There is something inexplicably therapeutic about cleaning. Perhaps it’s the sense of accomplishment you get from completing a task, the satisfaction of seeing something restored to its original state, or the feeling of control and mastery over your belongings. Regardless, the $19.99 PowerWash Simulator delivers those bizarrely satisfying feelings by letting you blast numerous filthy objects with high-powered water streams. As a Steam Early Access title that’s still in development, the PC game has expected kinks and quirks that could use improvements. However, the flaws are minor inconveniences. Once you pick up your pressurized hose and point it at the dirt, you’ll revel in the joyous emotion that only eradicating stains and restoring beauty can bring.
Play PowerWash
You start the game as a cleaning professional whose sole mission is to clean the world around you. As you navigate through the over-the-top graphics and colorful environments, you’ll come into contact with a wide range of colorful, dirt-filled objects. From toilet rolls to stuffed animals, these will all need TSP to get their salt and vinegar feet wet. Once you’ve flushed a few of these, you can use the power hose to clean all your other dirty things as well. Once you’ve finished your chores, you can clean your game clock, your phone’s calendar, and more.
Addictive, but not for the faint of heart
The classic complaint among the cleaning crew is that they have no ability to tackle more than one or two items at a time. With PowerWash, you’re given a list of what you need to get dirty, what you don’t, and how much to fill the tank. It’s a great idea – you can jot down all your to-do items on paper and then just clean them all at once. However, the amount of to-do you need to do is high. If you’re doing an entire house, you’ll want to do a good number of tasks in one go. Additionally, cleaning this list would take up a good portion of your free time.
The tank has a belly
You’re going to spend the majority of your time in the main menu just waiting for a task to appear. As the Operator, you’ll be assigned tasks such as cleaning the entire indoor and outdoor veranda, sweeping the sidewalk, and interacting with people. While you can clean the entire roof with one hose, the inside of the vehicle will have to be swept too. Once you’ve completed these tasks, you can drive the vehicle to the nearest sweeping spot and then return to your task, happy and ready to get back to it.
Ditch the bleach
We all know that cleaning is a shared activity, but there’s a difference between Ditching the Bleach and Ditching the Toilets. Ditching the bleach is actually pretty fun. You’re left empty-handed, with a fresh set of hands, and able to get back to your task with just a few more applications of the power hoe. Ditching the toilet seats is also a quick, easy and effective way to clear your car of whatever is blocking the seats. You’re left with fresh, clean hands and can go back to the task at hand with no extra effort required.
Strive for perfection
You’re going to have a little problem with this one. It’s a perfectly reasonable request, but every game’s ‘should’ be slightly different’ refrain brings a few hiccups. The main ones being that improving on one task is never an option and that the world will never be half as clean as it could be. So you’re stuck doing everything in your power to make your vehicle as perfect as possible. It’s not just the task itself that’s perfect – it’s the way it is, and the feedback you get from your passengers as a result.
Graphics
The one aspect of the PowerWash experience that everyone seems to forget about is its visual design. Sure, the art style remains largely the same, with a few adjustments for each new environment, but the majority of things have a distinct look and feel. This includes the sound effects, the vehicle sounds, and the various effects that appear when a stain is successfully scrubbed. In many ways, the graphics in PowerWash are even more distinctively beautiful than the original Grand Theft Auto games.
Power Washing Problems
You might’ve heard about the popularity of subscription boxes and the Amazon-powered service called Prime, but the best part about PowerWash is that it’s even cheaper than Prime. The basic package comes with a mirror, a brush, a sponge, and a sponge roller. If you want the ultimate power failure prevention system, you could spend as little as $15 and still get the same results. However, this is a very pricey solution to a very common problem.
Cleaning Zen
The one thing you definitely don’t want to do is clean your kitchen cabinets. That’s what you’re going to do with this! Yes, your kitchen is going to be a mess, but that’s perfectly okay. In fact, it will only get worse as the kitchen turns out to be a living, breathing room where dirt, grime, and hair cling to everything. What you need to do is clean the cabinets as soon as you’ve finished your day job and then throw out any extra items you didn’t want to end up with on the cabinets. After that, you can clean them as often as you like and get ready for the day.
Final Words
The good news is that the weekend is almost over. The bad news is that the weekend is in for some serious dirt. If you’re not up to the task of picking through all the dings, chips, and other potholes that will still be around in the morning, then we suggest you turn off the TV and get to work. The news is going to be filled with dirty things, dirt and all, which will help you get started on the right track.