My Messy Driveway Situation

Woke up last Tuesday and nearly tripped over moss growing between the patio slabs. Looked like a mini jungle out there! Grabbed my phone right there in pajamas thinking "gotta find someone to fix this disaster".

Starting The Search Madness

Typed "driveway cleaners West Lothian" like everybody does. Got blasted with a million options - felt like scrolling forever. Saw slick websites shouting "WE'RE THE BEST" but honestly? Couldn't tell who actually showed up to work versus who just paid for fancy ads.

Tried three things:

• Checked Facebook community groups for real recommendations
• Peeked at Google reviews but watched out for fake 5-star ratings
• Straight up asked my neighbour Bill across the street

The Big Decision Stress

Bill's guy wanted £120 but couldn't come for two weeks. This one company with orange vans quoted £200 claiming "premium service". Found two local lads on Gumtree charging £80 cash but something felt sketchy. Stressed over tea for hours comparing:

• Price versus how soon they could start
• If they actually included the jet washing chemicals in the quote
• Whether they'd trample my flower beds

Getting It Done Finally

Chose this little family business Maria from my gardening group swore by. Called them at 8AM Wednesday. Bloke named Dave actually answered his phone - already better than others! Showed up Friday with no fancy van just a beat-up truck and proper industrial gear.

He power-washed for three sweaty hours:

• First blasted off years of green slime
• Hand-scrubbed nasty oil stains near garage
• Threw down anti-slip treatment after

Paid £135 total - not the cheapest but worth every penny seeing that clean grey concrete again.

What I Learned

Skip the flashy websites - ask real locals! Small operators usually care more. Oh and always ask exactly what's included before handing over cash. Next time weeds take over? I've got Dave's number saved as "Driveway Hero".