Demand for pressure washers increases as businesses focus on cleaning

At the outset of the pandemic, the desire to ensure spaces were cleaned in an effective manner led to a demand for cleaning equipment across the board. This demand drove pressure washer sales throughout the pandemic, beginning at the start of 2020 until the end of 2021, as sales greatly outperformed those of 2019. There were many factors behind the increased sales ranging from the increased focus on cleaning to more domestic customers purchasing professional equipment.

As users looked to improve hygiene in sanitary areas and outside of premises, there was a huge demand for hot water pressure washers in particular. With the added bonus of high temperatures that can kill pathogens and bacteria whilst washing them away, hot water pressure washers saw year on year growth as more users turned to them to tackle their cleaning needs.

This was particularly felt within the agricultural industry that relies on the ability to effectively eradicate pathogens to protect livestock and harvests. Between 2020 and 2021 there was a 25% increase in demand within the agricultural sector as more farmers switched from cold water to hot water pressure washers.

A similar increase in demand was felt within the automotive sector with a 40% increase in sales from 2020 and 2021. This was caused by an increase in the number of sales of the compact HDS machines (HDS 6/12 C and HDS 5/12 C in particular). These larger hot water pressure washers come with built-in fuel and detergent tanks, helping to speed up cleaning times whilst maximising the full potential that comes from using hot water to loosen dirt and oil when cleaning vehicles.

Whilst sales grew within these sectors, it was not the case across all industries. As many industries were affected by stayat-home measures that forced closures of industrial sites, the demand reduced as some facilities were left unused. Despite this, demand is expected to increase as we continue to progress out of the pandemic as more businesses continue to focus on ensuring that their working environments are well maintained and kept safe for users.

When it comes to selecting which machines to purchase, there have been a few standout areas that customers are increasingly looking for during the buying process. These range from innovative solutions to support users, to more sustainable operating modes to help reduce the amount of energy that the machines are using.

The EASY!Force trigger that Kärcher has developed has proven to be one innovation that customers continually gravitate towards. The trigger is designed to provide a more ergonomic solution for the end user that can prevent downtime caused by injury. The trigger works by using the flow rate of the water and the pressure it gives off to push the trigger into the palm of the user, activating the pressure washer. This removes the requirement to hold down the trigger, which is key for cleaning over long periods of time where repetitive strain injury is a common issue.

Other solutions we have seen customers gravitate towards are machines with our eco!efficiency modes built-in. Eco!efficiency is a pre-set mode, in a wide range of our machines, that reduces energy and water consumption by up to 20% during use. This reduction enables users to get closer to meeting their sustainability goals without impacting on the quality of the clean that they are delivering. With more customers looking for a way to reduce water and energy usage, we are in the process of looking at ways to expand our current offering to better support our customers.

Another way that we can help them with this is through the expansion of our battery universe platform. The platform contains over 18 machines across a range of different sectors that can all be powered by the same 18V or 36V batteries. These batteries can be moved from one machine to another depending on what is required at the time of use. For instance, car cleaners could go from using the HD 4/11 C Bp pressure washer, that runs off a 36V battery, to clean the outside of a vehicle before using the Puzzi 9/1 Bp Pack spray extraction cleaner to do an intensive clean of the interior upholstery. To move from one machine to the other, the user simply needs to unclip the battery and place it into the next machine.

Offering dynamic opportunities to incorporate batteries as part of a wider cleaning regime will enable users to greatly reduce the environmental impact that they are having. With more cleaning expected than ever before, providing solutions that offer customers genuine return on investment and enable them to be more efficient will be key.

As we continue to develop our next generation of pressure washers, we are increasing our focus on developing more sustainable machines that maximise cleaning opportunities for the end user. We are already looking to introduce more variants of our battery powered pressure washers, to meet growing demand across all sectors, and are busy focusing our efforts on meeting the growing demand from businesses to meet their varying needs. The pressure washer market over the last few years has continued to hold strong due to increased demands for the cleaning of sanitary areas and outdoor premises.

As demand continues to grow for more sustainable options within the cleaning industry, it is important that we continue to focus on ways to help our customers meet their targets without having to compromise on cleaning performance.

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