Stacey Solomon warned over 'costly damage' at £1.2m home Pickle Cottage

Stacey Solomon adores her family home, Pickle Cottage, in Essex. It's where she grows her own vegetables, enjoys idyllic days with her children, and takes on an array of DIY projects. However, the Loose Women star could be putting her property at risk with one of her favourite pastimes… 

The mother-of-five is no stranger to a pressure washer, and as well as using it to blitz her patio, she's tackled a Wendy House, her wooden gate and fence and even a garden bench (seen in this video above). However, garden experts at gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk are urging people to rein it in when it comes to pressure washing. They've disclosed the six things you should never pressure wash…

“There are lots of cleaning tasks made much easier by the blast of a high-pressure washer, including driveways, patios, cars, bikes and garage doors but misusing your pressure washer can cost you," a spokesperson for the company explains.

"The pressure applied by the tool can easily break things like gutters, solar panels and garden lights. Even more robust garden materials, like walls and sheds, must be treated with care - as any cracks and gaps can be further damaged by pressure washers."

Do not pressure wash these items:

Outdoor furniture

Avoid using your pressure washer on painted outdoor furniture, as the blast can strip wood, crack wood or even dent soft materials. If you want to give your garden furniture a good scrub for the summer months, use a sponge and mild detergent.  

Filthy gutters

If your gutters have been clogged or just haven't been cleaned for a while, you should avoid the temptation of using the pressure washer. The pressure can snap brackets, dislodge joints or could even puncture particularly thin plastic. Alternatively, you can get gutter cleaning tools to help scoop out any build up.  

I personally get the professionals in to clear our gutters as it's messy work at a height – I'd rather tackle the weeds and planting and leave someone else to blitz the gutters so I don't break anything.

© Getty Images

Garden sheds

Taking a pressure washer to your wooden garden shed could lead to rotting and warping if the water makes its way into joints and gaps in the building. You should clean your outbuilding with a low-pressure hose and a wood-safe cleaner to keep it looking its best for as long as possible. With metal sheds, you need to be sure that the galvanised coating is completely intact with no gaps before bringing it into contact with water.

Bricks 

Any bricks on outbuildings, garden walls or your home that are a little older shouldn't be blasted with a pressure washer. If they are crumbling at all or looking a little loose, a pressure washer could cause costly damage. Instead, clean carefully by hand or with a low-pressure hose. 

© Getty Images

Garden equipment

If your mower, hedge trimmers or other electrical garden equipment are looking a little dusty after being stored away for the winter, make sure to avoid cleaning them with your pressure washer. Instead, use a dry brush to remove any debris and then you can always go back in with a cloth by hand.

Garden lights

Garden lights are often delicate and can easily crack when faced with a pressure washer. Small solar panels commonly used on outdoor lights are also particularly delicate. 

© Getty Images