Driveway stained or dingy
easy 2–4 h
Tools: pressure washer (2,500 psi or more) with a surface cleaner or 25° tip, stiff broom, bucket, eye protection · Materials: concrete degreaser, cat litter or baking soda for fresh oil, polymeric sand and sealer for pavers, rust remover (oxalic acid) for rust streaks
Steps
- Sweep the driveway and pull weeds from cracks and joints; a weed left in a paver joint comes straight back through new sand.
- Cover fresh oil with cat litter or baking soda, leave it overnight, sweep it up, then apply a degreaser and scrub with a stiff broom.
- Wash in overlapping passes with a surface cleaner, or with a 25° tip held 20–30 cm (8–12 inches) off the slab, working from the top so dirty water runs away from clean areas.
- Treat rust streaks with an oxalic-acid rust remover, not bleach, which sets them.
- For pavers, let them dry fully, sweep polymeric sand into the joints, blow off the surface, and mist it to set the sand.
- Seal concrete or pavers on a dry day if you want stains to lift easily next time; a sealer is what keeps the driveway looking clean.
Stop and call a pro if
- the concrete is flaking or pitting — pressure will make spalling worse
- the driveway is asphalt: high pressure strips the binder, so it needs a low-pressure wash and sealcoating instead
- oil has soaked deep into old, porous concrete and a degreaser does not lift it
What a pro does that you can't
A pressure-washing service brings a hot-water unit and a surface cleaner that lift set-in oil and leave no stripes, and re-sands and seals pavers so the joints hold.
DIY cost: $20–60 in degreaser and sand; pressure-washer rental $40–90/day