How to Clean a Concrete Driveway (London Guide)

Concrete driveways are hard-wearing but porous, so they soak up oil, tannins from leaves and rust fast. The upside: concrete tolerates pretty much any cleaning method short of a jackhammer, so you have plenty of options.

Routine cleaning

Sweep monthly, rinse with a hose quarterly. That's it for maintenance on a well-sealed concrete driveway.

Deep clean (once a year)

1. Sweep thoroughly and pre-treat any weeds in expansion joints.
2. Apply a concrete/patio degreaser across the whole slab.
3. Scrub with a stiff broom, focusing on tyre tracks and drip zones.
4. Pressure wash at 120–150 bar with a rotary surface cleaner for even results.

Specific stains

• Oil / diesel: poultice of biological washing powder and warm water; repeat 2–3 times for old stains.
• Rust (from garden tools or wheelie bins): oxalic acid based rust remover. Dilute per label — neat oxalic can etch.
• Leaf tannins (black/brown blotches): a sodium percarbonate cleaner ("oxy" powder) mixed with warm water.
• Efflorescence (white bloom): dilute white vinegar 1:4 with water, scrub, rinse fully.

Sealing

An acrylic concrete sealer (£20–£40 per 5L) makes future cleaning far easier and prevents freeze-thaw spalling — the flaky surface damage common on north-facing London driveways. Reseal every 3–4 years.

Common mistakes

• Using hydrochloric ("brick") acid — it whitens and weakens concrete.
• Sealing damp concrete — traps moisture and causes bloom.
• Ignoring expansion joints — weeds root there fastest.