Outdoor adventures are brilliant fun but they inevitably involve mud. When you’re on the road, like we were this summer, it’s difficult to keep on top of washing off all the boots and bikes that become caked in the brown stuff. So what’s the solution? We were sent a Kärcher OC3 Portable Washer to see if it was up to the job.
At home Mr Tin Box has quite a reputation for car washing. If he’s not in the house I know I’ll find him on the driveway washing his shiny and non-family friendly little sports car or our caravan hauling 4×4. His tool of choice is a Kärcher K4 Premium Home Pressure Washer for blasting off dirt before he starts work with polish and wax. Yes, our cars are well pampered.
When we’re away in the caravan the best Mr TB can usually do is get out a bucket and sponge. Muddy wellies get shown the water tap and a barrel of water might be thrown over bike and pushchair tyres.
We tested the battery-powered Kärcher OC3 Portable Washer during our two week summer road trip around England. 850 miles on motorways and country lanes left Tin Box more than a bit grubby and a weekend at Just So Festival in Stoke-on-Trent was enough to make our wellies suitably mucky.
The portable tank holds 4-litres with a five bar pressure. It comes with a spray gun and hose that fit snuggly under the water tank when not in use making the whole unit really compact. The handle on top of the tank makes it very portable.
Full feature list
- Battery-powered
- 5 bar pressure and 4 litre water tank
- Up to 20 minutes run time
- Sealed water tank to prevent spillages when you’re on the move
Our verdict on the Kärcher OC3 Portable Washer
The Kärcher OC3 Portable Washer is perfect for people who enjoy the great outdoors but don’t necessarily want to bring it home with them at the end of their adventure. The only downside we found was the price. The spray gun was more than up to the job of zapping grime from our caravan, boots and bike wheels. And we never needed it for more than the 20 minute run time as our aim was just to remove the worst of the dirt. At £129.99 it does seem a bit steep but if you’re in need of a small, portable washer to help clean up after your regular outdoor activities then it’s a handy piece of kit.
The Kärcher OC3 Portable Washer is ideal for:
- Washing off boots at festivals
- Bikes after a muddy day on the trails
- Dogs who love to roll in sand, muddy puddles and other stinky things they find on their walks (NB. Don’t try this with a standard mains pressure washer – ouch!)
- Caravans that have picked up mud on the road, especially if you’d like a shiny inside wall once you put up your awning or canopy.
- Pushchair and festival cart wheels
- Water fights with kids when Daddy needs the biggest gun!
How do you clean up your outdoor kit after muddy fun?
Disclosure: we were sent a Kärcher OC3 for the purposes of writing an honest review. All opinions are my own and those of my family.
Pin for later
saki komai
Tuesday 23rd of February 2021
Thank you for sharing your article.
Claire Hall - Tin Box Traveller
Wednesday 24th of February 2021
You are very welcome.
John
Monday 13th of August 2018
Hey Claire,
I love this! what a genius idea. It's always a surprise at how dirty my vehicles get just driving down the english roads, more so when I use the country lanes, having something as small and as portable as the OC3 will be a life changer, thank you so much for this review. We'll certainly be buying one if not to keep the vehicles clean when travelling but certainly to keep our wellies and dogs "car friendly.
Claire Hall - Tin Box Traveller
Monday 13th of August 2018
Glad you found the review handy John