How Often to Pressure Wash a Driveway

Driveways that sit in the shade for most of the day, are close to garden beds, or have overhanging trees stay damp longer and grow mould, lichen and algae faster than a driveway that gets full sun. Concrete and porous pavers also hold onto grime differently to sealed surfaces, so two driveways of a similar age can need very different attention.

A greenish or black tinge, a surface that feels slippery when wet, or visible lichen patches are the clearest signs. Oil stains and tyre marks that have started to sit rather than wash off with rain are worth addressing sooner rather than later too, since they get harder to fully lift the longer they are left.

Most driveways in Sydney do well with a pressure clean once or twice a year. Shaded or heavily treed properties are often closer to twice, while a driveway in full sun with little foliage nearby can sometimes stretch beyond a year. Matching the pressure to the surface matters as much as the frequency, since too much pressure on the wrong surface can etch or damage it rather than clean it.

A pressure clean removes what has already built up, but it does not stop new staining from soaking straight back in. Sealing the concrete afterwards, whether with a penetrating or topical sealer depending on the surface and finish wanted, means oil, leaf tannin and tyre marks sit on top rather than being absorbed, which noticeably extends how long a clean actually looks clean.