If you have leaf and/or acorn stains on your driveway, the only way to remove those stains is to use a pre and post treatment. Typically these stains will not come up with a general pressure wash cleaning and will need additional chemicals (chlorine in this case) to remove the stains.
Before you get started, you'll want to rent or buy: Pressure Washer. Chemicals to treat the concrete: ph-neutral cleaners for mild jobs, acidic cleaners for tough stains, and alkaline cleaners for oil and grease stains.
The answer is yes – you can power wash with just water! However, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind when doing this. In this blog post, we will discuss the pros and cons of power washing with water, and we will also give you some tips on how to do it correctly.
Overall, we recommend Zep Purple Pressure Wash (US$13.98, The Home Depot). Alkaline cleaners are great for lifting oil stains, grease stains, and other petroleum-based stains from concrete. It's an added benefit that you can use it with a pressure washer, making the job that much easier.
The main difference is that power washing uses highly pressurized steam to do the cleaning while pressure washing just uses unheated tap water, without the help of a heating element.
If you want to clean your driveway quickly and efficiently, use a pressure washer of at least 3100 PSI. Using pressure washers with pressures ranging from 1000 to 2300 PSI will also help you clean your driveway, but it will take a long time.
How often should you pressure wash your driveway? Generally, you'll want your concrete driveway pressure washed at least once a year. This lets you treat sunbaked dirt, grime buildup, and stubborn oil stains, making regular cleaning in between professional washes much more manageable.
To maintain the lighter color of a concrete driveway, many homeowners turn to cleaning with bleach, but you should not power wash with bleach because it can damage your pressure washer.
Best for Driveways: Zep Driveway and Concrete Cleaner
Zep Driveway and Concrete cleaner is suitable for removing concrete stains, dirt, and oil marks. It's a budget-friendly choice coming in a four-pack of 1-gallon jugs. To use Zep Driveway and Concrete cleaner, mix the solution per the package directions.
While pressurized water can be enough to clean your driveway, cleaning agents such as soap or detergent help loosen up all the dirt, grime, and grease. They're also great for targeting stubborn stains. Choose a cleaning agent that is specifically made for your driveway pressure washer.
Concrete cleaning calls for powerful pressure washers featuring high pressure levels of 3000 PSI. However, if you will be using the power cleaner to maintain a range of surfaces in addition to concrete, choose one with adjustable pressure levels and set it to about 3000 PSI when you need to clean concrete.
The quick answer is yes, power washing can degrade a concrete surface.
Carefully Rinse All Soap and Detergent Residue. After you finish your pressure washing, make sure to rinse your surfaces. It's very important to rinse after pressure washing with soap. Any soap residue left on your patio or deck will dry and become sticky, and attract more dirt and grime.
If you use too much pressure while power washing, you could punch a hole in vinyl siding, etch concrete, or splinter wood. Avoid damage by starting on the lowest setting, slowly adjusting the pressure on the power washer, and making sure there's sufficient distance between you and the surface you're cleaning.
It's not necessary, but you can absolutely use soap or detergent when pressure washing your house. Washing with a mixture of soap and water will ensure your siding is spotless when you're finished. However, in many cases it is not necessary to use soap and you can still achieve a powerful result without any product.
Best Time of Day to Power Wash
House washing can be performed at basically any time of the day, as long as you have sufficient light needed to safely complete the job. Extreme summer heat can make it difficult to properly wash your house, especially while working with certain chemicals.
In fact, vinegar removes mold from concrete better than bleach. Bleach will only remove the top layer of mold, causing the mold to return.
A recipient of the Safer Choice label, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can be used in pressure washers and on all washable surfaces, and easily removes tough dirt and grime without the use of caustic chemicals.