It’s a bright, beautiful, sunny day.
You step outside ready to tackle some home projects. You do some quality yard work around your house. You are done for the day, right?
Not so fast. You then notice how dirty your driveway is.
You just have to clean it.
Before you clean your driveway
Before cleaning any or all of your driveway, make sure the area to be cleaned is clear of everything – cars, toys, and sports equipment.
- You will need the following:
- A bucket
- Biodegradable soap
- A scrubbing brush (with or without a handle, but a brush with a long handle will save your back)
Cleaning a Spot on Your Driveway
General stains are going to be the easiest spill to get off your driveway.
- Begin by taking your bucket and filling it with warm water.
- Next, add the soap to the bucket to create the cleaning solution.
- Start scrubbing the affected area vigorously with the brush.
- After you have scrubbed the stain out, rinse the area with clean water by utilizing a hose.
Oil Stains will be a bit more stubborn, thus requiring more effort to remove.
- You will need the following:
- Sawdust or cat litter
- Absorbent cloth or towel
- Hose with pressure nozzle attached
- Degreaser
- As soon as you see the spill, Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia suggests sprinkling sawdust or cat litter around the spill to contain it.
- Next step is to use the cloth or towel to absorb as much of the oil as you can.
- After cleaning up as much of the spill as you can, apply an engine degreaser, allowing it to sit for 10 minutes, then wash the affected area with the hose.
Pressure Washing Your Driveway
Before we get into how to clean your driveway with a power washer, you want to stay safe when using such a powerful piece of machinery.
According to the CDC, power washers spray water at a high pressure to create a stream capable of cleaning over large surfaces. This stream of high-pressure water can easily cause serious harm. Always make sure you are aware of where you’re spraying so as to avoid injuring those around you or yourself.
Now, on to your driveway!
- What you’ll need:
- Pressure washer
- Biodegradable detergent
- Detergent attachment for your power washer
- 15-degree tip
- 25-degree tip
How to Pressure Wash Your Driveway (step by step)
- After preparing your power washer per the manufacturer’s instructions, pour the detergent into the appropriate compartment in your power washer.
- Attach the detergent nozzle. Starting from the lowest elevation portion of your driveway, start spraying the detergent across your driveway while avoiding any surrounding vegetation. Allow the detergent to sit for at least 10 minutes.
- Attach the 25-degree tip. Start spraying from the highest elevation on your driveway. Spray across the width of your driveway, working your way down the length of the driveway and working towards the area of lowest elevation.
- When you have finished washing the entire length of the driveway, attach the 15-degree tip to remove any stubborn stains that may still be lingering.
- Repeat the 3rd step with the widest angled tip you have to wash away any remaining dirt or debris.
Driveway Cleaning Without a Power Washer
Another way to clean your driveway is to use a garden hose with a high-pressure nozzle attachment.
To clean your driveway with a garden hose, you’ll need:
- Push broom
- Garden hose with high-pressure attachment
- Washing soda (almost as easy to find as baking soda, but it is not the same)
- Deck brush (stiff bristle brush)
- Bucket
How to clean your driveway without a pressure washer:
- Begin by using the push broom to remove any surface dirt from the driveway
- Dissolve washing soda in warm water. Dissolve 2.5 ounces of washing soda for every gallon of warm water
- Using the deck brush, scrub the driveway by dipping the brush in the washing soda solution. Start from the lowest point of the driveway, working your way to the highest point.
- After you have scrubbed the whole driveway, use your hose with the attachment to wash everything away back to where you started scrubbing.
Pressure Washing Professionals
While doing spot removal on your driveway may be a DIY project, whole driveway cleaning is certainly much more complicated – not being the easiest task to be completed properly. With the need for so much special equipment, consider the option to clean your driveway. Multiple professional services are available that will come to your house to complete the job for you.
A professional power washing service will have all the skills and knowhow to complete any size job, effectively remove stains, mold and mildew off your driveway.
Use professional services that employ knowledgeable technicians who will take great care of your property.
A light cleaning is a great alternative to power washing your driveway, but a power washer will achieve a deeper clean due to the high pressure stream of water.
If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of whole driveway cleaning or have a large job to be completed, hiring a professional service, like us, will be your best bet.
With more than one option to clean your driveway, take the time to consider all possible solutions for your needs so that the job will be done well the first time around, leaving you with a satisfied feeling of a freshly cleaned driveway.