Pillar guide
Outdoor surface cleaning: pressure, method and risk
Prices start at £95 for a front path with a £110 minimum visit charge. For local pricing and coverage, use your area page — jet washing across London.
Five methods
The surface decides the method
Rotary flat-surface cleaning
An enclosed twin-jet head runs at fixed height and speed, so every square metre takes the same energy and the water stays inside the housing instead of on your windows.
- Best for
- Block paving, concrete slabs, garage aprons and long runs of hard standing.
- Speed
- Around 20 m² an hour on a normal drive.
- What it cannot do
- It cannot save paving that has already sunk, and it will not lift oil that has soaked in.
Soft washing
A dilute biocide is applied top down under 40 bar, left to dwell, then rinsed with a controlled low-pressure pass. The chemistry does the work, not the water.
- Best for
- Render, painted masonry, roof tiles, fragile stone and anything with lime pointing.
- Speed
- Half a day for a two-storey elevation.
- What it cannot do
- It is not instant — growth keeps fading for two to three weeks after the visit.
Hot-water pressure washing
Water heated to around 90°C carries a degreaser into the surface, which breaks fats and oils that cold water simply pushes around.
- Best for
- Bin stores, commercial forecourts, chewing gum and food-waste staining.
- Speed
- Two to five hours per zone.
- What it cannot do
- Heat can damage composite decking and some sealants, so it is never a default.
Hand detailing
Edges, thresholds, step nosings, gully surrounds and manhole frames are worked by hand with a brush and a fine lance after the machine pass.
- Best for
- Every job. It is the difference between a clean drive and a clean drive with a dirty border.
- Speed
- Adds 30–60 minutes to a typical driveway.
- What it cannot do
- It cannot compensate for the wrong pressure having already been used.
Re-sanding and sealing
Kiln-dried sand is brushed and vibrated into block-paving joints, then topped up once dry. Sealing is a separate visit onto a fully dry surface.
- Best for
- Block paving, imprinted concrete and porous natural stone.
- Speed
- Re-sanding same day; sealing a second dry-day visit.
- What it cannot do
- Sealer applied over damp stone blooms white and has to be stripped.
Surface reference
Pressure, method and risk by material
| Surface | Verdict | Working pressure | Method | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Block paving | Jet | 130–150 bar, rotary head | Enclosed rotary pass, then edges and manholes detailed by hand. | Sand blasted from joints, leaving blocks free to rock. |
| Sandstone, limestone, York stone | Reduced | 80–110 bar, wide fan | Biocide first, dwell, then a low-pressure lift that keeps the riven face. | Etching and zebra striping from a turbo nozzle. |
| Pattern-imprinted concrete | Reduced | 100–120 bar, no turbo | Wash off the failed seal, neutralise, dry, re-seal on a second visit. | Lifting colour hardener and exposing grey aggregate. |
| Porcelain and vitrified paving | Reduced | 100 bar, fan lance | Alkaline pre-spray, agitate, rinse, then squeegee dry. | Grout washout and permanent hard-water spotting. |
| Victorian tessellated path | Never pressure | 60–80 bar maximum | Hand work, pH-neutral chemistry, soft rotary at low pressure. | Losing tiles or blowing out lime pointing. |
| Timber and composite decking | Reduced | 60–80 bar with the grain | Percarbonate cleaner, dwell, wide fan drawn with the grain. | Furring soft-wood boards and lifting fixings. |
| Render, brick and walls | Soft wash | Under 40 bar | Dilute biocide top down, left to work, controlled rinse. | Water driven through render cracks and stripped mortar. |
| Communal bin stores and car parks | Jet | 150 bar, hot water | 90°C water with degreaser, rotary pass, drain guard on every gully. | Contaminated run-off entering a highway drain. |
Questions
Outdoor cleaning questions, answered
What pressure is safe for patio and driveway cleaning?
Block paving takes 130–150 bar through a rotary head, natural stone 80–110 bar on a wide fan, decking 60–80 bar with the grain, and render or brick under 40 bar as a soft wash. Test a hidden metre before any full pass.
How often should outdoor surfaces be cleaned?
Most London driveways and patios need a full clean every 18–24 months, with a residual weed and moss treatment in between. Shaded north-facing ground re-greens faster and often wants an annual visit.
Does jet washing remove black spot lichen?
Pressure alone does not. Black spot is killed at the root with a biocide and then fades over two to three weeks. Anyone promising same-day removal is either blasting the surface or overselling.