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Deep Cleaning
A room-by-room reset of the kitchen, bathrooms and the places a weekly clean never reaches.
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Local to Birmingham, not a call centre
Selly Oak based, 60 areas covered.
Insured for the work we do
Own equipment, quote before we start.
The right method for each surface
Tested and chosen before we start, not after.
Open six days a week
Monday to Saturday, closed Sundays.
Block, concrete, tarmac, resin and stone, each treated differently
Exterior surface cleaning is the most weather-driven of the services, and spring is when most people want it, once they can see what the winter has done. The surfaces split along local lines: block-paved and concrete drives on the interwar and post-war housing in Northfield, Cotteridge and Hall Green; original tiled paths and stone in the Victorian areas of Harborne, Moseley and Edgbaston; sloping paths in Halesowen; and large resin-bound and block drives in Solihull and Sutton Coldfield.
The single most important thing about this job is matching pressure to surface. Aggressive pressure washing is fine on sound concrete and damaging on almost everything else: it strips the resin from a resin-bound drive, loosens tarmac, blows the jointing sand out of block paving, and lifts original Victorian path tiles altogether. Getting that wrong is expensive, and it is a common way these jobs go wrong.
We clean drives and patios with a rotary surface cleaner on sound concrete and block paving, and soft-wash tarmac, resin, stone and original tiled paths at low pressure, because high pressure would damage them. Block paving loses its jointing sand in the wash, and where the joints need it, re-sanding is quoted separately before we start.
Shade decides how fast a surface greens over. A north-facing back patio under trees in Moseley needs doing more often than an open front drive on a 1930s estate, and algae on a sloping path in Halesowen is a slip risk well before it is an eyesore.
Why cleaning patios and driveways is important
- Appearance: The drive is the largest hard surface at the front of most houses, so a green or oil-stained one sets the look of the frontage.
- Joints and edges: Moss and weeds in the joints hold water, which loosens blocks and breaks down pointing over time.
- Grip underfoot: Algae on paths, steps and sloping drives is slippery through the wet months.
- Before a sale: A clean frontage shows better in photographs and at viewings.
Surfaces we clean
The method changes with the surface:
- Block paving drives, with re-sanding quoted separately where the joints need it
- Concrete drives and garage aprons
- Tarmac and resin-bound drives, soft-washed at low pressure so the surface is not loosened
- Natural stone patios such as sandstone slabs
- Porcelain and concrete slab paving
- Brick paths, steps and original tiled front paths, soft-washed
How we do it
- 01We identify the surface firstBlock paving, concrete, tarmac, resin-bound, natural stone, porcelain, original tile and brick all need different treatment. We check what we are dealing with before anything is switched on.
- 02The right method for that surfaceRotary pressure cleaning on sound concrete and block paving. Low-pressure soft-washing on original tile, stone, resin, tarmac and anything period or delicate, because tarmac loosens and resin lifts if you hit them hard.
- 03Moss, algae and weeds out of the jointsGrowth in the joints is what makes a drive look neglected and what makes a path slippery. It comes out as part of the job, not as an extra.
- 04Stain treatment where neededOil, tyre marks, leaf tannin and rust are treated separately from general cleaning, because general washing does not shift them.
- 05Rinse down and clear upSurrounding walls, doors and windows rinsed off, and the displaced silt cleared away, not left in a heap by your gate.
- 06Re-sanding quoted separatelyCleaning block paving removes jointing sand, and it needs replacing afterwards or the blocks work loose. Where the joints need it, re-sanding is quoted as a separate line before we start.
What’s included?
- Driveways in block paving, concrete, tarmac or resin-bound
- Patios in slab, natural stone, porcelain or brick
- Paths, steps and side access
- Moss, algae and weed removal from joints
- Oil, tyre mark and general staining treatment
- Rinse-down of adjacent walls, doors and windows
- Clearance of displaced silt and debris
Patio & Driveway Cleaning close to our Selly Oak base
Three of the areas nearest to us, each with its own page for patio & driveway cleaning and the housing there.
Patio & Driveway Cleaning in Selly Oak
Most terraces here have a small front forecourt and a rear yard, and both go green in the shade of the flat-roof extensions behind them.
Patio & Driveway Cleaning in Selly Park
Block-paved and gravel drives with moss in the joints, and original tiled front paths that are soft-washed, never blasted.
Patio & Driveway Cleaning in Stirchley
Rear yards and paths, particularly the damp canal-side elevations where green growth takes hold.
If your property is somewhere else in Birmingham or the West Midlands, we almost certainly cover it. See all the areas we serve.
What sets the price of patio & driveway cleaning
Priced by area and by how bad it is. A regularly maintained block drive is quick. A north-facing path in Moseley that has been green for five years, or a long shaded drive in Sutton Coldfield, takes considerably longer and may need a treatment as well as a wash.
Two things we raise at quoting stage. Old oil that has soaked deep into porous concrete will usually lighten substantially rather than disappear completely. And cleaning block paving removes the jointing sand, which has to be replaced afterwards, so where the joints need it, re-sanding is quoted separately before we start.
How often patio & driveway cleaning is needed
Every one to two years for most surfaces. Annually for shaded and north-facing areas, which covers a lot of Moseley, and for sloping paths in Halesowen where algae is a slip hazard rather than just an appearance problem. Spring is the natural time, once the winter growth is visible.
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Other services
02
Domestic Cleaning
A standing slot in your home, weekly or fortnightly, on a fixed day and to a list you have agreed.
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03
Commercial Cleaning
Contract cleaning for offices, shops, surgeries and units, worked to a written specification and invoiced rather than paid on the day.
Learn moreGreat services delivered by Charles recommend for others
Charles was great. He was very professional and did a great job.
Absolutely brilliant service. Adefem was professional, job well done. Everything was left beautifully clean, and I was genuinely impressed.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
It can, depending on the surface. High pressure strips resin-bound drives, loosens tarmac, blows the sand out of block paving joints and can lift original Victorian tiles. That is why we identify the surface first and use soft-washing wherever pressure would cause damage.
Usually a substantial improvement, and often completely on fresher stains. Oil that has soaked deep into porous concrete over years generally lightens considerably without vanishing. We will tell you what to expect before we start.
Yes, where the joints have lost their sand. Cleaning block paving removes kiln-dried sand from the joints, and without it the blocks work loose over time. Re-sanding is quoted separately when the joints need it, and we explain it when we quote.
Yes, at low pressure. Resin-bound surfaces are damaged by aggressive washing, which lifts the aggregate out of the resin. It needs a gentler method, common on the newer drives in Solihull and Sutton Coldfield.
Yes, and on a slope it is genuinely worth doing. We soft-wash the algae off and the grip comes back. On a permanently shaded or sloping path, as in a lot of Halesowen and Moseley, it is worth repeating annually.
Only with soft-washing, which is what we use. High pressure lifts original path tiles and blows out the lime jointing, and replacing them is expensive. We treat period paths as delicate, because they are.
Spring, once you can see what the winter has grown. Autumn also works if you want it clear before the wet season. We work year-round, though heavy frost is not ideal for wet cleaning.
Patio & Driveway Cleaning by area
Each of these areas has its own patio & driveway cleaning page, covering the housing there, how we get to it and the questions people in that area ask.
Around our Selly Oak base
South & West Birmingham
East Birmingham & Solihull
North Birmingham
The Black Country
Tell us about the job
Send a few details or photos and we’ll come back with a clear price and an estimated time, with no obligation.