Your driveway is the very first impression that you make when people visit your home. This is why many homeowners are so keen to ensure that their driveway looks at its very best. And pressure washing is an efficient and eco-friendly method for driveway cleaning that will help your home's curb appeal by making the entrance spick and span. It is a powerful tool, however, so it is important to pressure wash carefully to avoid causing any damage.
Let's take a look at the best cleaning process to properly pressure wash a driveway so that you can do the best job the first time, including our step-by-step guide to pressure washing a driveway. We will also take you through the potential pitfalls involved so that you can do your best to avoid them.
The clue is in the name: a pressure washer uses a high-pressure water jet to blast away dirt, grime, stains, and other materials from hard surfaces. The high force involved means that this type of cleaning has far more cleaning power and is much more effective than a standard garden hose. It also uses less water, making it a more cost-effective and eco-friendly method. You can also check out our post "Why Pressure Wash Your Driveway" for more additional insights.
These two types of machines both work on the same principle of using high-pressure water to blast away dirt. The difference is that pressure washers use cold water whereas a power washer uses very hot water.
The high temperature of the water means that power washing is a more effective cleaning method. Hot water has a higher kinetic energy and can store more dissolved solids than cold water, which means that it is more efficient at carrying away dirt. So a power wash is particularly useful if the surface is heavily soiled or has very tough stains.
Whether you have a concrete driveway or a brick driveway, pressure washing can be a great tool for keeping it clean as long as you do the job with careful consideration. Pressure washers are powerful and there is the potential for causing damage that will need to be rectified later. Read on for our step-by-step guide to pressure washing your driveway.
Before you even touch your pressure washer, you will need to prepare the area. Clear the entire driveway of any decorative objects, children's toys, etc. If you have plants around the edge of the driveway, it is a good idea to cover them with a tarp to prevent any damage from the pressure washer.
It can also be a good idea to cover your windows and doors as there is a good chance that they will get dirty water spray on them.
It is a good idea to remove any excess dirt and debris before going in with the pressure washer. You can do this with a stiff broom or a leaf blower and it will make your job once you start the pressure wash much easier.
It can be very tempting to blast away weeds using your pressure washer but this can be a bad idea. The amount of force you will need for removing weeds can damage a concrete surface. If you have a brick driveway, this can be even more risky. The weeds are likely growing in the pointing between the bricks and if you concentrate a lot of force here, the cement can chip off and your bricks can become loose.
Instead, you should use a standard weed killer to remove your weeds before pressure or power washing.
A pressure washer is a powerful tool and it has the potential to cause injury. The jet can break the skin and cause cuts and any loose stones on the surface can easily fly back and hit you. So it is always a good idea to make sure that you are well-protected with safety gear before beginning to pressure wash a driveway.
You should use:
You can just use the power from the pressure washer to clean your driveway but using a surface cleaner will usually make the job easier. You can buy specialised driveway cleaning solution products or you can use a cleaning detergent.
Your pressure washer will usually have a setting for spraying surface cleaner which is low pressure and allows you to cover the entire surface.
If there are oil stains on your driveway, now is a good time to use a degreaser on them and give them a good scrub. These can be stubborn stains and a degreaser will help to lift them from the surface.
Now you're prepared and the driveway surface is prepared, you can attach your pressure washer to your hose pipe and start the pressure washing. It is always a good idea to start with less pressure and work your way up if you need to rather than going straight in on the highest setting.
The psi you can get from your pressure washer will depend on the model. Electric pressure washers tend to be less powerful than gas-powered pressure washers. Ideally, your pressure washer will go up to around 3,000 psi but less powerful models will still be able to clean your driveway.
The nozzle you select will determine how small the stream of water will be (with a smaller stream creating a higher force on a smaller area). As with the psi, you should start with a less powerful nozzle first. It can be a good idea to start at 45 degrees and then you can move to 25-30 degrees if you find you need more power to remove all the dirt.
Hold the nozzle around 12 inches away from the surface. If you come across a stubborn stain, you can move the nozzle closer but too much pressure can damage concrete so you do need to be careful. Sometimes it can be better to go back in with a cleaning agent a second time rather than increase the water pressure on a specific spot.
When you pressure wash a driveway, you should start at the top and work your way down. Otherwise, you will find dirty water running onto the surface you have just cleaned. Use horizontal sweeping motions to make sure that you cover every square inch.
If you have a brick driveway, don't focus the lance on individual bricks as it could displace them and don't concentrate the stream on the pointing between the bricks as this could chip away the cement and loosen the bricks.
Once you've completed the pressure wash, you should rinse the driveway to remove any leftover cleaning solution and dirty water. Then leave it to dry. Now you have a clean driveway, this can be a good time to apply a sealant to protect it in the future.
Now we've shown you how to pressure wash a driveway, you can do the job yourself. But what we've also highlighted are the potential pitfalls involved. A pressure washer is a brilliant cleaning tool, especially for an outdoor area such as a driveway, but its power does mean that it can easily cause damage to both a brick and concrete driveway and it can even cause injuries.
Professional pressure washing can be a great way of keeping up with that regular maintenance without risking any damage to your driveway or yourself.
A professional cleaning company will have the experience and training needed to understand how to pressure wash a surface without causing any damage. They will have knowledge of different surface types, be able to identify particularly vulnerable areas, and will know the pressure washer inside and out.
A professional pressure washing company will also have had all the necessary safety training to be able to protect its team from any injuries. They will have all of the safety gear and will know what not to do.
A cleaning company will have access to the most powerful pressure washing equipment and professional-standard cleaning solutions which will make them much more likely to be able to remove all of the dirt and stains from your driveway.
Pressure washing your own driveway can sometimes be a false economy. Any damage you cause when you pressure wash can end up being very costly. If you damage the concrete or the bricks, this can be both time-consuming and expensive to rectify. Using a professional pressure washing company might cost more out of the gate but it could end up saving you money in the long run. For more learnings, you can check out our post "How Much Does Driveway Pressure Washing Cost".
There is no doubt that pressure washing is an extremely effective driveway cleaning method, and it will remove all of the dirt and grime, but it does have the potential to cause damage. If you want to use pressure washing but leave it in the hands of professionals, we are happy to help. Our highly-trained and professional team has years of experience with pressure washing driveways of all kinds. They will be able to wash away all the dirt, grime, and oil stains, leaving your driveway looking good as new and increasing your curb appeal while also protecting the surface.
