There are plenty of misconceptions about pressure washers damaging your car’s paint. If you think about it, concentrating a jet of water on your car’s paint may seem too much just to get some grime off. You’ll hear arguments about the minute particles of grit scratching the paint before they’re driven of by the high pressure water jet. Anecdotal evidence suggests experience to the contrary, specially if you hit the offending spot at a shallow angle.

A pressure washer works great in getting caked mud, hardened lubricants, and other road grime from a vehicle’s body. It also works great for cleaning under fenders, greasy door jambs, and behind bumpers. But be careful and use common sense. If you blast on a plastic trim, it may fly off, possibly breaking a retaining pin. Or just a part may break off, in which case you’ve incurred some extra expense. And sometimes, sticky …