A gorgeous driveway can enhance your garden’s natural beauty when taken care of properly. Maintaining your driveway means it will look presentable, and will also prevent the risk of trips and falls. Keep reading for our advice on how to keep your driveway clean.

Stay on top of driveway gate maintenance

Keeping your driveway clean starts right at the entrance – where your driveway gate stands. To make a good first impression on visitors, your driveway gate should look clean and well-maintained to reflect the rest of your property. Keep rust and wood rot at bay by reading our five tips for perfect gate maintenance.

Sweep regularly

Leaves, branches and dust can all cause a nuisance on a driveway when they build up. To prevent this, sweep your driveway regularly with a stiff brush. Sweeping regularly will keep your driveway clear of fallen dirt and moss, which in turn can help to prevent weeds and algae from growing. Your driveway should ideally be swept at least a couple of times a month, but this depends on where you live and its weather conditions. 

Try not to leave it too long between sweeps, as build-up over time will make it more difficult to clean when you get round to it. Brushing your driveway once every couple of weeks makes it manageable to keep a clean, presentable entrance to your home.

Get rid of weeds

All gardens benefit from luscious greenery, but this is best kept off your driveway. As well as spoiling the aesthetics of your driveway, weeds can cause damage to the surface or create a slippery path for cars and pedestrians. Try to keep on top of weeds as much as possible, as they can cause long term damage to your driveway by forcing their way through to the surface. If you spend a lot of time in your garden, it takes less than a minute to quickly pull out any weeds that you spot.

Rake gravel driveways

While gravel driveways require weeding like other driveways, they also need to be raked. This helps to disturb growing weeds, and also helps to keep the surface even by redistributing the gravel. If there has been wind or rain, chances are that the gravel on your driveway will have been disturbed. However, by regularly raking your driveway, you can ensure that it stays in place and maintains its level surface.

Clean spills as soon as possible

When left to sit for too long, spills on your driveway can cause tough stains that are incredibly difficult to get rid of. If oil or grease spills onto your driveway, the best course of action is to immediately clean up before it gets the chance to spread. We go through how to clean your driveway later in this blog post.

Seal any cracks in the driveway

No driveway is invincible – regular wear and tear means that cracks will form over time. This provides the opportunity for pesky weeds to grow up through them, and possibly create more cracks. Filling in cracks in your driveway helps to reduce damage over time, and makes it look much neater, too. The same goes for gravel driveways: keep topping up with more gravel to prevent gaps and keep your driveway looking presentable.

How to clean a driveway

How to steam clean a driveway

To effectively deep clean your driveway, a steam pressure washer is the easiest option. Some driveways can’t withstand high pressure washers, so using a lighter pressure wash with steam allows you to remove tough grime and dirt without causing damage. You can buy this tool yourself, or hire a professional to do it for you. Luckily, deep cleaning your driveway doesn’t need to be done all too regularly – once a year is enough to keep your driveway maintained.

How to clean a driveway without a pressure washer

If your driveway is too delicate for a pressure washer, or you prefer to take matters into your own hands, there are ways to clean a driveway without a pressure washer. All you need is some detergent (preferably driveway cleaner), a stiff brush, a bucket of hot water, and some elbow grease. You can use any stiff brush to scrub at your driveway without the need for a high tech pressure washer. While it may take longer, it can definitely save you some money.

Interested in a beautiful driveway gate to improve the look of your home’s exterior? No matter your preferred style, we provide well-made wooden, steel, aluminium, and composite driveway gates. Contact us to find out more.