So, my driveway. It was looking like something out of a swamp, seriously. Years of dirt, some moss trying to make a home in the corners, and who knows what else. Just plain sad. I finally said, enough is enough, gotta get this thing cleaned up. It was one of those weekend projects that just kept staring me in the face.

Getting All My Ducks in a Row

First thing I did was clear the whole area. Moved the car, the bins, a couple of sad-looking plant pots. You don't want to be tripping over stuff. Then I gave it a quick sweep with a stiff broom, just to get the loose leaves and pebbles out of the way. No point blasting that stuff everywhere, right?

Then came the main event: dragging out the power washer. Mine’s just a regular electric one, nothing too fancy, but it does the job. I made sure I had the right nozzles. I usually start with a wider spray pattern, maybe a 25-degree, and then I have a more focused one for stubborn bits. Oh, and safety glasses! Almost forgot those, but water and dirt flying around, yeah, you need 'em.

I also decided to try a pre-treatment this time. I've heard folks talk about using a bit of a cleaning solution – some kind of mild bleach mix or a dedicated concrete cleaner. I had some concrete cleaner lying around, so I mixed that up in a pump sprayer and gave the whole driveway a decent coat. Let it sit for about 15-20 minutes to do its thing, hoping it would loosen up the real ground-in grime.

Alright, Let's Do This Thing: The Actual Washing

Okay, so hose connected to the power washer, power washer plugged in. Here’s how I tackled the actual washing. I always try to start at the highest point of the driveway and work my way down. Gravity is your friend here, helps all the dirty water run off where you want it to go, not back over the bits you just cleaned.

I kept the nozzle maybe a foot, 12 inches or so, away from the concrete. You get too close, especially with a powerful machine or a narrow nozzle, and you can actually etch the concrete, leave marks. Nobody wants that. So, a nice, steady distance is key.

My motion was just a slow, steady sweep, back and forth. Overlapping each pass a little bit so I didn’t get those annoying zebra stripes. You really see the dirt lifting off, which is super satisfying, I gotta say. Some spots were tougher, especially where oil might have dripped or where that moss was trying to set up shop. For those, I’d either slow down my sweep or get just a tiny bit closer, very carefully. Sometimes I switch to a slightly narrower nozzle for a quick blast on a stubborn patch, but then right back to the wider one for the main area.

The edges and corners, yeah, those can be a pain. I found using a more direct spray, sometimes angling the wand a bit, helps to really get into the edge where the driveway meets the grass or a wall. Someone mentioned a turbo nozzle for corners, and I can see why that would be handy. I just took my time with my standard nozzle.

Rinsing and The Big Reveal

Once I’d gone over the whole thing, methodically, section by section, it was time for a good rinse. I switched to a wider, lower-pressure setting, or just held the wand further away. The idea here is just to wash all the loosened dirt and grime down and away. You don't want it drying back on.

And let me tell you, when it started to dry a bit, the difference was amazing. It wasn't like brand new, shiny concrete – it’s an old driveway, after all – but it was a hundred times better. The color was lighter, all that green gunk was gone, and it just looked so much cleaner and more inviting.

Wrapping It Up and What I Reckon

It took a good few hours, not gonna lie. My back was a bit sore, and I was pretty damp. But standing back and looking at it, yeah, totally worth the effort. It’s one of those jobs that makes a big visual impact.

One thing I’ve learned over the years doing this: don’t rush it. Taking your time with those steady, overlapping passes really makes a difference to the final look. And that pre-treatment with the cleaner? I think that definitely helped lift some of the deeper stains this time around. So, yeah, if your driveway is looking a bit sorry for itself, give power washing a go. It's a bit of work, but the payoff is pretty sweet.

Oh, and then there's the clean-up of the machine itself, making sure it's drained and stored properly, but that's another story for another day, haha. For now, I'm just enjoying not cringing every time I pull up to the house.