We’ve seen a lot of cleaning methods over the years. Some are great, some not so much. One thing we do know is that pressure washing is a great way to keep your home or business looking like new.
It’s really quite simple to do pressure washing on a driveway. The only thing that complicates it is if you don’t know if you have enough experience in doing pressure washing activities on your own. You also keep asking yourself if you need to spray anything before you start the actual process.
Pressure washing, steam cleaning, hot water blasting, whatever you call it, it’s a very efficient way of removing the dirt and grime from the surface of many materials. But since pressure washers are so aggressive, they can sometimes be too much. It’s important to consider several factors before getting the work done. Here are several factors you can look into.
What to Consider Before Spraying Anything on a Drive Way
The answer is that it depends on a number of factors, but most of the time you don’t need to use anything. Here are some things to consider.
First, what type of stains do you have? If your driveway is stained with oil or grease from cars, there are products that can help lift those stains. The product is safe for all concrete, brick, and stone driveways and will lift stains without causing damage. It can also be used on decks and fences, so it would be a good investment even if you don’t have any oil or grease stains on your driveway.
If your driveway is stained with mildew or algae – which often happens in shaded areas – you could also use Krud Kutter Driveway Pressure Washer Concentrate. There are other products that work well for this type of stain as well so if you prefer something different we recommend checking out our previous newsletter about mildew removal for more suggestions.
Reasons To Use A Cleaning Agent When Pressure Washing A Driveway.
Using a cleaning agent will save you time. It pre-soaks the dirt making it easier to remove. Further, it can save you money. Let’s say you have an oil stain on your driveway that requires an oil-based cleanser. Without using a cleaning agent, you will have to spray the cleaner directly on the stain, wait for it to soak in, then agitate it with your surface cleaner and then rinse it off. More work for you.
Using a cleaning agent can be better for your machine. You don’t want to run your pump dry when pressure washing any surface, but especially on asphalt or concrete where the sediment can get into the pump and cause damage quickly if it is not washed out often. Using a cleaning agent will allow you to cover more area without running your pump dry as often.
You should only use an oil-based cleaner on an oil stain and never use anything other than water on sealing new concrete or asphalt at least until 30 days after pouring.
Visit Giraffe tools today and buy a good quality pressure washer.