How to Pressure Wash a Cement Driveway

David Rhodes
January 13, 2018

The first thing to know is that there is a right way (and therefore a wrong way) to pressure wash your driveway. Pressure washing your driveway can be a cost-effective way to increase your home’s curb appeal without spending $10,000 or more on other expensive improvements. As long as you know what you are doing, pressure washing your driveway can make your driveway look like new again.

Why Pressure Wash Your Driveway

Pressure washing your driveway is a great way to make your driveway look like new again. If you are cleaning your driveway, you may have come across one or more of these concerns:

Your neighbors just installed a new driveway and yours looks worn and old in comparison.
You’re tired of driving up to your home and being welcomed by a worn-out driveway stained with oil, vehicle fluids, dust, and mold.
You are thinking of selling your home and want to add the maximum value with the minimum investment.
You just invested in landscaping or other cosmetic improvements to your home, but your stained old driveway is an eyesore that detracts from your other improvements.
You just love the look of a fresh and tidy home.

Whatever your reason for wanting to driveway pressure washing can greatly improve your results by following the proper procedures. If you don’t, you risk not only getting a less than perfectly clean but also damaging your driveway and the environment. To avoid any problems, you can always call the professionals for a worry-free cleaning that is done right the first time.

Preparing Your Driveway For Cleaning

The first step is to prepare your driveway. It should go without saying, but make sure that your driveway is completely clear of objects and debris. Remove all vehicles, children’s toys, gardening or home improvement equipment, and any other property you may have stored on or near your driveway. This is especially important if you are cleaning a driveway that is part of a carport since carports have a tendency to be used for storage.

Make sure that your driveway is free of debris. This means looking out for bits of cardboard, paper, recycling, or other trash. You should also look for rocks, pebbles, bits of plant matter like branches and leaves, or anything else that would get in between the water you are spraying and the surface of your driveway.

Assemble Your Tools

It will save you time if you make sure to have everything you need assembling and handy before you start. Of course, the main thing you will need is a pressure washer. Your main options are to either buy or rent a power washer from your local home improvement store. When renting or purchasing a pressure washer, you can choose an electric or gas-powered machine. Both have benefits and drawbacks.

An electric pressure washer will be less expensive than a gas-powered machine. It will also run quieter since there is no noisy gas motor. The downside is power. An electric pressure washer will never be as powerful as a medium-duty gas powered washer. Your job will take longer and may require going over some areas more than once. You will also have limited mobility since an electric powered pressure washer needs to be plugged in while you are using it. Most electric-powered pressure washers also hold less fluid, forcing you to stop and reload more often than with a gas-powered washer.

A gas-powered washer is definitely a more advanced tool than an electric-powered washer. It will hold more fluid and use greater power, allowing you to complete your driveway cleaning more quickly. The biggest downside is the cost. You can avoid a hefty bill by renting a machine at your local home improvement store. Many of these stores rent out all kinds of equipment by the day. Another downside of a gas pressure washer is the noise. There is no way of getting around it; a gas-powered pressure washer will have at least a small gas engine and that makes a lot of noise. If you plan on using this kind of pressure washer, make sure to plan your job at a time when your neighbors will be least bothered by extra noise.

The Right Pressure Washer Accessories

In addition to your pressure washer, you will want to assemble the right collection of accessories. A few different specialized nozzles will help get your driveway clean more quickly and more effectively. You can buy the different nozzles you need as separate units, or you may be able to get most of what you need from a single adjustable attachment that has a number of nozzles to choose from.

First, you will need a soaping nozzle. A soaping nozzle has a wider opening and is built to create extra pressure in the hose, pulling detergent out of the reservoir. Next, you will want a surface cleaner attachment to do the main part of your cleaning. Finally, you will want a rotary nozzle to get the remaining tough stains and a 25-degree nozzle for the final rinse.

Steps to Pressure Wash Your Driveway

Now that you have your tools and accessories, you are ready to start your driveway cleaning.

Clear Debris

The first step is to clear all the debris. Large items like vehicles and toys can be removed by hand. To get small items like pebbles and plant debris, use the 25-degree nozzle. This nozzle will give you just enough power to wash away small rocks, branches, and leaves, leaving your driveway clear for the next step.

Apply Detergent

With the driveway totally cleared, you are ready to apply detergent. Remove the 25-degree nozzle and replace it with the soaping nozzle. Be sure to read the manual that comes with your pressure washer to determine the right kind of detergent to use and the right amount. The soaping nozzle produces a broad and relatively low-pressure stream of water. The goal here is not to blast anything away but to completely soak the driveway with detergent to loosen the dirt and grime stuck in the cement. Once the driveway is totally saturated, give the detergent 5 minutes or so to work its magic.

Use Surface Cleaner

Once the detergent has done its job, you are ready for the surface cleaner attachment. The surface cleaner attachment has a rotating nozzle bar that spreads pressurized water over a larger area. That makes cleaning faster and keeps a single direct blast of water from damaging your surface, in this case, the cement driveway. The rotating nozzle bar is encased in a round cover. The cover prevents spray back as well as containing any small debris that could fly up and cause damage to property or people. Go over the whole driveway with the surface cleaner. This is the main step in the cleaning.

Focus On The Tougher Concrete Stains

After you have gone over the whole driveway with the surface cleaner, there may still be some tough dirt and stains stuck in the cement. To get those stains you will use a rotating nozzle. The rotating nozzle combines the power of a small nozzle with the coverage of a broader nozzle. The rotating nozzle is a small nozzle that spins so quickly that it basically creates a cone of high-pressure water. This water will help blast out any remaining stains left over after using the surface cleaner.

Rinse Surface

Finally, once you’ve removed the tougher stains, it’s time to wash everything down and rinse out the remaining dirt and detergent that have come to the surface. The same 25-degree nozzle you used in the beginning to clear small debris should be suitable for your final rinse. Make sure to rinse down the whole driveway, so it can dry clean without any remaining dirt or grime.

Turning to the Professionals

While it is possible to pressure wash your driveway yourself, mistakes could cause costly damage. It will also take longer to wash your driveway using consumer-level pressure washing equipment and it may not do as thorough a job as a professional would. For a simple, easy, quick, and thoroughly clean, nothing beats the professionals. You can get a free estimate from Glass Geeks to find out if professional driveway cleaning is right for you.

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How to Pressure Wash a Cement Driveway

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