The challenge
What we found
A 1,200-square-foot paver driveway under mature oaks: black mildew across the shaded half, two long-dried oil drips near the garage, orange irrigation-rust freckles along the edges, and joint sand washed thin in the tire paths.
The owners had tried a rental machine the previous year. It left visible wand arcs and lifted sand from the joints — exactly the damage that makes homeowners nervous about hiring a washer.
Constraints
- Pavers with thin joint sand — no aggressive blasting near joints
- Fresh oil stain still tacky near the garage apron
- Landscaping tight against both edges of the drive
The approach
How we cleaned it
We started with a full degreaser dwell on the oil spots and tire paths, then ran slow overlapping passes with the rotary surface cleaner — two directions, to even out the tone. Rust freckles got a targeted oxalic treatment, edges were detailed by wand, and everything was rinsed twice.
Deliverables
- Degrease, rotary clean, rust treatment, and double rinse
- Before-and-after photo set (38 photos) shared same day
- Sealant recommendation with 12-month maintenance schedule
The result
Even tone, zero stripes
Outcome
The mildew and wand arcs from the rental attempt are gone, the oil drips lifted fully, and the rust freckles faded to faint traces. Joint sand stayed put — we re-swept only the two tire paths where it was already thin, and flagged them for the owners.
The owners booked a whole-house wash for the following month and joined the annual driveway maintenance plan.
Services used
- Driveway & concrete cleaning with rotary surface cleaner
- Oil degrease pre-treatment and rust spot-treatment
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