harm than good if used the wrong way. So you want to be very careful while washing your car with a pressure washer to avoid damaging your car paint.
Is 2000 psi safe for washing a vehicle?
Yes, you can use a 2000 psi pressure washer for your car, just ensure you use the right nozzle.
Is 3000 psi too much for a car?
Yes, a 3000 psi pressure is too much for a car, but you will be fine if you use the correct nozzle. So, you can use a 3000 psi pressure washer to wash a car, but ensure you’re careful and with the recommended nozzle.
But if possible, you will want to avoid washing your car with pressure washers from 2000 PSI and above.
How many PSI is a typical car wash?
According to some expert detailers, you should limit pressure for washing your car to around 1,500 PSI to 1600 PSI.
Is 2200 psi safe for washing a vehicle?
Yes, some people agree that a pressure washer that is 1300-2200 PSI should not cause damage to your car.
Conclusion | What Pressure Washer Tip For Car?
What pressure washer nozzle is safe for cars? The white-head nozzle is best for pressure washing a car; however, the green nozzle can be used to rinse the wheels and other hard surfaces.
Always remember to use a no-lint towel or cloth to dry up the car after a wash.