Cleaning guides
costs, methods & care
How exterior cleaning is actually priced and carried out — including the bits that cheap quotes leave out.
Most exterior cleaning advice online is written to sell. These guides are written to answer the questions we get asked on site: what changes the price, why the green comes back, whether sealing is worth it, and when a tired drive genuinely needs relaying rather than cleaning.
Where we don't know something, we say so — and we don't quote statistics we can't stand behind.
What driveway cleaning actually costs — and what changes the price
The honest breakdown of how a driveway clean is priced, and the five things that move the number.
Read guidePatio cleaning costs: what you're paying for on stone, porcelain and concrete
Why two patios of the same size can be priced very differently, and what to check before you book.
Read guideWhat driveway sealing costs — and what you are actually paying for
Sealing is priced on prep, product and coats — not just square metres. Here is how each part moves the number.
Read guideBlock paving re-sanding: why the sand matters more than the wash
Cleaning makes block paving look right for a week. Re-sanding is what keeps it right for years.
Read guideWhat happens on cleaning day, hour by hour
No mystery, no surprises — exactly how a job runs from the van arriving to the final walk-round.
Read guideBiocide treatment for patios and driveways: what it is and why it matters
Pressure removes what you can see. Biocide deals with what's left behind in the surface.
Read guideKerb appeal before selling: the cheapest presentation work on a house
The first photo and the first ten seconds of a viewing are both the frontage. It's worth an afternoon.
Read guideCommercial forecourts: cleaning around trading hours
For a business, the paving is part of the shopfront — and part of the risk register.
Read guideHow to prepare for a driveway or patio clean
Ten minutes of prep makes the job faster, tidier and cheaper to quote accurately.
Read guidePressure washing done properly: technique, settings and the mistakes that cost money
Pressure is the least important part of pressure washing. Technique, chemistry and patience do most of the work.
Read guideDiesel and petrol spills on paving: what to do in the first hour
Fuel is a solvent as well as a stain. Speed of containment decides whether you end up with a mark or a repair.
Read guideHow to clean a patio properly, step by step
The order of operations matters more than the equipment. Here is the sequence we use on site.
Read guidePolymeric sand: how it works, when to use it and how to install it without a haze
A genuinely effective jointing product that punishes rushed installation. Here is the method that works.
Read guideThe preparation checklist that decides whether driveway sealing succeeds
Nearly every sealing failure is a preparation failure. Work through this before anyone opens a tin.
Read guideRestoring a tired tarmac driveway: what cleaning fixes and what it cannot
Cleaning removes growth and grime. Grey is oxidation, cracks are structure — know which problem you have.
Read guideCleaning driveways and patios safely around plants, pets and drains
Most garden damage during a clean comes from run-off, not from the products themselves. Control the water and you control the risk.
Read guideHow long does driveway cleaning take?
Most domestic drives are a single visit of several hours. Here is what sets the clock, surface by surface.
Read guideDriveway cleaners near me: how to choose a good local cleaner
A nearby cleaner is only useful if the work is done properly. Here is how to tell the difference before you book.
Read guideChewing gum removal from paving, forecourts and walkways
Flattened gum bonds into the surface texture. Removing it cleanly takes heat, time and the right technique.
Read guideSoft washing vs pressure washing: which your surface actually needs
Two different tools for two different problems — and an expensive mistake if you swap them.
Read guideRotary flat-surface cleaner vs pressure lance: why striping happens
The single biggest reason a cleaned drive looks blotchy — and how it's avoided.
Read guideDriveway sealing: is it worth it? Pros and cons
Sealing isn't automatic. It suits some surfaces and situations, and is a waste of money on others.
Read guideClean it or replace it? How to judge whether a drive is worth saving
Most tired-looking drives are dirty, not finished. Here's how to tell the difference.
Read guideHow to compare driveway cleaning quotes without getting caught out
Two quotes for the same drive can differ by half. Usually it's scope, not greed.
Read guideHot water vs cold water cleaning: does heat actually earn its keep outdoors?
Heat helps against grease and old sealer — for most driveway and patio dirt, it's not the deciding factor people assume.
Read guideBiocide treatment vs bleach: why one kills growth and the other just hides it
Bleach whitens what it touches. A biocide is formulated to kill the organism that's actually causing the problem.
Read guideSteam cleaning vs jet washing on old stone: which respects a surface that's already worn thin
Old stone has already lost material to a century of weather — the cleaning method shouldn't be the next thing wearing it away.
Read guideSealing vs re-sanding: which one has to happen first on block paving
This isn't really a choice between two options — it's a sequence, and getting the order wrong undoes both jobs.
Read guideWater-based vs solvent-based sealer: which is better for a driveway?
The chemistry behind the two sealer types explains most of the practical differences homeowners actually notice.
Read guideMatt, satin or wet-look sealer: reading the finish before you commit
The three common sealer finishes don't just differ in gloss level — they change how forgiving the surface is day to day.
Read guideKiln-dried sand vs polymeric sand: choosing what actually goes in the joints
Both fill the same gap between the blocks, but they behave very differently once weather and traffic get to work on them.
Read guideCleaning vs relaying block paving: telling a surface problem from a structural one
Dirty blocks and failing blocks look similar at a glance, but only one of them can be fixed by cleaning the surface.
Read guideResin-bound surfacing vs block paving: comparing what upkeep actually looks like
The two surfaces are cleaned in very different ways, and knowing that in advance changes how each one holds up over the years.
Read guidePorcelain vs sandstone: which patio actually stays cleaner for longer
Two popular patio materials, two completely different maintenance rhythms.
Read guideTarmac vs concrete driveways: cleaning them without causing damage
One surface is flexible and dark, the other rigid and pale — and that changes the whole approach.
Read guideImprinted concrete vs block paving: how they age and what upkeep they need
Both were popular drive choices for the same reasons — but they wear in opposite ways.
Read guideGravel vs paved drives: which one actually wins the weed battle
Gravel looks low-maintenance and paving looks weed-proof — neither assumption holds up for long.
Read guideDIY pressure washer vs a professional clean: what the difference actually buys you
The tool in the shed and the tool on the van look similar — the results rarely are.
Read guideHiring a jet washer for the weekend vs booking a contractor
The hire cost is only one line in a longer list of things you're actually taking on.
Read guideWeed killer vs mechanical removal: which actually keeps paving clear
One kills what's there, the other closes the gap the weed used in the first place.
Read guideOne-off moss removal vs a maintenance plan: which suits your garden
A single big clean and a steady maintenance rhythm solve the same problem in very different timeframes.
Read guideSpring vs autumn cleaning: timing your drive and patio clean right
Both seasons have a case — the right one depends on what you want ready and when.
Read guideOne-off clean vs scheduled visits: what works better for landlords
Presentation between tenancies is a different problem to presentation across a portfolio.
Read guideDomestic vs commercial exterior cleaning: how the job actually differs
Same equipment, same principles — a very different set of constraints on site.
Read guideCleaning before selling vs after moving in: does the timing change the job?
Same equipment, different brief — selling asks for presentation, moving in asks for a fresh start.
Read guideSealed vs unsealed driveways in a wet climate: which suits Yorkshire weather?
Rain doesn't ask permission, so the question is how your surface behaves once it's soaked through.
Read guideBlack spot lichen vs algae: telling them apart and why it changes treatment
One wipes away with time and pressure. The other roots into the stone and laughs at both.
Read guideRust stains vs iron spotting on sandstone: two different marks, two different fixes
One is something sitting on the stone. The other is something that's part of the stone.
Read guideOil stain removal vs a full drive clean: do you need one or the other?
A degreaser lifts one patch. A full clean deals with everything the eye had already stopped noticing.
Read guidePainting vs cleaning tired concrete: which actually solves the problem
Paint changes how it looks today. Cleaning changes what's actually there.
Read guideReplacing vs restoring an old stone patio: how to tell which it needs
A patio that looks finished can still have plenty of life left in the stone itself.
Read guideDecking: cleaning vs sanding vs replacing — matching the fix to the damage
Slippery isn't the same problem as splintered, and splintered isn't the same as rotten.
Read guidePointing repair vs full re-jointing on a patio: how much work does it actually need?
A handful of failed joints is a repair job. A patio failing everywhere is a different conversation.
Read guideDrainage fixes vs repeat cleaning: solving the cause instead of the symptom
If the same patch keeps growing back within months, the problem might not be on the surface at all.
Read guideFixed-scope quotes vs day-rate work: comparing outside cleaning quotes properly
The real comparison isn't the number on the page — it's what's actually included underneath it.
Read guideResin bound versus tarmac: how they age, and what each costs you to keep
Two very different surfaces with very different failure modes — judged on how they behave after five years, not on the brochure.
Read guideBlack spot lichen: what it is and why scrubbing won't shift it
Those stubborn black dots aren't tar or dirt — they're a living organism rooted into the stone.
Read guideWhy north-facing patios go green first — and what to do about it
Shade plus damp plus organic litter is a growing medium. That's the whole problem in one line.
Read guideOil and fuel stains: what comes out, what fades and what stays
Some stains lift completely, some lighten, and a few are permanent. Honest expectations first.
Read guideWeeds in block paving: they grow from above, not below
The seed lands on top and germinates in whatever's collected in the joint. That changes the fix entirely.
Read guideImprinted concrete: the drive most often ruined by cleaning
On imprinted concrete, the finish and the surface are the same thing — which is why technique matters most here.
Read guideDecking: making it safe again without wrecking the boards
Slippery decking is a biology problem with a safety consequence — and a lance makes it worse.
Read guideAftercare: how to keep a cleaned surface looking cleaned
Five minutes of maintenance a few times a year does more than the next clean will.
Read guideA year-round maintenance calendar for block paving
What to do each season so block paving keeps its interlock and never needs a rescue clean.
Read guidePreventing weeds in a driveway, rather than pulling them forever
Weeds in paving grow from above, not below. Fix the seed bed and the problem shrinks dramatically.
Read guideColour-enhancing sealers: what they do to a surface, and what they cannot undo
Enhancement deepens what is already in the stone. It cannot add colour that is not there.
Read guideHow long driveway sealer really lasts, and how to tell when it is due
Forget the number on the tin. The surface tells you when it is due — here is how to read it.
Read guideKeeping a gravel driveway tidy, level and weed-free
Gravel is low cost, not low maintenance. Most of the work is about keeping the stone where you put it.
Read guideSealing Indian sandstone: what it fixes, what it risks and how to do it right
Sandstone is porous, variable and soft. Sealing helps a great deal — but only after the right preparation.
Read guideEfflorescence on block paving: the white bloom, and what to do about it
Not a stain, not a defect, and not something to attack chemically on day one. Here is what is actually happening.
Read guidePermeable paving: keeping the drainage working, not just the surface clean
The joints are the drain. Treat them as jointing sand and you will turn a permeable drive into an impermeable one.
Read guideCracked and spalling concrete drives: causes, repairs and what to do first
Concrete tells you what is wrong through the shape of its cracks. Learn to read them before spending money.
Read guideHow to clean composite decking without damaging it
Composite isn't maintenance-free. It resists rot, but algae, grime and grease still build up on the surface and in the grooves.
Read guideThe best time of year to clean a patio or drive in Yorkshire
Cleaning works nearly all year. Re-sanding and sealing are the steps the weather actually controls.
Read guideWinter driveway care in a Yorkshire climate
Winter is for protecting the surface, not cleaning it. What you do between November and February decides how much work spring needs.
Read guideLeaf fall, tannin stains and the autumn jobs that save you a spring clean
Leaf staining is chemistry, not dirt. Removing leaves weekly is worth more than any product in November.
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