Abstract: A portable, high-pressure, power washing system is described which includes an electric motor driven gear pump where the electric motor is effectively water cooled by virtue of being contained in a thermally conductive housing surrounded by an insulating water jacket through which the water being pumped is made to flow before reaching the pump's inlet port. The pump is driven through a gear reduction mechanism such that a relatively inexpensive, single-phase, series AC (universal) motor normally operating at a high rpm can be employed. By proper dimensioning of the pump chamber relative to the drive and idler gears and by providing a flow divider at the pump chamber's discharge orifice, high pumping efficiency is obtained. Completing the assembly is a discharge wand for directing the high pressure water at the surface to be cleaned and for controlling the on/off state of the pump's drive motor.