Driveways and patios can really enhance the curb appeal of your property, especially when they are laid by experienced professionals who know exactly what they are doing. However, no matter how skilled your driveway and patio installation teams may be, both surfaces will inevitably begin to look the worse for wear after a year or two of constant exposure to the elements. If you want to make sure that your home continues to look great from the outside, regular pressure washing is one of the best solutions but there are certain types of stains that need a little pre-treatment to ensure they are completely eliminated. It is these stains that we are going to discuss below. Once you have finished this article, you will know exactly how to deal with all of the most common types of stains that affect patios and driveways, both here in South Huntington and right across the USA.
The Six Most Common Types of Stains and How to Get Rid of Them
Whether you do it yourself or hire a local expert to do it for you, following our tips on how to clean the most common types of stains from your patio and driveway once every year or two will help to ensure the exterior of your property continues to look good for many years to come.
- Mold – Mold and mildew are common problems on many outdoor surfaces, including pavers, concrete, and asphalt. If allowed to get out of control, such growths will not just spoil the appearance of your property, they will pose a health risk to you and your family as well. With this in mind, we recommend dealing with any mold and mildew growths you find as quickly as possible. The best way to remove these types of growths/stains is to apply a suitable bleach solution before power washing the area in question.
- Algae – Algae poses a similar problem to mold and mildew, and an additional one too. Significant algae growths will not only result in unsightly stains, but will also make the surfaces outside your home hazardous to walk on. If you don’t like the idea of taking your chances on a slick and slippery patio whenever you go outside, you should follow the same process described for mold and mildew above. Whether you are dealing with mold, mildew, or algae, you should always wear protective gear when using bleach-based cleaning solutions.
- Rust – You may encounter rust stains on your driveway or patio too. These normally occur when rainwater comes down metal drainpipes from the guttering around roofs. The water then runs away across patios, driveways, and other outdoor surfaces, depositing particles of rust as it goes. The easiest way to deal with rust stains is to treat them with a strong acid before cleaning the whole area with a pressure washer. If you don’t want to handle strong acids, we recommend hiring driveway and patio cleaning specialists such as ourselves to do the job for you.
- Oil – Cars and other vehicles often leave oil stains on driveways, which can be very difficult to get out if you don’t know what you’re doing. A high-pressure power washer will remove such stains, but only if you treat them first with a solution that breaks down the oil. Dish soaps and detergents are very effective for this type of stain removal, as is baking soda. The best one to use is normally whichever you happen to have to hand at the time. After leaving the detergent, soap, or baking powder to soak in for 10 minutes or so, you can clean it off with your power washer.
- Grease – Grease stains on patios can be treated in much the same way as oil stains on driveways, and are usually a little easier to remove. If you barbeque outside in the summer, you will almost certainly encounter grease stains on your patio sooner or later.
- Dirt – General dirt and debris can work their way into the surface of your driveway and patio if you do not brush them clean on a regular basis. In the event you should find any stains that are clearly not from rust, oil, grease, mold, mildew, or algae, you should treat them as general dirt stains. For light stains caused by dirt, power washing is normally very effective. For more stubborn stains, you may need to apply some industrial-strength cleaning solutions before washing them away.
Follow all of the tips above and you can enjoy clean and tidy outdoor areas all year round. For homeowners in South Huntington who don’t have a high-pressure jet cleaner or don’t want to clean outdoor areas themselves, our driveway, patio and concrete cleaning specialists are standing by ready to help. Call now to request a competitive quotation.