How to Use Power Washers on Wood Desks

Some people may balk at the idea of using a power washer on a desk or any other kind of furniture. After all, power washers are for durable things like floors, vehicles and the sides of houses. But if you're restoring a desk made from reasonably intact wood, stripping off paint with a power washer can save you literally hours. The hardest parts are getting over the incongruity of the piece and making sure the desk is completely dry once you're done.

Power washer
Water hose
Towels

Instructions

- 1
  Confirm that the desk is made from wood or metal. Particleboard and the cardboard components of many cheap desks will come right apart in a pressure wash.
- 2
  Move your desk outside or to a shop with drainage. For best results, do this on a sunny day.
- 3
  Attach your power washer to your water supply using your hose. Plug it in as recommended in the manual. If you don't have a power washer, you can rent one at your local home improvement center.
- 4
  Set the spray nozzle of your power washer for a fan setting. This produces a thin, wide stream that is less likely to scar wood than a jet setting.
- 5
  Spray the desk at a 30 degree to 45 degree angle, moving the spray in long, slow strokes. For best results, target points where the paint has begun to come free and spray at the underside of the paint, causing it to peel up in large pieces.
- 6
  Dry the desk completely using towels once you've removed all the loose paint. This step is imperative. Getting wood wet doesn't damage it, but leaving it wet for even 10 minutes can discolor or warp it.

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