Driveway cleaning 101 – Our cleaning process explained

Keeping your driveway clean is not always something considered a priority by home and business owners. However, consistently cleaning your driveway is a vital part of its maintenance and aesthetic. To help you get to grips with the ins and out of driveway upkeep, we’ve created a handy guide to why and how to clean a driveway, as well as what not to do.

Why your driveway needs cleaning:

Regular cleaning of a driveway is essential to maintaining its strength and integrity. Weeds and other organic growth progressively weaken the structure of your driveway, further widening cracks and eventually leading to the disintegration of the drive itself.

Furthermore, stains and organic growths on the driveway also look unsightly to the extent that they can reduce the value of your property. Having your driveway frequently cleaned not only maintains the value and aesthetic of your property, it can also prevent you from needing to spend thousands of pounds on driveway repair.

How we clean your driveway:

At Preamclean we have developed a specific 6-step driveway cleaning method that effectively cleans your driveway while preventing and protecting it from damage.

Step one involves removing any plant pots and heavy debris before undertaking a deep clean of the paving using a flat surface cleaner. This provides the initial clean from which we can move on to the removal of tough stains and organic matter.

Step two is the treatment stage where we use a powerful biocide to kill unwanted organic growths including algae, lichens and black spot. The biocide treatment not only kills existing organic growths it delays future regrowth as well.

Step three is to do a second clean of the driveway, including cleaning the edges of the driveway with a turbo lance. This creates a neat, clean perimeter for your driveway while also removing any stubborn stains.

Step four is to do a final rinse down. This step washes away the treatments and cleaners so that your driveway is chemical free, as well as removing all the dirt and materials that have been loosened or killed by the initial steps.

Step five is almost a bonus step, where our team clean all of your home windows surrounding the driveway to remove any splashes of dirt or chemicals.

When the driveway is dry, usually a day or so later – it’s time for the final step.

Step six involves re-sanding the joints of the driveway with either gravel or kiln dried sand, whichever is most appropriate for your driveway. The re-sanding not only completes the look of your driveway, but it also prevents the growth of organic matter and deterioration of the drive’s integrity.

What not to do:

It can be tempting to try and DIY your driveway cleaning, or to opt for an ultra-budget company in the mistaken belief that it will get the job done just as well. Unfortunately, unless done properly by a professional company, using the correct tools and techniques, driveway cleaning could end up either ineffective or causing permanent damage to the driveway. The following are some common driveway cleaning pitfalls:

Failing to pressure wash the driveway before and after treating it. Pressure washing a driveway is an essential step in removing inorganic dirt from the driveway and will leave dead organic matter on the driveway.

Not using the right cleaners and treatments. For example, failing to use a flat surface cleaner increases the chance your driveway will have an uneven clean. Equally, if you do not use a biocide treatment the organic growth will not be killed off and removed properly so will still be there when the cleaning is complete. Equally, even the organic matter that has been removed will be able to grow back quickly.

Improper sanding. There are all kinds of mistakes that can be made when sanding a driveway after it has been cleaned. Some people fail to sand a driveway with kiln dried sand, resulting in the blocks shifting about and the driveway eventually falling apart. Others use kiln dried sand where it is not appropriate, such as where a driveway has permeable blocks when gravel is more suitable, and kiln dried sand counteracts the drainage of the driveway.

Finally, possibly the most common mistake, re-sanding the driveway before it has sufficiently dried. This mistake ends up with the sand clumping together and not correctly filling the joints of the driveway. This means that after a few days, the sand will fall down the joints and disappear, leaving an unsanded look to the driveway.

With so many potential mistakes when it comes to cleaning a driveway, using a professional team with years of experience is the best way to ensure the care and maintenance of your drive.

We provide driveway cleaning to all of Ayrshire, Glasgow and Central Scotland. To find out more please visit our driveway cleaning service page or you can phone us on 01292 501452.