Introduction
If you park your car in your driveway or you work on your car outside a lot, from your car can run down very ugly grease and oil, and over time some grease and oil accumulates on the ground. It will give leave a very abrupt picture around your house.
The old method of cleaning would have you on your knees scrubbing with a degreaser and some detergent. Then you found that your back was sore and the floor was still the same, without much change. Now there is an enjoyable and pleasurable process that takes the tedium, boredom, irritation and effort out of them and makes them easy and fast and doesn’t affect you physically. Pressure wash the grease and oil from your concrete driveway with EVEAGE driveway pressure washer attachment and get it back to a clean look again.
EVEAGE pressure washers not only clean concrete driveways, but also decks, patios, sidewalks, alcoves, swim decks, shuffleboard courts, basketball courts, roofs, sidewalks, loading docks, refrigerated semi-trailer floors, and warehouse floors.
Think of the EVEAGE pressure washer as an investment. You will be able to use it over and over again to maintain different things, which will make your things last longer and get a fresher and more comfortable home.
Preparation before a pressure washing job
Clear the area
Make sure you clear your driveway before the cleaning job. Start by parking your car, trash cans, bikes, and any items that interfere with the cleaning job elsewhere.
Sweep up large pieces of debris
Use a push broom to sweep or remove large debris such as pebbles, rocks, branches and leaves. Removing these objects will allow you to see where the stain has settled. This is also a good safety measure, which will allow the pressure washer to clean the ground better without harming the machine.
Keep children and pets away
If your family’s lively Golden Patrol dogs and active small children, I believe the high pressure washer spray to discharge water at high speed is of particular interest. But the force of the direct spray water can cause them serious injury. Even the water repelled from the surface of the driveway can hurt people. So it’s wise to keep children and pets away when you’re spraying on your driveway.
Gathering supplies
Here are some items you may or may not use of your best pressure washer for cleaning concrete, depending on your preferences
- Wind goggles
- Gloves
- Waterproof boots
- Stiff bristle push brooms
- Gardening hoses
- High pressure cleaner
- High pressure washer nozzles (black, white, green)
- High-pressure washer accessories (scrubbing brush)
- Pressure washer soap or cleaner
- Degreasing spray
- Silicone-based waterproof concrete sealer
- Paint pot
Setting up your pressure washer
Your pressure washer needs a basic setup. If you are using an electric pressure washer, you will need an electrical outlet to connect it.
Find your water source. Connect one end of the garden hose to the faucet and the other end to the pressure washer. Turn on the water.
Select your pressure washer nozzle. You will use the black nozzle for soaping and the green nozzle for rinsing. If you are using a brush or surface cleaner attachment, please prepare yo ahead of time.
Put on safety goggles, gloves and boots. If water is bounced off the surface, the high-pressure droplets could hurt your delicate eyeballs. Goggles will protect your eyes. Gloves grip more securely and don’t get dislodged. Boots will keep your feet and pants from getting wet with water.
Mix and load detergent
Many pressure washers come in concentrated form. You will need to dilute these cleaners according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Use the correct ratio of water to detergent.
Other detergents are pre-mixed and therefore ready for immediate use.
Depending on your washing machine, you can pour the detergent solution into the onboard detergent canister. If the washing machine does not have a built-in detergent tank, then you will have to use a siphon hose and create a vacuum to allow the detergent to flow from the container to the pump of the washing machine.
Steps to take when pressure washing your driveway with the best pressure washer for concrete.
Step 1: Pre-wash
Press aside any remaining loose debris that has not been swept away along the driveway you want to clean. You do not need to use a cleaner. Simply pull the trigger on the wand and use the white nozzle to spray water downward.
If there are any grease or oil spots on the floor, spray these spots with a degreaser afterwards. Use a stiff brush or pressure washer brush attachment to scrub the solution into the concrete.
Step 2: Washing
Change out the white nozzle or brush attachment and replace it with a black nozzle.
Start at the end of your driveway (opposite the street) and work your way backwards. Be sure to keep 12-20 inches between the nozzle and the concrete as you begin spraying cleaner down the length of your driveway. Slowly move the pressure washer wand back and forth in a sweeping motion while covering the manageable portion.
Once the driveway is covered, allow the cleaning solution to remain on the concrete surface for at least five minutes.
Step 3: Rinse
Replace the black soaping nozzle with the green rinsing nozzle.
Press and hold the spray handle and move back and forth along the length of the driveway to remove the cleaning solution. Be sure to hold the pressure washer wand 12-20 inches from the surface, similar to the way it is positioned when using a cleaner.
If harder stains such as paint are still present, move the nozzle three to four inches closer to the area. Continue to move the nozzle back and forth, but slowly to allow more time for the water pressure to flush away the stain.
Step 4: Seal
To prevent serious staining and damage in the future, apply a coat of waterproof sealer to the driveway. You can start by pouring the sealer into a large paint tray. Using a rolling paintbrush and extension, dip it into the paint tray to cover its entire surface. Now, starting from the center of the driveway, spread the sealer from the center to the edge of the concrete.
Allow the sealer to dry on the concrete driveway for at least 24 hours before resting it on top.
And there you have it, a beautiful, clean and protected concrete driveway!
Basic Pressure Washing Information
PSI
Iif you are still in the market for a pressure washer specifically for concrete driveway cleaning, you can start your search with machines in the 3,000 to 3,500 PSI (pressure or pounds per square inch measurement) range. These washers will provide enough water pressure to effectively clean concrete surfaces. Any lower PSI and pressure washer may not be effective in removing stubborn stains. A little more and you’re ready to start removing small pieces of concrete!
Another rule of thumb for determining if a pressure washer is powerful enough to handle stubborn stains on concrete is to multiply its PSI by the number of gallons of water per minute (GPM) it can produce. The resulting number will give you the power of its cleaning unit. (For example, a 2000 PSI and 2 GPM pressure washer has 4000 cleaning units.)
The most efficient pressure washer for cleaning concrete driveways will have approximately 5000 cleaning units. In other words, for the best cleaning results, look for a machine with 2000 PSI and 2 GPM or more.
Pressure Washer Nozzles and Accessories
Most pressure washers come with a set of nozzles. They are color coded to distinguish their specific design and use. For this job, you will use black and green nozzles.
Black Nozzles
Also commonly referred to as a soaking nozzle, you can use it to spray detergent or soap for soaking. The design contains a large orifice for a wide spray pattern of 65 degrees. This provides good coverage when spraying cleaners. The black nozzle also utilizes low water pressure.
White Nozzle
This nozzle is used for general spraying. It is designed with a medium sized orifice that provides a 40 degree spray pattern. The narrower the spray, the more pressure is applied to the water. The effect is a more powerful spray and a breakdown of dirty residue.
Green Nozzle
The ideal pressure washer nozzle for cleaning concrete is the green nozzle. This design has a narrower 25 degree spray pattern. The result is that water flows out of the small holes at a much higher rate than it does from the white nozzle. The effect is a very concentrated stream of pressurized water that removes stubborn stains from surfaces.
Abrasive Brush Attachment
In addition to the various nozzles that can be attached to a high-pressure cleaning wand, there are attachments that can be added to help simplify certain tasks. Consider a brush, or also known as a surface cleaner attachment. This is a wand that attaches to the gun. At the end of the gun there is a swivel arm equipped with multiple nozzles. The brush is a great tool for covering large areas.
Another nozzle useful for cleaning concrete driveways is the pressure washer brush attachment.
High Pressure Washer Surface Cleaners and Sealants
Find a pressure washer cleaning solution specific to your needs. Different concrete driveway stains require different types of cleaners：
| Concrete Driveway Stains | Cleaner |
|---|---|
| Dirt | All-purpose or multi-purpose cleaner |
| Mold and Mildew | Mold and mildew remover |
| Mold | mildew remover |
| Oil and grease stains | Degreasers |
Concrete driveway stains Cleaners
Dirt General purpose or multi-purpose cleaners
Mold and Mildew Mold and Mildew Remover
Rust Stains Rust Remover
Oil and grease stains Degreasers
Multi-purpose cleaner that helps eliminate multiple stains from concrete driveways at once.
Cleaning Solution Ingredients
Another thing to consider when choosing a cleaning solution for your driveway is the ingredients in the different types of cleaners. Because you will be using cleaners outdoors, runoff soap and water will likely enter the storm drains.
Therefore, it is best to choose a solution that is biodegradable and safer for the environment. Most pressure washer soaps you find are biodegradable, while pressure washer detergents are synthetic and not biodegradable.
However, if you do find that detergent is the best option for your concrete cleaning needs, make sure you try to push any spill onto the grass so that it absorbs there. You can do this by starting your pressure washing at the edge of your driveway and moving toward your house.
Pressure Washer Safe Cleaners
When choosing a cleaning solution, you also need to consider which cleaners are safe to use on your pressure washer. Your pressure washer manual should tell you which cleaners are not recommended for use in your washer, but in general, try to avoid solutions containing bleach or ammonia. These chemicals can wear down the internal components of your pressure washer and cause damage over time.
However, if you have a downward-facing steam washer, which means using a cleaning solution after the water has flowed through the washer’s pump, then it is safe to use bleach products.
Concrete safe cleaners
You also need to consider the long-term effects of cleaning solutions on your driveway concrete. Research your cleaners carefully to ensure that the one you choose will not cause lasting damage to the concrete over time.
Some cleaners that are safe to use on concrete include
- Dishwashing detergent
- Oxygen bleach
- Mineral spirits
Concrete Driveway Sealer
After pressure washing your driveway, consider adding a waterproof sealer to it. This will help prevent additional dirt and stains from penetrating the pores of the concrete. As a result, your driveway will be easier to clean and will stay cleaner for longer. In general, a waterproof concrete sealer will also protect your driveway from the elements, both of which can cause weathering and eventual cracks.
There are several types of concrete sealer options.
Exterior Insulation Finish Systems (EIFS)
When EIFS is used as a layer over concrete, it looks similar to stucco. It protects the concrete from moisture and also helps smooth the surface by filling any small holes, cracks or gaps, creating a nice, even appearance. another benefit of EIFS is that you can customize its shade.
Elastomeric Coating
Elastomeric coating is a type of paint that can be applied to the surface of a concrete driveway. Similar to regular paint, you apply an exterior primer to the surface, followed by one or two coats of elastomeric coating.
Elastomeric coatings are flexible; this property allows them to remold themselves into concrete, creating an airtight and waterproof seal on the surface to deal with small cracks and other minor defects.
Membrane Waterproofing
Membrane Waterproofing Sealer is ideal for interior concrete structures, such as concrete floors in basements or concrete foundations. This sealer helps protect the interior and surface of concrete from weather conditions.
Crystalline Waterproofing
Crystalline waterproofing results in closed cracks as well as sealed capillaries and pores in the concrete. While this sealer is very effective, it is also one of the more complex concrete sealers to apply because it requires silica sand, composite cement and other chemicals to waterproof and seal the concrete.
Silicone Sealants
Silicone sealant is ideal for repairing cracks up to a quarter-inch thick. It is by far one of the easiest sealers to apply to concrete driveways, requiring only a large paint roller or spray method.
For residential or smaller driveways, Silicone Waterproofing Concrete Sealer is highly recommended.
