Alright, let me tell you about tackling my driveway this weekend. It was looking pretty sad, you know? Stains everywhere, dirt ground in, just generally blah.

How it Went Down

So, first things first, I dragged the power washer out of the garage. Thing's heavier than it looks. Hooked up the garden hose to the machine, then connected the high-pressure hose and the spray gun. Double-checked the oil and gas since mine’s a gas model. Didn't want it quitting on me halfway through.

I decided to try out that round surface cleaner attachment this time. Looks like a big floor buffer. Snapped it onto the spray wand. Seemed like it might be faster than just using the nozzle tip.

Fired up the machine. Loud! Definitely need ear protection with these things. I started at the top of the driveway, near the garage, and worked my way down. Pushing that surface cleaner attachment back and forth was kinda like mowing the lawn, but wetter. You could instantly see the clean concrete stripes appearing under it. Really satisfying, I gotta say.

• Slow and steady was the key. Going too fast left faint lines.
• It definitely kept the splashing down compared to just using a nozzle. My pants still got wet, though.
• Some really stubborn spots, like old oil stains, needed extra attention. I had to detach the surface cleaner and hit those spots directly with the narrowest spray tip I had. Took a bit of effort.

It took a good couple of hours, moving methodically section by section. My back was feeling it a bit by the end, wrestling with the hose and the machine. But wow, what a difference. When I rinsed everything off, the whole driveway looked brighter, almost new again. All that built-up grime from who knows how long, just gone. Felt good to stand back and see the clean concrete. Totally worth the effort.