Patio Cleaning Cost

How Much Does Patio Cleaning Cost?

A good pressure washer can make short work of cleaning your patio and help to stop them looking grainy and becoming slippery to walk on full stop paths and patios can, of course, be cleaned using a scrubbing brush and a hose, but a pressure washer is much quicker.

Prices for good pressure washers have reduced considerably in recent years so it is now feasible for homeowners with large drives or patio areas to have access to their own pressure washers for cleaning.

However, professional pressure washers are much more powerful and effective. Therefore, many homeowners will simply hire a local contractor to come in every year or so to do the pressure washing for them.

Cleaning a driveway properly using a pressure washer will remove algae, weeds and stains. Once a driveway or patio has been pressure washed and is completely cleaned and dry, joints can then be refilled using kiln-dried sand if necessary and a driveway sealing product can then be used for protection.

When having your driveway or patio areas cleaned you may also want to consider cleaning other areas at the same time.

The companies which offer driveway and patio cleaning will normally offer other brick and masonry cleaning services such as any walls which are adjacent to the driveway, which will finish the job off nicely and avoid having a lovely clean drive which looks brand new being bordered by grubby and grimy walls!

So, I do I do it myself?

When cleaning a drive or patio yourself using a hose you need to make sure the hose is securely attached to the tap and be prepared for a lot of hard work! Using a pressure washer purchased from a local DIY store makes the job much easier, but unless you are willing to spend a fortune, the pressure washer you buy will not be anywhere near as powerful as the systems used by professionals.

But as long as the grime and dirt are pretty superficial, the DIY solution can be quite effective. But for seriously ingrained dirt and major algae or moss problems, get a professional in with a heavy duty system and all the right chemicals to make a good job of it in a fraction of the time it would take you with a cheap pressure washer and over the counter cleaning supplies.

When using a pressure washer make sure you fit the appropriate lance and ensure all connectors are tight and there are no leaks. Follow the manufacturers instructions carefully and wear goggles for eye protection. Clean by working from one corner blasting the grime away in a sweeping motion, use detergent and biocide as necessary and then rinse off using a lower water pressure.

If you can afford it, choose a pressure washer with variable power settings so you can clean different surfaces without causing any damage. Also, it is worth paying extra for a washer with a long hose so you don't have to keep moving it as you clean.

Using a broom or garden hose is the safest way to clean drives and patio areas, but in the case of oil stains, ingrained grime, algae or mould growth, a broom alone will not be enough. But power washing, though a fast way to clean hard surfaces, can cause significant damage to concrete bricks or paving if carried out by an inexperienced user.

Turning on a pressure washer, aiming and pulling the trigger is pretty simple, so everyone assumes that is all there is to it!

Pressure washers are powerful machines which can cause property damage and even serious injuries!

If you use a pressure washer but choose the wrong nozzle or use higher pressure than is required, you could end up causing some expensive damage which will completely wipe out any possible savings you hoped to make by going the DIY route!

25%

Materials
£50

75%

Tradesmen
£150

0%

Waste Removal
£0

FAQs

Can I pressure wash a block driveway?

Yes, you can jet wash any kind of drive including mono-block, crazy paving, natural stone, concrete, tarmac or even slabs. Some types of surface are more labour intensive than others, however, the prices quoted may vary depending on your drive type.

Can you get a drive jet washed all year round?

Yes, but the weather does have an impact on cleaning block paving as has to be really dry to finish the job properly by putting fresh sand into the joints. This can be difficult through the winter and if damp the sand won't fill the joints properly. So best to book it during the summer months.

If I book a jet wash company will they seal my drive too?

Many of them will, but not all drives will benefit from applying sealants as sometimes the cost of sealing will outweigh the benefits. You should speak to professional cleaners in your area for further advice.

Will drive cleaning companies remove lichen spores too?

Yes, most companies will use a bleach type chemical to remove lichen spores and this process is actually pretty cheap and easy.

Will jet washing companies use chemicals on my driveway?

Most of the time the answer is no. However, if there are any stains or moss/algae growth on the drive, then chemicals may used as required. Pressure cleaning will remove some moss and algae and even less heavy stains, but even then it can be good practice to give the area a pre-treatment to prevent future growth.

Will the jet washing company use my electricity?

No, most pressure washing systems use generators so they don't need any external source of electrical power.

Will the jet washing company use my water supply?

Yes, they will need a source of water as a regular vehicle really isn't capable of carrying sufficient quantities of water to clean large driveways. So ideally they will need access to an outside tap.