5 Useful Pressure Washer Accessories You Can Get At Harbor Freight

If you have any particularly large areas or surfaces that require regular cleaning — such as a long walkway in your yard, a big car, or even just a driveway that local birds are a little too fond of — it can be a big pain trying to handle all of that with just a mop and a bucket of water. If you need to hit a spot with a lot of water and pressure in short order, put the mop away and bust out a pressure washer from one of the major hardware brands. All you have to do is hook it up to an ordinary garden hose faucet, let the pressure build, and voila: You've got powerful jets of water ready to scrub the crud off of any surface.

While a pressure washer is a very useful gadget to have on its own, though, that doesn't mean the base device is perfect. Without any kind of accessories, a pressure washer's hose can only spray water in one way, which might not suit your particular needs. If you need a bit of customization, pay a visit to your local Harbor Freight hardware store. In addition to Harbor Freight's own store-branded pressure washers, Harbor Freight also stocks a variety of add-ons, accessories, and improvements for pressure washers, many of which, like some of Harbor Freight's other discount offerings, cost less than $50.

You could make an argument for using a pressure washer's hose on its own, specifically that doing so allows you to snake it into cramped spots for detailed cleaning. That may be, but you won't get the kind of control you really need for that kind of work. Attaching a spray gun to your pressure washer hose gives you that greater degree of control, not to mention something more comfortable to hold onto. If it absolutely has to be compact, worry not, because Harbor Freight has just the thing in the form of the Stubby Spray Gun.

As the name implies, this spray gun is just big enough to comfortably fit your hand over the trigger, yet small enough to do all the nook-and-cranny detail work you could want. The trigger features a safety lock mechanism, which both prevents accidental sprays and helps reduce hand fatigue on long jobs. What's especially nice is the Stubby Spray Gun's wide compatibility: It can be attached to any pressure washer up to 5,000 PSI in strength, and features both a universal quick connect collar for attaching all kinds of hose nozzles. Any additional nozzle you'd normally add to your pressure washer hose, you can also add to the front of the spray gun.

On the subject of nozzles, most pressure washer hoses are designed to receive a multitude of nozzles, each one shaping and altering the flow of water in different and subtle ways. However, if you're using individual nozzles, that means you'll have to manually unscrew and swap them out every time you want to change how your pressure washer is spraying. It's an annoying extra step that you could really do without, so why not do away with it by combining a bunch of nozzles into a single convenient package?

Harbor Freight's 5-in-1 Pressure Washer Nozzle merges five different kinds of spray nozzles into a single attachable unit. Just hook it onto a typical quick connect collar and twist the dial to your desired spray setting. You can quickly switch it to 0 degrees, 15 degrees, 25 degrees, and 40-degree spray angles, as well as a separate mode specifically for soap application. The nozzle is compatible with both battery and gas-powered pressure washers, and can withstand forces of up to 3,300 PSI.

If you're cleaning something large and metallic like a car, an RV, or a boat, a pressure washer is a nice way to swiftly remove surface-level crud and quickly apply simple soaps and cleaners. However, if you really want to reach that shiny showroom quality, you need to go an extra step by applying things like wax and sealant. You could do this by hand if you really wanted, but if you need to cover a large area in a hurry, then you'll want a foam cannon. Specifically, you'll want Harbor Freight's Wide Mouth Foam Cannon.

This 33-ounce foam cannon can store a big canister of soap, wax, sealant, or whatever else you're using to give stuff a newly-cleaned shine. Just connect the collar, load your cleaner of choice, and start blasting. The cannon automatically blends soaps, water, and other chemicals to create a thick, clingy foam that'll really get the gunk out of your target. If you need to change the concentration of chemicals in the foam, just twist the detergent dial knob on top to tweak the ratio of cleaning agents to water.

A pressure washer is great for cleaning the scuffs and stains out of walkable surfaces, such as driveways, walkways, sidewalks, patios, and decks. However, if you just point your pressure washer hose straight down, it might clean the surface, but it'll also launch water and soap all over you and everything else in your immediate vicinity. Depending on where and what you're cleaning, this kind of splash damage could be problematic. If you need to keep the cleaning action strictly to the ground, try using Harbor Freight's 14 in. Surface Cleaner attachment.

This thick disc hooks directly onto your pressure washer hose or wand, redirecting all of the water and pressure directly below it as you sweep around. Not only does this help to keep the water spray right on target and out of your face, but the cleaner's built-in dual rotating spray jets give your existing water stream a little extra oomph, focusing the action on those stubborn spots and stains. As an added bonus, the connection port can angle up to 90°, allowing you to set the cleaner sideways and move it up and down walls.

Outside of the major cleaning seasons like spring and summer, your pressure washer is probably just sitting quietly in the corner of your shed or garage. However, despite what its power may imply, a pressure washer is a rather delicate piece of equipment. All of its valves and pipes need to be in perfect working order to safely generate the necessary pressure for spraying water. If your pressure washer has been left in storage for a long time, especially during the winter season, it may be subject to corrosion and freezing. To ensure that doesn't happen, you should pop open a can of STA-BIL Pump Protector before stashing it away.

Just attach a can of STA-BIL Pump Protector onto your pressure washer's inlet before storing it short-term or long-term, and give it a quick spray. A specialized formula coats the insides of your washer, providing lasting protection to the delicate pistons and seals and lubricating all of the moving parts. Plus, this particular formula also contains an anti-freezing agent, ensuring that the pipes and hose won't freeze up during a long winter in storage.