I tried the Westinghouse electric pressure washer, and it paid for itself in one afternoon

CNN

22-05-2025

I've been using old gas-powered pressure washers for 20 years. While it was quite powerful, it was also loud and heavy, and made you smell like used gasoline after you were done using it. Slowly over time, I've converted to electrical power tools to replace my gas-powered models.
When this electric pressure washer arrived in an unassuming compact box at my front door about a month ago, I'll admit I was not expecting much. But since using it, I've fallen completely in love with it. The Westinghouse pressure washer is powerful, lightweight and well equipped to handle most standard outdoor tasks and cleaning jobs.
Westinghouse ePX3500 Electric Pressure Washer
Super portable and powerful for its size, this pressure washer is easy to store and fully capable of tackling most tough outdoor cleaning jobs at home. If you're anything like me and you get a kick out of restoring and refreshing old things, you'll love using this pressure washer to do just that. You'll be able to reveal the inherent life and color of many objects and restore them to a like-new state, which feels like something of a magic trick.
On the more practical side, proper maintenance of outdoor surfaces like walkways, stepping stones and patios can decrease the chance of slipping on them when wet. Natural organic buildup on these surfaces, like moss, lichen, algae and mildew, can make said surfaces extremely slippery in wet weather conditions. Power washing helps maintain these walkways to ensure their longevity as well as their safety.
While a pressure washer can pose as a significant investment for the average buyer, this review will dive into how I believe the $159 device already paid for itself in one afternoon. Let's dig deeper into the standout features of this zippy outdoor power tool, what it can do for you and why it might be right for all things outside your home.
Assembly was quick, and it's well equipped out of the box
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Although the instructions were not the most obvious, once I figured out where all the pieces should go, assembly was a snap. Literally. All the pieces just snap into place without tools or struggle. Easy peasy.
This pressure washer doesn't come with a ton of bells and whistles, and I'm fine with that. I like that the brand kept the cost affordable and provided users with all the nozzles required to perform most jobs well. It features a soap reservoir for cleaning tasks, a handful of different nozzle types, a gun hose, the gun, and brackets and hooks to organize the electrical cord.
It's easy to operate
For those who are unfamiliar with or new to pressure washers, I put this simple diagram together to give you a sense of what's involved. To get started, first attach your garden hose to the back of the pump as seen in the diagram. Next, attach the gun hose to the front of the pump and then attach it to the gun itself. Once everything is connected, plug the pump into a grounded outlet. Then press the big 'W' button on the front of the pump, and you're ready to go. You can choose which nozzle you want to use based on the task at hand.
This model provides you with five nozzles: A cone-shaped 'turbo' nozzle (not pictured above) or the zero-degree red nozzle should be used to strip paint or clean concrete and be used with caution, as they provide the highest pressure. The 15-degree orange nozzle is great for walkways. The 25-degree green nozzle works best on more fragile surfaces like slate, as well as washing vehicles. The black soap nozzle offers gentle pressure, just enough to spray soap on your vehicle, glass windows and doors.
It performs
Pressure washers are often designed for three main purposes: First, to clean and refresh outdoor walking surfaces, masonry walls and decking. Second, for washing cars, RVs and boats as well as the external glass doors and windows of your home or business. Third, to clean leaves and debris from gutters. I put the Westinghouse pressure washer through its paces by performing a range of these tasks and was impressed with the results.
When testing out the Westinghouse pressure washer on several outdoor surfaces including flagstone, brick and concrete, it did the job without any problems. Following the instructions, I used the 15-degree nozzle for the flagstone and brick. Typically, you should avoid using a more direct nozzle on these surfaces since flagstone has a tendency to flake or 'delaminate,' meaning small chips of the stone can flick off with the water pressure. Similarly with brick masonry, using a more direct nozzle might inadvertently dislodge mortar between bricks. That said, I had no issues with the flagstone flaking or mortar deteriorating as the pressure washer removed the surface buildup, leaving the surface fully intact.
I've never used a pressure washer to clean my car, and I'm now wondering why I didn't do so sooner. Part of it is because I never wanted to lug my old power washer out from the garage, gas it up and get it started. With this one, you just plug it in, push a button and start it up.
I made sure to attach the supplied black soap nozzle to apply the car wash. If you do decide to use this power washer or any pressure washer to wash your car, remember to purchase soap specifically formulated for pressure washers. If you want to use it to wash the external windows of your home, opt for soap for your pressure washer for that purpose as well. If you use regular car wash soap, it will ultimately clog your nozzles or even reduce the lifespan of your washer. I used Kärcher Vehicle Wash and Wax; this company makes an entire line of soaps for different purposes formulated specifically for pressure washers.
If you're particularly interested in this power washer for cleaning vehicles, I would suggest the foam cannon attachment for under $20, which will really help get things super sudsy.
I did end up attaching the 25-degree green nozzle to clean my rims and tires. I prefer to avoid bending over to scrub those rims clean, and the pressure washer made quick work of this otherwise arduous task. Watching it do the dirty work for me was my favorite part of using the pressure washer on my car.
Where I live, I'm surrounded by large trees that seemingly exist for the sole purpose of clogging my gutters. Several times a year, I'm up on a ladder clearing them out. I've heard of pressure washers being used to clean gutters, but I've never used my old model to help out with the effort.
When fall arrives, I plan on using the power washer to clean my gutters again. I like that it allowed me to stay in one place rather than having to move my ladder several times. As long as what you're blasting out of your gutters is fine to fall on the ground below, whether that's in the grass or dirt, it's very effective at this task.
It's practical and cost-effective
In one afternoon, I cleaned my patio, several walkways, a set of gutters and my car. After some quick online searching, I got a sense of what some of these services would cost if you hired a professional. The car wash is easy to calculate; I typically drop $20 at my local spot. The walkways and gutters are a little tougher to calculate as professionals usually charge by square footage of the surface you need pressure washed. Gutters are similar, as it depends on how many of them you need cleaned and their size. The ballpark cost for having professionals perform these services ranges anywhere from $100 to $300 per visit.
Very quickly, you'll see how practical and cost-effective it is to purchase a tool like the Westinghouse pressure washer. It can pay for itself even after its first use, and you can reuse it season after season for years to come.
It's lightweight and portable
The weight of this model makes it surprisingly easy to move around. I was carrying this little guy a lot. If you don't feel like lugging it around all the time, it also rolls smoothly on its included caster wheels. It weighs 20 pounds, but it felt incredibly manageable to move from one location to another.
I really can't get over the compact size of this pressure washer, which is one of its shining strengths. I would have provided measurements, but I thought it would be more useful for you to see it next to an everyday object like a shopping bag. To offer some perspective on its size, wherever you're able to store a shopping bag, you're likely able to store this pressure washer. I could even see it sneaking into the bottom of a closet or tight pantry. Storing it in a shed or garage would be a breeze too.
It's electric!
Choosing between gas-powered and electric tools used to be a tougher consideration for me. With gas, you usually get a more powerful tool that has the perception of being more reliable, as it's typically the product of generations of improvements to gas motors. These days, electric motors have been out long enough that I think they've improved considerably over the years. Most of my power tools around the house are now electric.
I also believe the electric motor aspect of these tools makes them more approachable to a wider audience. They start with the push of a button and, at least anecdotally, seem to require less maintenance over time compared to gas-powered motors.
Assembly instructions could have been clearer
I've assembled quite a bit of equipment and furniture in my life, but assembling this threw me for a bit of a loop. The parts are all clearly laid out in visuals provided in the box, but the brand seemed to have left out small but crucial details that would help with assembly. It was doable, but I think it could have been easier.
Getting a sense of the color coding on the nozzles and what they do took a few minutes to figure out. Not all manufacturers follow the same formats of color and display of nozzles, so it's smart to get acquainted with your own model. The manufacturer provides a table within the instruction manual to help with nozzle identification, but it's not printed with the corresponding colors. They do include an additional card in the box that indicates the color of the nozzles and what they do, but I feel like the table in the user manual communicates their uses more effectively. The degrees are also embossed on the nozzles themselves, so you can figure out relatively easily which is which. Once you surmount the initial nozzle learning curve, you're good to go.
Access to an outlet can be limiting but not a deal breaker
This is not a battery-operated electric power washer, so you will still have to plug it into a grounded outlet. Depending on your use, this could be problematic if an outlet isn't readily available. However, if you're working close to the outside of your home, an outlet should be somewhat reachable, especially if you're tackling walkways from your door to your driveway. Plus, the length of the power cord is 30 feet and the length of the gun hose is 25 feet, which was plenty for my use. If your outlet is located far from your workspace, you have over 50 feet of combined cord to get there, even without an extension cord.
Additionally, you could also purchase a portable electric generator and power the pressure washer using that device. If you still have access to a water source with a hose nearby, you'll be able handle your pressure washing task with the addition of the generator.
If you're already familiar with power washers, looking to replace your current model or considering a second pressure washer, give this one a look. If you're tired of lugging around a bigger model, this one is easy to stow in a small shed or dockside storage container for quick access. If you're used to gas-powered or larger models, think about whether that's truly necessary or if something more straightforward and compact like the Westinghouse can do the trick.
I believe this specific pressure washer is suitable for any homeowner or entry-level landscaper. If you've never used a power washer but have always been intrigued by them, I would not hesitate to consider this one. There's not much to it, but that's where its appeal lies. Its straightforward function makes it approachable even for those who may have felt pressure washers were too complicated or cumbersome.
In the end, I had a lot of fun using it, it saved me a substantial amount of money on professional jobs and I feel great about the personal accomplishment of tackling projects around the house on my own. I think you will too.
How does the Westinghouse pressure washer work?
How does the Westinghouse pressure washer work?
The Westinghouse pressure washer uses different degrees of water pressure to deep-clean various surfaces outside your home, allowing you to save on service calls from a professional. Its quick-connect nozzles allow you to control your desired water flow in order to address each surface and material without damaging it.
Can the Westinghouse pressure washer be winterized?
Can the Westinghouse pressure washer be winterized?
It is generally not recommended to store an electric pressure water outdoors in the winter. However, due to its compact, portable nature and its four-wheel and anti-tip construction, the Westinghouse electric pressure washer is easy and convenient to store indoors in colder temperatures.
CNN Underscored has a team of skilled writers and editors who have many years of experience testing, researching and recommending products, and they ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when applicable to make certain we are testing each product accurately, recommending only the best products and considering the pros and cons of each item. For this article, our director of product design Mark Amadio reviewed a pressure washer that changed the way he cleans outdoors. Amadio also recently reviewed the Walensee weed puller, another game-changing gardening tool.