Guide to Cleaning your Driveway

Cleaning your driveway is essential as cleaning the insides of your home. Besides, who wants a dirty driveway for everyone to see? Many factors or reasons can make your driveway a mess, including a leaked oil from a vehicle, dried leaves, and stubborn stains. 

If you’re looking to make your home’s curb squeaky clean, then you’re on the right track. We have various guides and tips to make your driveway looking good again. With the right cleaning supplies and some elbow grease at hand, we’ll show you some techniques to clean your driveway.

Dirty Driveways

Dirt is one of the most common mess in your driveway. The main culprit for this would be your vehicle’s tires, as it is just nearly impossible to keep them from tracking dirt and mud when going in your driveway. The dirt and mud that your tires brought in will then harden, making your driveway unclean. 

Btw, thanks for taking the time to read this article.If you’re doing renovations this season with concrete, you may find this article on matte concrete sealer products helpful.

Cleaning it is simple, especially if you have a power washer with you. Just blast them away with it, and boom! Squeaky clean. Meanwhile, if you don’t have one, that’s okay. You can use a stiff-bristle push broom and a garden hose to clean it away. Whether you have dirty asphalt or concrete driveways, this technique works equally well for both.

Auto-Related Oil and Solvent Spills

Vehicle and solvent spills can be a headache, especially on concrete driveways as it is more visible compare to asphalts who have darker colors. Still, it’s essential to clear it both up and clean it before leaving a stain on the driveways. Also, if you have an asphalt base, these kinds of spills can interact with it; hence it then deteriorates and softens.

To clean it on either driveway: Use an absorbent product to soak up as much spill as possible first. A great example to use for this is kitty litter. Let it stay there for a few hours to absorb the excess spill. After that, scoop the debris and wipe the area to dry. 

To remove the rest, you can use some of these methods:For Asphalt: Once the excess spill is absorbed, use a biodegradable oven cleaning product by spraying it on the affected area and let it rest there for about 30 mins. Then rinse it away. For Concrete: Concrete has a slightly porous surface that allows the spills to seep into its tiny holes.

The best way to remove the remaining fall is by dissolving it and then drawing it out. To do this, create a thick paste by mixing a moisture-absorbing product into the liquid TSP. Spread the paste on the stained area and then use a stiff-bristle nylon brush to work it into the concrete. Let it stay for about 30 mins then scrape away when it dries. 

Decomposing Organic Matter

Most of us neglect cleaning up organic matter in our driveways, such as fallen leaves, piles of mulch, and pine needles. Though it may be easy just to sweep it all up, when it’s neglected and left for a long time, it leaves a brown stain behind. That brown stain is caused by tannin, which is a byproduct of the decaying process of organic matter. 

Though its color does fade away, you can speed the process by using this technique: Clean the area by sweeping its surface. Then, using a garden hose, spray the area to clean the remaining dirt. Mix ½ cup of liquid dish detergent into 3 gallons of hot water in a bucket, then pour it into the stain.

Use a stiff-bristle nylon brush to work into a lather, then rinse it with the garden hose.  Repeat the process but this time, use powdered laundry detergent, then rinse it thoroughly. 

Rust Stains

Though not noticeable on an asphalt driveway due to its color, it can be quite an eyesore on concrete. Rust can happen very quickly, even overnight. A great example would be forgetting a can of paint during a rainstorm. Once you retrieve it the day after, you’ll immediately see a circle mark under it-rust.

The great thing about rust is that it can be easily removed using muriatic acid. But, always remember that it is a very harsh and dangerous chemical to use, so make sure to use extra precautions, such as using long rubber gloves and protective eyewear.