How to Clean a Concrete Driveway Without a Pressure Washer
There’s a quick and easy way to up your curb appeal game: clean your driveway! It’s like a fresh vacuuming for the outside of your house – one that your family, neighbors and visitors will be sure to notice. And it can also protect the surface of your driveway from damage. Read on and learn how to remove tough stains, scrub and tidy up your driveway without the use of water-guzzling, expensive and hard-to-get equipment.
How to Remove Oil Stains from Your Driveway
- Use paper towels to absorb as much oil as possible.
- Spray WD-40, brake cleaner or a commercial stain remover over the entire stain, really saturating the area. Let it sit for five minutes and then wipe it up with a rag. WD-40 will not damage your driveway, so you can feel comfortable using it. If you choose another cleaner, try to find something biodegradable so you don’t kill your lawn or plants. You might also try kitty litter to absorb the stain.
- Trickle a grease-fighting dish soap over any remnants of the stain. Pour on a little hot water and scrub the area with a wire or nylon brush.
- Flush the entire area with boiling water.
- Repeat these steps as needed.
How to Remove Tree Sap from Your Driveway
- Scrub the spot with a petroleum-based hand cleanser using a clean shop cloth or scrub brush.
- Continue to apply cleaner and scour until the stain has been scrubbed off.
- Use paper towels to mop up the cleaner and sap.
- Rinse the area with a hose.
Sweep and Scrub
Clear the driveway of any weeds, grass or other vegetation growing between slabs or through cracks in the concrete. Just pull them up and sweep them away (a leaf blower is great for clearing dirt and debris). Then clean any other stains from the surface of the driveway with soapy hot water. When you’re finished, simply rinse off your driveway with a bucket or hose.
