How To Freshen Up Your Driveway To Look Like New

Keeping your driveway clean puts you at odds with several ultra-powerful forces: weather, nature, automobiles. But in spite of the odds, there are several ways to keep the gateway to your home pristine.

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A well-groomed driveway sends a message to neighbours and guests that the people in this home care about their property and their neighborhood. If you want your driveway to tell a story about the sort of homeowner you are, read on for some tips on how to freshen it up and make it look good as new.

Car Oil

Even if you primarily park in the garage, chances are pretty good that your driveway will occasionally come into contact with oil.

Oil stains are notoriously hard to clean, but there are actually old-school remedies that work very well. Sawdust and kitty litter are both classic ways to effectively remove oil stains from your driveway. Why? They are both hyper-absorbent. Simply wet the area of the stain to loosen it somewhat, then lay down the solution of your choice.

If you need more convincing of the power of kitty litter, just look to the methodologies of our finest first responders. Many fire departments keep kitty litter or sawdust in their trucks at all times, so they can rapidly clean up residual oil left over on roadways from car accidents.

However, if your driveway has older, deeper stains, a more chemical-heavy solution may be necessary. In this case, look to cleaning detergents, or other stain removers.

Power Wash

Now that the stuck-on stains are taken care of, it’s time to buff out the rest of your problem areas. Built-up dirt, gravel, and grime can be taken care of relatively quickly through the use of a standard power washer.

You can buy or rent power washers. That said, the cost of renting a unit several times is roughly equal to that of buying one.

In either case, pay attention to the specifications of the washer you procure for your project. Most are safe for laypersons, but some can be powerful enough to cause injury. The average run-of-the-mill power washer will be safe, and powerful enough to do whatever jobs need to be done.

Mildew

Driveways are also notorious sites for mould and mildew. Water doesn’t drain very well on concrete or asphalt, which makes them perfect hosts for surface fungus.

Mildew is unsightly, and it can also have negative health consequences, but the good news is that it is easy to get rid of. A combination of bleach and water is all it will take to get the job done. Apply with a mop or sturdy rag (wearing gloves) and scrub vigorously until the mildew is lifted.

Once you’re done scrubbing, rinse the chemicals out of your driveway. If you have plants in the immediate vicinity of the treatment site, be very careful with the chemicals. They will kill your plants.

Landscaping/Weed Mitigation

At this point, your driveway is looking clean, but also kind of drab. It’s time to straighten things up a little bit more by edging out the weeds, and maybe even planting a flower or two.

If you have a weed eater, now is the time to get it out. Many modern weed eaters include a handy edging feature that allows you to easily trim up the edges of sidewalks, or, yes, driveways.

A few minutes with the weed eater will polish up the look of your driveway. Once the area is clear, you can consider inserting some more eye-catching plants, or just leaving the space clean and empty.