Super Clean Balcony with a Cordless High-Pressure Washer

A weekend of heavy rain as a typhoon approaches.

I did a sort of makeshift car wash.

Wearing rain gear top and bottom and rubber boots. I was invincible.

I put the detergent I bought at Costco into a bucket and splashed in a liter of water.

While walking down the stairs to the parking lot, I squeezed the sponge to lather up the detergent.

I'm sure orthodox drivers wouldn't wash their cars like this.

I just really want to take the easy way out, so I regularly apply a glass-based coating called Bliss.

Since it gets dirty immediately when parked outdoors, I figured washing it quickly on a rainy day should remove quite a bit of the grime.

With that simple mindset, I started my rainy-day shampoo.

You can keep your car looking quite clean just by using a glass-based coating and a rainy-day shampoo.

If it were a day after the rain, I would finish up with a shampoo, a jet wash using a cordless high-pressure washer, and a glass-based coating.

It gets tiring if you go that far, but it only takes about an hour.

I'm not often blessed with the right timing, but the time right after the rain on a weekend is my favorite.

This time, it turned into a torrential downpour, so I just did the shampoo. I headed home right away.

A rainy day is a great opportunity.

Actually, it's another chance for cleaning.

It's time for balcony cleaning.

I originally bought a cordless pressure washer so I could wash my car on the apartment premises.

It's powerful and has great cleaning performance, making it perfect for cleaning the balcony.

If you only use it in an environment where there is a faucet and an outlet nearby, Karcher is the only choice.

However, since I don't conveniently have a faucet or power source, I bought a cordless pressure washer. As long as you have a bucket and a water tank, you can clean anywhere.

I prepared eight empty 2L plastic bottles in a spare waterproof backpack.

I fill these with water and carry them on my back.

Plus, since I'm doing the balcony this time, I have two buckets full of water. I also prepared towels. Now I'm ready to go.

I head to the balcony wearing a raincoat and rubber boots.

First, I visually check the surroundings. I make sure that water spray won't fly onto neighbors' laundry or cause any trouble.

Cordless pressure washers splash more water than you'd imagine, so I have to be careful.

On a heavy rainy day like today, it's rare for anyone to be doing laundry, so I limit my jet washing to rainy days.

I jet wash the window glass and screens. The dirt flows away like a waterfall. It's refreshing.

The windows are relatively easy to clean, so the rest is the floor and around the drain. Also, the back of the potted plants.

The floor has sand and dust accumulated in the grooves, so I go back and forth many times to scrape off the dirt, and then use the cordless pressure washer's jet spray to wash it all the way to the drain.

If you do this job halfway, the mud will harden after the floor dries, which is no good.

Once you've removed as much dirt as possible, make sure to rinse it all the way through to the end.

That said, I'm an amateur, so I don't worry about a little unevenness.

Finally, I squeegee the water off the window glass and screen doors and wipe them dry.

I finish by wiping off any remaining mud from the floor with a dirty towel.

Just by pressure washing the balcony with a cordless pressure washer, the balcony feels refreshing the next day.

The window glass is also completely free of pollen and yellow sand from March and April, and the light from outside comes in so brightly it's dazzling.

I read in Feng Shui that cleaning windows is auspicious, and I can really feel my luck improving.

It feels so good that I can feel my luck rising beyond any logical explanation.

The best thing about a cordless pressure washer is that you can use it for high-pressure cleaning anywhere.

The one I have doesn't get used for a full hour for car washing, but the battery lasts long enough to wash one car.

It easily handles at least 30L of water (the maximum amount of water used for a normal car wash).

The power of the jet spray is also better than expected.

It blows away the assumption that it wouldn't be powerful enough just because it's battery-operated.

Mine is a no-brand product that I got on sale for about 5,000 yen.

I bought this with the feeling that if I could use it 10 times, it would be worth it, since self-service car washes in my neighborhood cost 500 yen.

Including cleaning the balcony and the area around the entrance, I should have already gotten my money's worth.

So far, there have been no issues.

The battery also lasts about 3 hours on a full charge.

It's supposedly compatible with Makita products, but my Makita vacuum is 14.4V. The cordless high-pressure washer is 21V, so I can't use it...

The advantage is that you can use it anywhere as long as you have a bucket and water, but

conversely, the disadvantage is that you have to prepare the bucket and water yourself.

Fetching the water beforehand and carrying it is a bit of a workout.

If you can clear that hurdle, it can be used in many places, and for around 5,000 yen, it's very convenient to have one in every home.

Also, it came with a dedicated case, but since I have to dry it after use, I don't use the case.

After use, I wipe it dry, let it air dry in the shade on the balcony, and then store it in a cardboard box.

So, the fact that it takes up space equivalent to a 100-size cardboard box is a bit of a nuisance.

If you are someone who can manage it diligently by drying it and storing it in the dedicated case, it can be stored in a size about as big as a screwdriver set.

Cleaning quickly with a cordless high-pressure washer.

It feels just like a game and is very refreshing.

Moreover, the sparkling clean result after cleaning feels doubly good.

I got carried away and wrote over 2,000 characters.

[Caution] When using a portable household high-pressure washer in apartment complexes or other multi-unit housing, it can cause water leaks or other issues. We recommend checking your building's management bylaws or contacting the management company before use.

I purchased this one.
It's a no-brand product, but it works perfectly well. I believe the one below is the latest model. It's even better if you already use 21V Makita products, as you can share the batteries.

Kärcher is a brand you often see on display at home improvement stores. When you look for similar cordless machines, they tend to be quite bulky. The price is also quite hefty.
If you are using it in an environment with a faucet and an electrical outlet, I would want the basic model below.

A glass-based coating agent recommended to me by a car enthusiast.
I've tried other coating agents, but Bliss truly delivers the best shine and gloss after application. It's basically fine for anything with a glossy finish, not just cars. I even apply it to my smartphone screen. It's a bit pricey, but even with monthly applications, it lasts for years. My last bottle lasted nearly 10 years.

The water absorption rate is incredible. You can easily wipe down an entire compact car with just one cloth.
It's so easy to use that I also use it to wipe down the bathroom.

A sponge with great value for money and no complaints. It lathers well, too.

In the summer, I especially rely on Temres for water-related chores.
Even after an hour of use, the inside of the gloves hardly gets stuffy.
Both the inside and outside stay completely dry and smooth.
If I had to nitpick, the cuffs of the gloves are a bit short. Sometimes water gets in through the cuffs when I'm washing things vigorously. It would be perfect if the cuffs were a little longer.

The go-to car shampoo that needs no introduction. Just one black capful of detergent, as shown in the photo, per liter of water is enough. Then, just squeeze it with a sponge to create a creamy lather. I wonder how many more car washes it will take to use this all up.