We clean with a flat surface cleaner so there are no stripes. Rust stains we remove completely, and oil, paint and tire marks we lift as far as they will go.
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Waving a pressure wand across concrete leaves the stripes you have probably seen on a neighbor's driveway, because the spray cleans in a narrow arc. A flat surface cleaner covers an even width and gives a consistent finish instead. Minnesota adds its own problem: road salt and winter sand grind into the surface all season, and repeated freeze-thaw opens it up so stains sink deeper. We tell you before we start what to expect: we pre-treat, wash and post-treat every stain, and rust comes out with our oxalic acid process, but we never promise that oil or paint disappears completely. How long it sat in the concrete decides that. We also don't take on cracked or crumbling concrete.
A driveway is the widest surface out front and usually the first thing anyone notices. When it goes gray-green and streaky the whole house reads as neglected, even when nothing else is.
Concrete takes a real beating here. Road salt gets tracked up the drive all winter and works into the surface. Freeze-thaw opens tiny pores that trap dirt and hold it. Shaded, north-facing slabs grow a green-black film of algae that keeps coming back because they never fully dry.
On top of the weather, driveways collect what cars leave behind. Dark oil and grease where the engine drips, orange rust streaks from patio furniture and bikes left standing, and black tire marks baked in by hot summer pavement. Rust we remove completely. Oil can leave a shadow depending on how long it sat, and we tell you that before we start.
ReviewsClean concrete and wood are easy to judge once they dry. Here is what Minneapolis homeowners say about our washing. If you spot a stripe or a missed patch, call within 72 hours and we re-clean it free.
The same even routine on every driveway, with rust handled the same way every time.
We walk the driveway, identify the surface, and point out any oil, paint or rust staining, with a straight read on what each will do. We also flag any cracked or crumbling concrete we will not wash.
We soak nearby plants and lawn with water, then apply our chemical pre-treatment, with degreaser on oil and grease, and let it dwell so the tough spots break down before the main clean.
The flat surface cleaner sweeps the whole slab at one consistent high pressure, edge to edge, with no striping. We hit paint spills with targeted high pressure.
We hand-detail the edges, expansion joints and anywhere the disc cannot reach. On rust, we run our multi-step oxalic acid process until the stain is gone.
We apply the chemical post-treatment, rinse the surface and your plants, and walk the driveway with you, or send photos if you are not home.
Drag the slider to see the before and after, plus two driveways we just finished.
We washed the grime off a blacktop pad and the paver border that runs along the retaining wall.
An even, stripe-free finish from the garage door to the street.
The whole slab done in one visit, garage apron included.
Price comes from the size of the area and its condition rather than the hour. A standard two-car driveway costs less than a long or heavily stained one, and adding walkways, a patio or a garage floor while the crew is on site is straightforward to include.
On a paver driveway, re-sanding the joints with polymeric sand is part of the conversation. It stops weeds and helps the pavers hold their structure, and we always come on site to bid it.
Quotes are free and confirmed by a person before anything starts. Pairing the driveway with house washing or the pool deck on one visit usually beats separate trips.
The difference between a driveway that looks flawless and one covered in bands comes down to the tool. We clean concrete with a flat surface cleaner, a spinning disc attachment that rides just above the slab and sweeps two jets in a circle, so every square inch takes the same pressure. On concrete we work in three steps: a chemical pre-treatment, a high-pressure clean with the surface cleaner, then a chemical post-treatment. Where there is oil we add a degreaser, a soap formulated to break down oil and grease.
The alternative is a hand wand, the straight spray gun most people picture. Because the operator waves it back and forth, some passes hit harder than others and some overlap. The result is alternating light and dark bands. In the trade those are called zebra stripes, and once they are etched into concrete they are extremely hard to correct. A flat surface cleaner exists specifically to prevent them, and if you have seen a striped driveway around town, that is what happened to it.
Not every surface wants the same recipe. Asphalt is softer than concrete and needs lower pressure and a milder cleaner or it chews up. Pavers and stamped concrete are more delicate and often carry a decorative coating, so they need gentler handling than a plain slab. On paver driveways we re-sand the joints with polymeric sand after cleaning.
We would rather set the expectation up front than over-promise and disappoint you afterward. A thorough clean removes the great majority of surface dirt, algae and light staining, and makes a driveway look dramatically better. Oil, paint and rust each behave differently, and we will tell you which is which.
Oil and paint are the stains we never promise will disappear completely. We put degreaser on oil and targeted high pressure on paint, and washing makes a real difference. How long the stain sat on the concrete decides whether all the color comes out, and every job is different. Oil that has wicked deep into the pores over seasons can leave a faint shadow.
Rust is the stain we stand behind. We mix oxalic acid with water at a set ratio and run the same multi-step process on every rust stain, so it fully goes away. Tire marks normally come up well with degreaser, though heavily baked-in marks can leave a trace.
We look at your specific stains and give you a straight read before you book.
72 hours. No hassle. No charge.
See a streak, a missed edge, or a stain you hoped would come up further? Tell us. As long as it is something a re-clean can improve, we come back and put it right at our cost. On oil and paint stains we set expectations up front so there are no surprises either way.
On a paver driveway, washing flushes sand out of the joints. So after we clean, we re-sand the joints with polymeric sand. It stops weeds from growing up through the gaps and helps the pavers hold their structure. Every paver driveway is different, so we always come on site to bid it.
We do not take on cracked or crumbling concrete. We do not repair concrete, and we do not wash surfaces that are breaking apart, because pressure pulls off the loose material and leaves the slab worse. If we see it when we look at your driveway, we will tell you straight away.
We cover Minneapolis, St. Paul and the surrounding metro. Check your city or ZIP:
We work out of one office in New Hope and cover Minneapolis, St. Paul and the surrounding metro from it. One local company, not a franchise or a dealer network, so the people who quote your job are the people who do it and the people you call afterward.
Straight answers so you know what you are booking. If your question is not here, call and ask.
It depends on the size of your driveway and what is on it. A short single-car slab costs less than a long driveway with oil and rust stains. You get a free quote and a firm price before we start.
Yes, when it is done right. Concrete can take real pressure. The damage comes from a hand wand held too close, which etches the surface and leaves stripes. We clean with a flat surface cleaner for an even finish. We do not wash cracked or crumbling concrete, because pressure pulls off the loose material.
For most driveways, yes. Winter salt, sand and algae grind into the surface, and algae makes it slick. A wash takes that off before it sets in deeper. It also costs far less than replacing a slab.
Once a year suits most driveways. Spring is a good time, after the salt and sand of winter. A driveway under trees or in shade grows algae back faster and may want it more often.
We treat all of them, with different realistic outcomes. Rust comes out fully with our oxalic acid process, and we stand behind that. Oil and paint get degreaser and targeted high pressure, and washing makes a real difference, but how long the stain sat decides whether all the color comes out. Tire marks usually come up well with degreaser. We give you a read on your specific stains before we start.
As soon as the concrete is dry.
Walk the driveway after we leave, and if a re-clean can improve it, call (612) 216-7894 within 72 hours. We come back and redo it at no charge. No invoice, no argument, no fine print. That is the Wally’s Worry-Free Guarantee.
Free quote for a clean that comes out even, with rust removal we stand behind, backed by our 72-Hour Worry-Free Guarantee.
