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The PSI in the title is not the PSI you clean with

Most electric pressure washer titles lead with "max PSI". That is a short peak. The pressure the machine holds while you work is the rated PSI, and on the listings we read it was 300 to 500 lower. Flow matters just as much. Multiply rated PSI by rated GPM and you get cleaning units, the one number that lets you compare machines.

See the 5 washers we'd shortlist

One example from a listing we read: the Sun Joe SPX3000 title says 2500 max PSI. Its own bullet list says 2030 PSI working pressure at 1.2 GPM. That is 2,436 cleaning units, not the 4,400 you would get by multiplying the two max numbers.

Guides

• The 5 best electric pressure washers in 2026, by rated numbers

  Five electric pressure washers compared by rated PSI, GPM and cleaning units, not max PSI. With what owners like and complain about.

• Max PSI vs rated PSI, and why GPM counts just as much

  Max PSI and max GPM never happen at the same time. How to find the rated numbers, plus a cleaning units calculator.

• Pick the nozzle before you pull the trigger

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• Hose, cord and outlet: the parts nobody checks

  Why hose length matters more than you expect, what manuals say about extension cords, why you need a GFCI outlet, and induction vs universal vs brushless motors.