How to Safely Clean a Concrete Driveway

Keep your concrete driveway clean by parking your car along the curb or in a garage

Because your driveway is probably in the front of your house, it is visible to you the homeowner, your neighbors and those who drive by. Keep it looking its best by sweeping it, blowing it off with a leaf blower or spraying it down with a garden hose regularly. This will help stains from forming from wet leaves and sitting dirt. Also, avoid parking your vehicle on it if possible. This will help prevent stains from rusted metal or leaking fluids like oil and antifreeze. Even with such regular maintenance, however, it may need a proper cleaning once in a while. First remove the stains; then clean the entire surface.

Things You'll Need

• Stiff broom
• Leaf blower
• Garden hose
• Cat box filler
• Liquid laundry detergent
• Dry dishwasher detergent
• Trisodium phosphate
• Powdered oxalic acid
• Spray bottle filled with water
• Degreaser
• Power washer

Instructions

Remove Oil, Grease or Antifreeze Stains

1. Sprinkle fresh, wet stains with cat box litter and let it sit on the stain for at least a day. This should help soak up most of the liquid. Shovel up the litter and throw it away.

2. Cover the stain with liquid laundry detergent. After letting it sit for a few minutes, scrub the stained concrete with a stiff, wet broom or scrub brush. Rinse the stain with a garden hose and let it dry. You may need to repeat this to remove the stain completely.

3. Wet the stain and sprinkle dry dishwasher detergent on the stain if it did not come out with the laundry detergent. Allow the dishwasher detergent to stand a few minutes before pouring boiling water onto it and scrubbing it (with a stiff, web broom or a scrub brush). Rinse thoroughly with a garden hose and allow the area to dry completely.

4. Use trisodium phosphate (TSP) on the stain if it remains, following the manufacturer's instructions carefully, as this is a stronger chemical than dish or laundry detergent. You can either apply TSP directly to the stain (as you did the laundry and dishwasher detergents) or dissolve some of it in water and pour it onto the stain.

Remove Rust Stains

1. Wet the stained area with a garden hose.

2. Sprinkle onto the stain powdered oxalic acid.

3. Spray a light mist of water onto the acid with a spray bottle.

4. Allow the moistened acid to sit on the stain for a few minutes before scrubbing the area with a stiff broom or scrub brush..

5. Rinse the area with a garden hose and allow it to dry. Repeat the previous steps until the rust stain is gone

Remove Dirt, Bird Droppings and Mold

1. Once stains have been removed, prepare your concrete driveway by removing loose debris by sweeping it or blowing it with a leaf blower.

2. Rinse the driveway with a garden hose and pre-treat it with a degreaser, following the manufacturer's instructions. Allow the degreaser to sit on the concrete surface for five to 10 minutes before using the power washer to rinse it off.

3. Rent a power washer with 3000 PSI and a flow rate of four gallons per minute. Use the 15-degree wand if possible, as it is designed specifically to clean concrete driveways. Other standard wands and attachments will work as well.

4. Start at the top of your concrete driveway and work your way methodically to the end, making a steady, overlapping back-and-forth motion.

5. Allow your cleaned concrete driveway to dry thoroughly.

References

• Concrete Network: Plain Concrete Maintenance
• How to Clean Stuff: How to Clean Driveways
• Amazing Machinery: How to Pressure Washer a Driveway