If you are cleanliness freak and take up cleaning the interior/exterior of the house and regular intervals here are some effective tips and tricks to help you get the best cleansing results. Let us start with getting a brief idea of what is concrete cleaning and how to go about it with ease.

Cleaning concrete surfaces, whether at your home or at the garage or in the space outside the house is a relatively easier task to do as compared to other surfaces. Unlike carpets and other types of floorings, concrete surfaces are free of crevices and hence there are fewer chances of dirt and dust getting trapped. Also if they are protected with a sealer they are stain and abrasion resistant.

Cleaning the driveway of your home may be the last you would ever pay attention to. Driveways are mostly functional space for vehicles and hence, most home owners do not give much importance to its cleaning. However, in reality they are the first thing that will get noticed by anyone who comes to your house. A well maintained and sparkling driveway is the first impression of you and your home. It adds value to your property, especially when you decide to sell it. A sturdy and attractive driveway is preferred by most of the home buyers.

Driveway cleaning may sound a tough and time consuming task. Homeowners may not be willing to take up the task themselves. Depending upon how deep your cleaning is or how tough the stains are you may want to hire the services of professional cleaners. A few tricks and tips make the job easier.

  • Power Wash– Most washing contractors recommend using a power washer with at least 3000 psi and flow rate of 4 gallons per minute; will leave your driveway looking new as ever. Higher pressure may be used for getting rid of tougher stains like tyre-skid marks and paint marks.  For cleaning vertical services, a higher flow rate is not recommended.
  • Avoid equipment breakdown– Power washers require timely maintenance as the pressure leads to wear out of the seals, springs and other components.  Some safety measures help to avoid excessive maintenance cost:
  • Running the pressure washer without water causes the failure of pump seal. So avoid doing this to enhance the washer life.
  • Providing adequate volume of water needed by the pump will save the pump from damaging caused by sucking of air.
  • Hot water or Cold water?  Although cold water power washers are available at cheaper rates as compared to the hot water power washer. Cold power washers are a good choice for cleaning smaller surfaces, hot power washers are worth the cost. Hot water power washers are most effective in removing oil and grease stains.
  • Use Bleach– Using bleach to clean the driveways will leave you awestruck especially if the driveways are white in color.  White driveways lose all the color and charm due to the heavy use and look dirtier. A simple mixture of bleach, soap and water will restore the whiteness of your driveway. Bleach forms a very important cleansing agent, especially in case of white driveway cleaning process.

Some stains can spoil the whole face of the driveway and make it look dirtier than ever. Let us see how to deal with different types of stains and make your driveway look beautiful again.

  1. Oil & Solvent spills– Oils from motor vehicles, brake fluid etc. can leave your driveway looking stained and dirty. If left unattended the porous surface will let it seep deep into the tiny holes. The best way out for such stains is to dissolve it and then draw it out. Take some liquid TSP and mix some powdered mixture absorbent product and make a thick paste. Spread it over the stain and scrub with a stiff nylon brush. You can spread an additional layer of the paste and leave it for drying. Scrape it once dried and rinse with a power washer.
  2. Winter Aftermaths– A snow filled winter and slushy roads make it impossible for the vehicles to keep your driveway sparkling. Using a power washer would be the best choice.
  3. Decomposing organic matter– Neglecting the organic matter mess spilled onto your driveway, piles of mulch, fallen leaves and pine needles can result in a stained and messy driveway. Sweep the surface and spray the area with garden hose. For tougher stains mix some strong detergent into hot water and spread it with a herd brittle nylon brush, let it work for some time and rinse.

After putting in all the efforts/money to make the concrete surface look spick and span it is important to maintain the look. Here’s when concrete sealers come handy. They help in protecting the surface from damage, staining and corrosion. They help in preventing the absorption of water and salts by blocking the pores.