A pressure washer can turn the daunting driveway clean into a relatively quick and manageable task. They can shoot water (and a cleaner, if using one) at roughly 200mph, making light work of all the built-up dirt and grime on your driveway.
As we discovered in our expert tips for pressure washing a patio, they should be used with caution - especially near and around the home. Pressure washers can cause damage to certain materials as well as grout and joints, so make sure to be careful when tackling the driveway.
But how often should you be pressure washing your driveway? This can vary, of course, but fortunately for us, it isn't too often. We caught up with the experts to find out how often to give your driveway a powerful clean.
How often should you pressure wash your driveway?
Typically, you'll want to pressure wash your driveway once a year. Scott Paul, owner of Deck Stain Help, confirms this: 'Annually is best. This will keep the mold, algae, dirt, and grime off the surface. When you let it go too long, it makes cleaning more difficult to remove all the contaminants.'
Pressure washing your driveway once a year is ideal to keep it clean, but it's best not to clean it much more than that. This is unless your driveway is particularly prone to dirt and grime or is a high-traffic area for muddy vehicles.
Rafi Friedman, CEO of Coastal Luxury Outdoors agrees: 'More often than [once a year] is overkill unless you're specifically cleaning up big messes. Especially if your driveway is older, high pressure can actually cause some damage to it, so it's important not to overdo it.'
We know this to be true as pressure washers are extremely powerful machines, and there are many things you should never clean with a pressure washer because of the potential damage.
Pressure washing your driveway once a year will also save time and energy, compared to the alternative that is using a hose, a stiff bristle brush, and a bucket of cleaning solution.
Scott explains that, with a pressure washer, 'an average driveway of 1000 sq feet can be done in 1-2 hours, compared to hand scrubbing which could take 2-3 times longer.' As pressure washing is so thorough, matching that level of cleanliness by hand is not a light task.
Using a dedicated cleaner, like the Simple Green Oxy Solve Total Outdoor Pressure Washer Cleaner (available at Amazon), can tackle the driveway more effectively than just water. And if you have the time, you can pre-soak the driveway with the solution to loosen up any dirt and grime so that it comes straight off.
Cleaning your driveway. whether pressure washing or not, is an important but often overlooked task. It can elevate the appearance of an entire home, not to mention the satisfaction of driving home to a spotless entry.
To get the rest of your home looking good, here's a simple guide on how to clean outdoor furniture.
