Driveway Cleaning: How to Clean Any Type of Driveway and Type of Stain

The exterior of your home requires a lot of care and attention to keep it looking its best. You spend lots of time on your landscaping — mowing, trimming, weeding, etc — but if you don’t keep up with your property’s different surfaces, your home overall will not look as good as you might wish. Keeping your home’s siding, roof, and driveway clean all have a great impact on overall curb appeal. Driveway cleaning specifically helps you make a great first impression. Many people don’t think about cleaning their driveway, but with yearly cleaning, you can assure your home is the envy of the neighborhood.

Benefits of Regular Driveway Cleaning

You may not think of your driveway as something needing cleaning, but over time, your driveway can accumulate stains, dirt, and grime just like any other surface on your property. Regular driveway cleaning offers many benefits:

Great curb appeal
Increased home value
Increased life span of the driveway
Prevents stains from becoming permanent
Discourages growth of organic materials

For all of these reasons and more, it’s a good idea to make driveway cleaning part of your annual or semi-annual routine. Your neighbors and home will thank you for it! Before you tackle your driveway, however, it is important first to know what kind of stain you are working with.

Common Driveway Stains

Your driveway gets lots of wear and tear, so consequently, there is going to be a stain once in a while. However, accurately identifying the type of stain is important so that you choose the proper driveway cleaning technique. Check out these common driveway stains and how to clean them below:

How to Clean Oil and Grease Stains on a Driveway

You should always clean an oil or grease stain as soon as possible. The longer it’s left to sit, the harder it will be to remove later on. Follow these steps for ridding your driveway of oil or grease stains:

For fresh stains, use a spill absorber to soak up the liquid. Kitty litter or a specialized absorber will work. Dispose of the dried liquid.
Apply a degreaser product to the stain and let it soak for 3 to 5 minutes. A longer soaking time may be needed for larger stains.
Scrub the stain with a stiff-bristled brush.
Rinse. A pressure washer will be most effective but you can try your garden hose first.

How to Clean Spilled Paint Stains on a Driveway

As with oil and grease stains, the sooner you can clean up a paint spill on your driveway the better.

For fresh spills, use a spill absorber to soak up the liquid. Kitty litter or a specialized absorber will work. Dispose of the dried liquid.
For acrylic (water-based paints) you can use dish soap and water to scrub the paint out. For alkyd (oil-based) paints, you will have to use a paint stripper or solvent.
Scrub with a bristled brush.
Rinse. A pressure washer will be most effective but you can try your garden hose first.

How to Clean Rust and Dirt Stains on a Driveway

For driveway cleaning involving rust or dirt stains, follow the steps below:

Make a trip to your local hardware store for a rust or concrete cleaner. Follow the directions on the container. Most will recommend diluting the solution with water.
Scrub with a hard bristle brush.
Rinse. A pressure washer will be most effective but you can try your garden hose first.

The last step in cleaning any stain off of your driveway is rinsing. However, if you are lucky and your driveway doesn’t have any of these stains, you can proceed right to the washing of your driveway. In addition, just like there are many types of stains, there are also many types of driveways. Depending on what kind of driveway you have, a different cleaning method may be required.

Driveway Cleaning Procedures for Different Driveway Types

Cleaning your driveway can be a fairly simple process, but depending on the type of driveway you have, you may need to clean it a different way. We’ve broken down the most common types of driveways and how to clean them below:

Concrete Driveway Cleaning

Concrete is the most common type of driveway for many good reasons. It’s durable, versatile, and economical. When cleaning your concrete driveway, follow the steps below:

Brush or blow off any excess dirt or debris off your driveway.
Remove any stains following the steps above.
Rinse if removing stains or wet your driveway if it is stainless.
Using a concrete cleaner or dishwashing detergent, follow the directions on the container and use with your garden hose. A power washer is much more effective if you have one or can hire a professional.
Rinse the driveway and let dry.

Asphalt Driveway Cleaning

Asphalt is another common type of driveway. Its color and durability make it a good choice for many homeowners. It won’t appear as dirty as its fellow concrete driveways because of its color, but it also makes stains harder to see. Be sure to check your asphalt driveway regularly for stains, or you could end up with a harder driveway cleaning job down the road!

Follow the steps below to clean your asphalt driveway:

Brush or blow off any excess dirt or debris off your driveway. Be sure to also remove any loose asphalt.
Remove any stains following the steps above.
Rinse if removing stains or wet your driveway if it is stainless.
Using an asphalt cleaner or dishwashing detergent, follow the directions on the container and rinse with your garden hose. A power washer is much more effective if you have one or can hire a professional. Always be sure to spot test before you do the whole driveway.
Rinse the driveway and let dry.

Though concrete and asphalt driveways are more common, there are many driveways out there still made with brick. It’s easy to see why, as brick is an attractive option when installing a driveway. Depending on how it is laid, it can offer an aesthetic appeal that concrete and asphalt cannot. If you’ve invested money in your beautiful brick driveway, we recommend following the below directions to keep it clean:

Brush or blow off any excess dirt or debris off your driveway.
Remove any stains following the steps above.
Wet the driveway thoroughly using buckets or your garden hose.
Using a stiff brush and dishwashing detergent, clean the bricks. It may take a bit of elbow grease!
Rinse and let dry.
The easiest way to get brick driveways clean fast is through pressure washing. Surface cleaners are very efficient and can save you lots of time!

Call Dr. Powerwash for Driveway Cleaning in Virginia!

Though driveway cleaning can take a long time, it doesn’t have to! Instead of spending your weekend fighting stains and scrubbing your driveway, give us a call at 434-285-0234 or fill out our online form for a quote today! We have the equipment, crew, and expertise to make any driveway cleaning easy.