Your driveway takes the worst of the Manchester weather — months of damp, shaded winters turn block paving green, tarmac goes patchy and grey, and oil drips from the car bake into the surface a little more every year. It is the first thing visitors see when they pull up, and a tired-looking drive drags the whole front of the house down with it.
We are a mobile jet washing service covering Greater Manchester, from the city centre out to Stockport, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Wigan and everywhere in between. We clean block paving, tarmac, concrete and resin drives back to an even, cared-for finish — and every job starts with a free, no-obligation quote from photos or a quick site visit.
What is driveway jet washing?
Driveway jet washing is the controlled use of high-pressure water to strip oil, moss, algae, weeds and ingrained winter grime from the surface of your drive. Unlike a quick blast with a garden hose, a professional clean uses the right nozzle for the surface, a rotary head for an even finish, and targeted pre-treatments that break down stains before the water ever touches them.
The result is a driveway that looks close to how it did when it was laid. Because we work surface by surface — firm pressure for concrete, a gentler hand for older tarmac and resin — you get a deep clean without chewing up the drive itself.
How we do it
- Walkover and inspection: We look over the whole drive first — checking for loose or sunken blocks, cracked tarmac, oil staining, weeds in the joints and where the wash water will drain. That walkover decides which areas get which pressure and whether anything needs a softer approach before we start.
- Protect the surroundings: Cars are moved off the drive, nearby plants and lawn edges are covered or wetted down, and we check the drain covers so slurry flows where it should. Your paths, walls and garden stay clean while the drive is being worked on.
- Pre-treat stains and weeds: Oil patches get a dedicated degreaser, and weeds and moss in the joints are treated so the roots die back rather than simply being sliced off at the surface. Treatments are left to dwell for 15 to 30 minutes so they can do their work before the washing begins.
- Jet wash the surface: The main area is cleaned with a rotary surface cleaner, which gives a consistent finish without the stripe marks a hand lance leaves behind. Edges, corners and steps are finished with a fan lance, and the pressure is matched to the surface under it.
- Re-sand and aftercare: On block paving we brush kiln-dried sand back into the joints the washing opened up, which steadies the blocks and slows the weeds returning. We rinse everything down, clear the drains we used, and tell you how long to leave the surface before parking on it again — usually just a few hours.
Why have it done
- Restores the original colour of block paving, tarmac, concrete or resin
- Removes slippery moss and algae that build up in damp, shaded drives
- Lifts oil drips, tyre marks and ingrained winter grime
- Clears weeds and moss from joints, edges and drainage channels
- Lifts the whole front of your home for a cleaner, better-kept look
Oil stains, moss and weeds: what actually comes out
Fresh oil and recent tyre marks respond well to a degreaser and a firm wash — most of it lifts completely. Very old stains that have soaked deep into porous block paving or concrete will fade dramatically, but there can be a faint shadow left behind. We would rather tell you that honestly before we start than promise a perfect result.
Weeds and moss are treated at the root so they die back instead of snapping off and regrowing in a fortnight. On block paving, the wash inevitably opens up the joints a little, which is exactly why re-sanding with kiln-dried sand is part of the job — not an extra.
Keeping your driveway clean for longer
A quick sweep every few weeks stops leaves and soil settling into the surface, and a weed treatment across the joints once or twice a year keeps growth down between visits. If the joints on your block paving are already badly eroded, have a look at our block paving cleaning page, which goes into re-sanding in more detail.
Many customers add our patio cleaning to the same visit — the van is already there, the equipment is already set up, and the back garden gets the same lift as the front in one go.
What does it cost?
As a rough guide, driveway jet washing across Greater Manchester typically falls between £80 and £200 depending on the size of the drive, the surface and how stained or overgrown it is — every job is quoted free after a look at photos or a quick site visit.
Driveway Jet Washing FAQs
How much does driveway jet washing cost in Manchester?
Most single domestic drives across Greater Manchester fall between £80 and £200. What moves the price is the size of the drive, the surface — resin and older tarmac take more care than concrete — and the condition, since heavy oil staining or years of moss take longer to shift. We quote free from photos or a site visit, so you know the exact figure before we book you in.
Will jet washing damage my block paving or tarmac?
Not when it is done properly. We match the pressure to the surface: firm on concrete, more restrained on block paving, and gentle on older or crumbly tarmac and resin. The rotary head spreads the force evenly so no single spot gets gouged, and the walkover beforehand flags any weak areas. Damage almost always comes from a DIY machine held too close — that is the one thing to avoid.
Can you get old oil stains out of my driveway?
In most cases, yes — or at least dramatically better than before. Fresh oil lifts very well with a degreaser pre-soak. Older stains that have soaked into porous block paving or concrete will fade a great deal but can leave a faint shadow, because the oil has penetrated below the surface. We will give you an honest assessment of what to expect when we quote, before any work starts.
How long does my driveway take to dry afterwards?
On a breezy day a washed driveway is usually walkable within an hour or two and fine to park on the same day. In damp winter weather it can take a little longer, and block paving holds water in the fresh joint sand for a while. We will let you know on the day, but plan on keeping cars off for a few hours to be safe.
Do you re-sand block paving after jet washing?
Yes — on block paving, re-sanding is part of the job. Washing opens the joints and washes out the old sand, so we brush kiln-dried sand back in once the surface is clean. That steadies the blocks, keeps them from rocking, and makes it harder for weeds to take hold again. Skipping this step is one of the most common shortcuts in cheap driveway cleans.
Can you clean a resin driveway without damaging it?
Yes. Resin-bound driveways need a gentler approach: lower pressure, a wide fan and no harsh degreasers, because the resin binder is more vulnerable than concrete or tarmac. We keep the lance moving and at a distance, and we never use hot water or aggressive chemicals that can soften the surface. That lifts algae, tyre marks and winter grime while leaving the resin layer intact. It takes a little longer, but a blasted resin drive costs far more to repair than to clean properly.
How long does driveway cleaning take?
A typical single domestic drive takes two to four hours, including the walkover, the pre-treatments, the wash itself and the tidy-up. Large drives, heavy oil staining or badly weeded block paving can push that to a full day, since the treatments need time to dwell. We always tell you the expected time when we quote, so you know whether it is a morning job or an all-dayer. Plan on keeping cars off for a few hours afterwards too.
Can I clean my own driveway with a hire pressure washer?
You can, but there are two common DIY mistakes: holding the lance too close, which gouges stripes into tarmac and concrete and scars slabs, and skipping the degreaser and algae treatment, which means the stains return quickly. A professional clean also includes re-sanding block paving, which a hire machine never covers. If you do go DIY, keep the lance moving, stay back at least 30 centimetres, and never use the pencil jet on a paved surface.
How often should a driveway be cleaned in Manchester?
Every one to two years keeps a typical Greater Manchester drive in good shape. The damp climate means moss and algae return faster than in drier regions, and shaded drives or ones under trees need attention sooner. Waiting three or four years turns a maintenance clean into a rescue job that takes longer and costs more. A weed treatment across the joints once or twice a year stretches the interval nicely between cleans.
Does road salt and grit damage my driveway?
Gritting salt does not usually damage sound concrete or tarmac, but it accelerates wear on older block paving joints and leaves a whitish residue that dulls the surface through winter. What really harms drives is the freeze-thaw cycle: water sits in cracks, freezes and widens them a little more each year. A spring clean after winter washes the salt away and lets you spot any frost damage early, while it is still cheap to fix.
Will the weeds come back after jet washing?
Not quickly, if the job is done properly. We treat weeds at the root so they die rather than snapping off and regrowing, and the fresh kiln-dried sand in the joints makes it harder for new seeds to take hold. You will still get the odd seedling — wind carries seeds constantly — but a weed treatment across the joints once or twice a year keeps them at bay. Expect months of tidy paving, not a fortnight.
Driveway Jet Washing across Greater Manchester
We're mobile and cover the whole region. Pick your area: