Man, my driveway looked like a disaster zone after last winter. Green slime everywhere, oily stains from the car, just nasty. Figured it was time to call in the pros.

Starting the Hunt

Grabbed my phone and searched "driveway cleaners near me" first. Got overwhelmed with ads and sketchy-looking sites. Decided to narrow it down by searching specifically for Glasgow companies. Found three names that kept popping up with decent reviews: GreenClean Warriors, PressurePro Glasgow, and Wee Sparkle Squad.

Making Those Calls

Called all three last Monday morning. GreenClean answered fast but sounded rushed. PressurePro put me on hold for like five minutes. Wee Sparkle actually chatted proper - asked about stain types and driveway size without me prompting. Already liked that.

Quotes Showdown

Here's where it got interesting:

• GreenClean quoted £150 flat rate "for most driveways" but wouldn't come look first
• PressurePro wanted £220 for "guaranteed deep clean" - ouch
• Wee Sparkle did free next-day quote visit - measured properly and spotted oil patches I'd missed

Ended up with three wildly different quotes:

• GreenClean: £150 (phone quote)
• PressurePro: £220 (email quote)
• Wee Sparkle: £180 (after physical inspection)

The Trust Test

Asked all three how they'd handle the oil stains. GreenClean just said "our chemicals work". PressurePro started techno-babbling about PSI ratings. Wee Sparkle showed me sample cleaners in their van, explained exactly how they'd tackle different stain types. Sold me with the "show don't tell" approach.

Execution Day

Wee Sparkle showed up Tuesday 8am sharp. Two guys with proper gear - not just some dude with a Homebase pressure washer. They:

1. Pre-treated all the gnarly oil spots
2. Used adjustable pressure to avoid cracking older concrete
3. Did manual scrubbing on moss corners
4. Finished with anti-algae spray

Took 'em 3 hours total. Left zero mess or runoff on my plants.

The Aftermath

Driveway looks brand-spanking-new now. Not just clean but properly revived. Even my neighbor commented. Worth every penny of that £180.

The Real Takeaways

• Never trust phone quotes - companies skipping site visits cut corners
• Pressure washing ain't magic - ask about stain treatment methods
• Cheapest often costs more later when mold comes roaring back

Just saved you weeks of trial-and-error. You're welcome.