Your concrete driveway is durable. It can handle a lot from excessive foot traffic, heavy weather and of course, your car. Just because it can take it all on the chin, however, doesn’t mean it doesn’t need a little TLC. Concrete driveway cleaning is an essential task that needs to be performed correctly to ensure your driveway remains aesthetically pleasing and lasts.
While concrete doesn’t need as much regular care as some other materials, grime and dirt will still build up and the dirtier it gets, the harder it can be to clean. This grime can also lead to unnecessary damage, and the price of replacement is much more of a sting than any cleaning process.
The best options for concrete cleaning are a mix of DIY spot-checks and the occasional professional pressure clean. In both of these cases, however, you need to ensure the correct process. The experts at Enviro Clean & Capture know how you can best take care of this significant investment, so read on for all of the concrete cleaning tips.
Understanding your concrete
While there are a few different options of types of concrete flooring, it is more than likely your driveway is made of standard concrete, which is primarily used for outdoor areas as opposed to decorative concrete which is used indoors. Knowing this makes it much easier to apply the right concrete cleaning methods.
Why is this important? The type of clean and the materials you use need to match your concrete flooring type. When it comes to the more intense clean, namely the high-pressure wash that involves the heavier chemicals, a professional concrete company will know what best suits your driveway. They will also ensure that no unnecessary damage is done during the cleaning of your flooring.
One vital point to consider before you begin or buy any chemicals for your specific concrete is ensuring they are compatible, so you avoid damage or stains. If in doubt, feel free to give the experts at Enviro Clean & Capture a call! We are always on hand to offer advice as your concrete care is our main concern!
The various concrete cleaning methods available
Never give up on your concrete! It is a robust material that can still look brilliant despite its age. The following methods for DIY and professional concrete floor cleaning company will ensure your driveway looks its best.
Ensure you always run a regular sweep of your driveway to target the dirt, grime and grease that builds up over time. This also means you will have a more effective yearly deep clean as well. The consistency of this is up to you, but keep in mind, it can be a little tricky to spot grime on a concrete driveway, so try to avoid leaving it for too long.
To do this, all you need is a broom, a hose with a spray nozzle, and if you want to go the extra mile, a dry granular cleaner. You can level it up with a power washer, but there is no need to get too intense with your spot cleans.
The best method for a successful spot clean is:
- Picking a sunny and dry day with little to no wind
- Clearing your driveway
- Sweeping or using an outdoor vacuum to clean the debris
- Using your hose to spray your driveway on the highest setting
- Spray the whole area, starting at the back and aiming toward an exit point
- Use a side to side motion and be thorough in the corners
- Add the cleaner (optional) while the floor is wet and allow it to soak for up to 30 mins
- Scrub the cleaning solution in with an outdoor broom (if you have used cleaner)
- Rinse with the hose and allow to dry
A power-washer will make the job much more effective (and quicker). While this is the DIY step, a professional cleaning service will still do this for you, saving you time on your weekend and ensuring things are handled correctly. If you want the peace of mind that comes with professional work, schedule in your spot cleans with Enviro Clean & Capture
How to remove stains from your concrete driveway
As we mentioned earlier, your driveway takes a real beating. As a result, the chances of heavy-duty stains are high. It is very unlikely that the spot clean technique we described above will handle or take care of these stains. If you do still see some stains that have been unaffected, all hope is not lost. The type of stain plays a factor, but there are methods to handle all of them, such as:
The best way to get rid of a pesky oil stain is with a spray bottle full of bleach. Be careful when trying this method and wear old clothes that you don’t mind possibly destroying! Simply spray the stain with the bleach and let it sit for 20 minutes, then put in a little elbow grease with a scrub brush, rinse with clean water when you’re done. Please do note that bleach is a hazardous material and you must not let it come into contact with your eyes or skin.
It may seem a little strange, but grease stains are best tackled with kitty litter! Just spread some over the stain and allow it to sit for around three days. This will soak up the stain, allowing you to sweep or vacuum. If this isn’t handy due to your lack of a pet cat, you can try the same method with dry cement. If you do use dry cement, ensure you dispose of it via a rubbish bin as putting it down the sink will lead to serious and expensive-to-repair plumbing issues, and you don’t want that!
Tyre marks are always an issue on the driveway, it’s almost unavoidable and requires a degreaser to rectify. We find that the best option is an orange citrus concentrate as it is safe for you and the environment while also being very effective! Just leave the cleaner on the marks for a few hours, then give it a good scrub with a brush or broom. After this, just rinse and the stain should be gone. If it hasn’t completely disappeared, just repeat this process until it goes.
The option of a professional concrete cleaning company
While there is a fair bit that you can and should do, to clean and protect your driveway, your best bet is to ensure that the required deep clean of your concrete is handled by a professional. The costs of outsourcing this job pale in comparison when you take into account your own time, and the cost of repair should anything go wrong. Mitigate the risk, hand the task to a professional and enjoy your extra spare time!
You can talk to a professional cleaning company about handling your spots cleans, in-depth cleans, or both. This provides peace of mind in ensuring the job is done correctly, while also saving you a significant amount of time and effort. This is important, as sometimes it’s better to allow for that extra free-time on the weekends and handball the job for a small fee!
A professional pressure cleaning service offers the following benefits:
Trust the care of your home to professionals with the right tools and training who will apply the right settings, temperatures and materials to the cleaning of your concrete driveway ensuring the best results, and care.
Sometimes, the hire equipment that is available to you from the local hardware store is in pretty bad shape. You are stuck with whatever options they have available, and the chances that it has been serviced correctly are slim.
Professional cleaners have top-quality cleaning equipment which is often suited for commercial use, therefore excellent on your smaller areas. They offer an efficient clean and best of all; you don’t need to watch YouTube videos trying to figure out how to use it all. It’s done for you. You’ll get the peak performance of this equipment which leads to the best results.
We’ve stressed the importance of using the right cleaners on your concrete driveway, not only for the best clean but also to avoid any expensive harm. Professional cleaners know what is best on each specific surface and will often use industrial strength cleaning materials that your local supermarket or Bunnings won’t sell.
Going the extra mile to protect your concrete driveway
If you really care about your home and want to do whatever possible to keep it in the best shape possible, there is more that can be done than just cleaning. Speak to a specialist concrete expert like Enviro Clean and Capture about sealing your concrete, the benefits of which are significant. Concrete sealing is the best way to protect your driveway and also makes it much easier to clean.
How do you know if your concrete needs sealing? The chances are that your concrete was sealed when it was first installed; however, years of wear and tear will whittle it down. You can test this by performing the following steps:
- Place 15-20mls (roughly a tablespoon) of water on the surface
- Leave it for approximately 20 minutes
- Soak up the water with a towel (press hard to soak up the maximum amount possible)
- If the water has left a dark mark, you need to reseal the surface
Resealing is a great way to make sure you have lifelong protection of your concrete driveway and is a small investment for a significant return.
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Ready to give your concrete driveway the best care possible?
The best care for your concrete can be found with the experts at Enviro Clean and Capture. We offer a well-trained, high-quality team who know how to refresh the life, look and performance of your driveway. We have been providing expert concrete cleaning and sealing in Sydney and Newcastle for over twenty years, and our specialist knowledge is unparalleled.
With our fast response times, and friendly service you and your driveway are in the very best of hands. Top this off with our competitive rates, and a phone call to our team is pretty much a no-brainer.
It doesn’t stop with your concrete driveway either! Our cleaners can handle stone and tile as well as indoor services. Basically no matter where it is in your home, your natural stone is safe in our hands. We also offer an after-hours service and cutting edge technology to make sure we work to your convenience and provide high-quality results.
Further to this, we place a significant importance on environmentally friendly processes as we take our responsibility to help protect the planet very seriously!
Speak to our expert team about the following services:
For homes in Sydney and Newcastle, hand the time-consuming physical task of cleaning over to us and free up your spare time for something far more enjoyable!
We will ensure the finest clean and service that your most valuable asset deserves. A near-new look is always possible, contact Enviro Clean and Capture today. We also handle commercial properties, so if your business needs a spruce, let us know!
Visit the Enviro Clean and Capture website where you’ll find a quick quote form or just give us a call and let one of our friendly team members know what you need.
You always get expert advice when you chat with our specialists, and we’ll make sure we find a solution that fits your budget (our great prices make that easy). Chat to us today and let’s get your area looking its best!
