3 min read

How To Powerwash Your Sidewalk

It's an inexpensive and easy way to boost your curb appeal in a matter of minutes.

Suburban home on a corner with sidewalks on both sides.

Written byZillow|June 9, 2016

Sidewalks, porches and patio looking dirty and stained? Us too! Thankfully, it's a quick — and satisfying! — fix. All you need is a powerwasher and an hour or two.

Here's what our sidewalks looked like after a long winter.

Beyond the annual dirt buildup, there was what seemed to be a permanent stain under our old doormat. As much as we tried to wash it off with the hose, it just wouldn't budge!

Instead of trying to hide these unsightly stains all summer long, we decided that powerwashing away this dirt would not only clean up our entire property but also amp up the curb appeal right in time for our flowers to start blooming.

Supplies:

Powerwasher and sprayer (you can easily rent one)
Extension cord
Hose
Boots or waterproof shoes
Safety glasses – or sunglasses

Step 1

Every powerwasher is a tad different, so read the manufacturer's instructions to identify exactly how you should get it started. We borrowed this AR Blue Clean 112 power washer from our neighbor, but you can easily rent one from one of the large hardware retailers.

We love the idea of renting this item because it's affordable (around $30 for four hours). And by renting instead of buying, you don't ever have to worry about maintaining the powerwasher or storing it when it's not in use.

Step 2

Fill the water source, and hook it and the sprayer to the powerwasher. Carefully plug in the powerwasher, and turn on both the power of the machine and hose.

Safety note: Always run the water to the machine first before turning on the power.

Powerwashers can be either electrical (like ours) or gas powered. If your powerwasher is electrical, it will need to be powered through an outlet. However if your powerwasher is gas powered, you will need to fill it up with gasoline (much like a lawnmower or snowblower).

Both can get the job done, but gas powerwashers are typically more powerful. Note the model of the powerwasher you are using to identify both how it will be powered and the PSI, which means pounds per square inch.

The PSI of most powerwashers is noted right on the machine, so it should be pretty easy to identify. A gas powerwasher typically runs at 2,000 to 2,800 PSI, while an electrical power washer runs at 1,200 to 1,700 PSI.

Step 3

Now it's time to start spraying the dirt and stains right off that sidewalk, patio, balcony or driveway! Test out the power of the sprayer before putting it directly onto the sidewalk or surface — some sprayers are so powerful they can chip or even damage the concrete.

Once the sprayer is at an appropriate power, direct it at the sidewalk surface, and the power of the water will remove the dirt buildup, doormat stains or even overgrown moss in cracks.

Step 4

The powerwasher makes a big difference pretty quickly! Using the sprayer, we carefully went over every square inch of the sidewalk, and right away we could see the amazing results.

We powerwashed stubborn stains over and over again until it faded away. If your powerwasher comes with different nozzles, you can switch them out to find one that gets rid of the stubborn spots.

The powerwasher was amazing at removing dirt residue and leaf stains on the concrete, but it did not remove rust stains or paint stains on the surface.

We recommend powerwashing a small space very thoroughly before moving on. Tackling one area at a time will ensure that you don't miss any spots as you move on and eventually finish the entire project.

Step 5

After you have powerwashed the entire area, it's time to pack up your supplies, wait for the sidewalk to dry and then sit back to admire your work.

My favorite part of this project is looking at the dramatic before and after photos side by side. Can you even believe this transformation only took about an hour of spraying?