A pressure washing visit goes faster, and more of the surface gets cleaned, when the area is ready before the team arrives. Most of the preparation is simple: clear the surface, sweep up what is loose, and make sure water, power and access are sorted.

This checklist covers the days before and the morning of the clean. If you are still deciding whether to book, start with what to know before booking driveway pressure washing, which covers suitable surfaces, how the price is worked out and what pressure washing can and cannot remove.

First, check the clean fits the water rules

Victoria’s Permanent Water Saving Rules apply every day of the year. In short, drinking water can only be used to clean hard surfaces such as driveways, paths, concrete, tiles and timber decking:

  • where cleaning is needed as a result of an accident, fire, health hazard, safety hazard or other emergency
  • where staining has developed, and then only once a season
  • in the course of construction or renovation

When one applies, the cleaning must be done with a high-pressure water cleaning device or, if one is not available, a hand-held hose or a bucket. Our booking guide linked above sets out the rules in full with the official sources. If you are not sure your situation fits, ask your water corporation before you book.

A few days before

  • Take photos of the area, including stains, cracks, loose pavers or damage you already know about. They help with the quote and give you a record of how the surface looked beforehand.
  • Note anything fragile or unusual: lifting or loose pavers, crumbling edges, a newly laid or sealed surface, natural stone or timber, or paving that runs right up to rendered or painted walls. Mention these when you book, as they may need a custom quote or to be left out. Our pressure washing does not include roofs, render or painted surfaces.
  • Check the outside tap works and that there is a power point the team can use. If the property is vacant, make sure the water and power are connected. Tell us when you book if either is not available.
  • Plan where the cars will go. Cars, trailers and boats need to be off the driveway for the whole visit, not just moved along it.
  • Let the neighbours know if the area runs along a shared fence or driveway, or next to where they park, so they can move anything they would rather keep dry.
  • Check who looks after shared areas. If the courtyard or driveway is common property in an apartment or townhouse complex, ask your owners corporation or strata manager before booking.

The day before

  • Clear the whole surface: bins, pot plants, outdoor furniture, barbecues, doormats, toys, bikes, hoses and tools. Anything left on the area cannot be cleaned under. If something is too heavy to move safely, leave it and tell us.
  • Sweep up leaves, soil and litter and put them in the bin. EPA Victoria notes that stormwater travels through gutters and drains into our waterways, and lists leaves, garden clippings, oil and washing detergents among the things that pollute it. Its advice for footpaths is to sweep and bin the waste rather than hose it away. Sweeping first also means the clean can concentrate on the ground-in staining.
  • Clear the garage floor if it is being done. Lift boxes, tools and anything stored at floor level, and move items that should not get damp, such as cardboard, paper and power tools, well away from the floor.
  • Close nearby windows and doors, including any door from the garage into the house, and bring in shoes, cushions or washing near the edges.
  • Point out anything that should stay dry, such as outdoor power points, lights, a meter box or pool equipment at ground level beside the surface.
  • Mark garden beds and delicate plants that sit next to the area, and tie back plants that hang over it.

On the morning

  • Unlock the gates so the team can reach the tap, the power point and every part of the area.
  • Tell us how to get in if you will not be home. Access details you give in the booking form are only seen by the team doing the job and are never emailed.
  • Keep pets and children inside or well away from the work area until the clean is finished.
  • Show us the priorities: the stains you most want lifted, and any spot you would rather we left alone.

What you do not need to do

  • Pre-treat stains. Please do not experiment with strong cleaners or chemicals beforehand. Tell us what caused the stain instead, and what, if anything, has already been tried.
  • Wet the surface or rinse it down first.
  • Move things you cannot lift safely.
  • Re-sand or fill the paver joints. Sealing and re-sanding are not part of our service; if your pavers need either, that is a job for a paving specialist after the clean.

After the clean

A rinse-down of the surrounding area is part of the job. The surface will stay wet for a while, so take care walking on it, and wait until it has dried before putting furniture, pot plants and doormats back, so water is not trapped underneath. How long that takes depends on the weather, the shade and the surface.

Take a few photos to compare with your before shots. To keep the surface clean for longer, regular sweeping and dealing with spills early help; how often outdoor paving should be cleaned has a simple routine.

Ready to book?

Pressure washing is $2.70 per square metre plus GST, so a 40 m² driveway comes to $109 + GST. Enter your area in the instant quote calculator to see your price, or read more about our pressure washing service. Sending a request is not yet a confirmed booking: we confirm the date and time with you first.

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Sources

Rules change. Check the official source for your situation; this guide is general information, not legal advice.