Alright, so the driveway. It had been looking a bit sorry for itself for a while, you know? Winters are harsh, and then you get all the usual stuff – leaves, some moss trying to take hold in the shady bits, and those mystery stains that just appear. I’m pretty sure one was an old oil leak from my son’s first car. Good times, but not for the concrete.

Getting Started

So, I decided one weekend, enough was enough. It needed a good seeing-to. First things first, I grabbed a stiff yard broom. You can’t just go slapping cleaner on top of loose dirt and leaves, that’s just making more mess. So, I gave it a really good sweep. Got all the loose debris, twigs, and that fine layer of dust off. Took a bit of effort, especially in the corners where stuff likes to gather.

Then I had a think about what cleaner to use. Walked down the aisle at the hardware store, and honestly, there’s a ton of them. Some are for super tough stains, some are more general purpose. I wasn’t dealing with anything too catastrophic, just general built-up grime and a few older, faded oil spots. I ended up picking a general concrete cleaner, one that you dilute with water. Seemed like a good all-rounder. I always read the back, just to see what they say about safety and how to use it. Some of this stuff can be pretty strong.

The Actual Cleaning Bit

Back home, I got a big bucket. Mixed up the cleaner according to the instructions on the bottle. I usually go a tiny bit stronger if things are really mucky, but this time I stuck to what it said. Then, I used a watering can with a rose attachment to spread it over a section of the driveway. Some people use sprayers, which is probably a bit more even, but the watering can did the job for me. I worked in sections because my driveway isn’t huge, but if you’ve got a massive one, definitely do it in manageable chunks.

This is where the patience comes in. The instructions said to let it sit for about 10-15 minutes. So, I let it soak. You could see it starting to work, kind of lifting the dirt a bit. While one section was soaking, I’d start sweeping the next, or prepping it.

After the soaking time, I grabbed my trusty stiff-bristled deck brush. The kind on a long handle, saves your back a lot. And then, it was just good old-fashioned elbow grease. Scrubbing back and forth. Some areas needed a bit more attention, especially where that old oil stain was. It didn’t come off completely, it was pretty old, but it definitely faded a lot, which I was happy with.

• Swept the driveway thoroughly.
• Mixed the concrete cleaner with water in a bucket.
• Applied the solution using a watering can, section by section.
• Let it soak for the recommended time.
• Scrubbed with a stiff brush.

Rinsing and Results

Once I’d scrubbed a section, I got the hosepipe out. Gave it a really good rinse. You want to make sure you get all that cleaner and loosened dirt off. I started from the top of the slight slope of my driveway and worked my way down, so all the dirty water ran off into the drain at the bottom. It took a fair bit of water, to be honest, to get it all clear.

And the result? Well, it looked a whole lot better! It wasn't like brand new, freshly poured concrete, let's be realistic. But it was definitely clean. The color was brighter, the random stains were mostly gone or much fainter, and that greenish tinge from the mossy bits was history. It just looked fresher, you know? Made the whole front of the house look a bit tidier, actually.

It’s one of those jobs that’s a bit of a pain while you’re doing it, but satisfying when you see the difference. Took a good few hours out of my Saturday, but worth it in the end. Next time, I might try one of those pressure washer attachments with a detergent bottle, just to see if it makes the scrubbing part a bit easier. But for now, the old bucket and brush method did the trick.