The Beginning of My Pavers Disaster

Okay so last weekend I looked at my backyard patio and almost cried. Seriously. Those nice brick pavers I paid good money for? Covered in green slime, weird black stains, and mud all over. Looked awful. I figured, time to call in the pros. My hands hurt just thinking about scrubbing that mess myself.

My first move? Grabbed my phone. Obviously. Typed in "paver cleaning near me" and hoped for easy answers. Boy, was I wrong.

• Search Engine Blues: Tons of companies popped up, sure. But half the links were junk. Ads for places miles away, vague websites with no prices, phone numbers that rang forever. Felt like a wild goose chase right away.
• Review Roulette: Clicked on the first few promising ones. Looked okay at a glance. Then I actually dug into the reviews. One place had 5 stars... but only 4 reviews total? Sketchy. Another had great stars... until I saw reviews mentioning "water damage" and "overcharged significantly". Noped right out.

Getting Picky (And Annoyed)

Fine. Needed a better plan. Decided to get super specific this time:

• Checked "Services Offered": No way was I paying someone who only does decks but lists "paver cleaning" on the side. Searched specifically for paver cleaning or paver restoration.
• Demanded Local Gigs: Added my actual city name and "near me" to every search. Tired of seeing companies three counties over.
• Review Deep Dive: Ignored the star average first. Went straight to the 1-star and 2-star reviews. Looked for patterns. Was the complaint the same thing over and over? Did the owner respond? Silence? Big red flag.

The Contenders Finally Appear

After maybe an hour of this detective work (seriously, felt like a part-time job), three companies seemed legit. Worth actually contacting.

1. The Brick Specialists: Website looked old-school, but packed with "before and after" paver photos. Lots of mentions of specific cleaning methods and sealants. Reviews raved about stain removal but a few mentioned they weren't the cheapest.
2. Clean Sweep Patios: Super professional website. Clearly listed services: cleaning, sanding, sealing. Prices were estimates only, needed a quote. Reviews generally solid, focused on reliability and courtesy.
3. GreenScape Cleaning: Eco-friendly angle. Used biodegradable cleaners. Fewer reviews overall, but the ones they had were glowing about how gentle yet effective they were on sensitive stone pavers. Bit of a dark horse.

Called all three. The Brick Specialists picked up instantly, guy sounded like he lived for pavers, gave me a rough ballpark figure right then. Clean Sweep put me on hold for a few minutes but were efficient with an appointment slot. GreenScape voicemail – left a message, they called back the next morning, super friendly.

The Unexpected Conclusion

Got quotes from all three over the next couple days. All were professional. Prices? Yeah... higher than I dreamed. Especially factoring in sealing after cleaning.

Guess what my next step was? After seeing those estimates?

I went back outside, glared at my grimy bricks, sighed... and rented a power washer from the hardware store. Figured I could wreck my back and possibly the pavers myself for less than half the cost of even the cheapest pro. Risky? Maybe. Stubborn? Absolutely. Desperate? You bet. Sometimes the "top 3 rated" makes you realize DIY sweat (and potential tears) is cheaper!