How to Power Wash a Driveway

If your driveway looks like it's past its prime, you can try to power wash it to bring it back to its former glory. Algae, tree stains and oil marks are just some of the things that can tarnish the look of your driveway. With a good power wash, you can restore your driveway to a good-as-new look.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pressure washer
• Driveway cleaner

1. Rent or buy a pressure washer. Pressure washers are available from most home centers. They cost less than $100 to rent, but you can buy a good one for what it costs to rent one about 4 or 5 times.

2. Set up the pressure washer by attaching a garden hose to the inlet port and the spray hose to the outlet port.

3. Attach either a low-pressure nozzle or a high-pressure nozzle to the spray wand. It's best to start with a low-pressure nozzle and see if that will be enough to power wash your driveway clean.

4. Start up the pressure washer.

5. Hold the end of the spray wand a few inches from the driveway and pull the trigger to start the pressurized water. Always keep the spray pointing away from your body.

6. Move the spray wand slowly over small sections of the driveway to clean it. Monitor your progress to determine if you need to upgrade the nozzle to the high-pressure nozzle for better effect.

7. Clean the entire driveway with the pressure washer.

8. Power wash your driveway regularly to keep it looking in tip-top condition. For driveways that don't get that dirty, once a year is usually enough. If you have a sap tree nearby or a problem with leaf stains, you can power wash your driveway more frequently without worrying about causing damage.

Tips & Warnings

• Stubborn oil stains can be treated with a driveway cleaner before or after your power wash to get an even cleaner result.
• A pressure washer can also be used to clean exterior windows, siding, decks and even parts of your vehicle. If you are renting one for the day, you might as well clean all you can while you have it.
• Pressure washers can be seriously dangerous especially when cranked up to full pressure. Always were safety glasses when using one and keep it away from your skin. A pressure washer can severely cut the skin.
• Always turn off the pressure washer before changing the nozzle on the spray wand to prevent accidentally spraying yourself or someone else.